Frommer Watch: Arthur v. PETA?
Oh man, this is one group you do not want to pick a fight with. It all started innocently enough, last month, when the emperor of excursion himself, Arthur Frommer, offhandedly mentioned in a post that families should visit SeaWorld over competing theme parks due to its “educational value for a young audience.”
Well, this obviously did not go over well with the folks over at PETA, who apparently avidly follow Art’s blog (who knew?). In response, they fired over a lengthy letter, highlighting the inherently cruel nature of the park, including the park’s practice of making the orcas “perform circus-style tricks for food [and] swim endless circles in small, barren concrete tanks,” all while living a life “far short of the 60-year maximum life span that orcas enjoy in the wild.”
PETA also noted that “twenty-one orcas died in U.S. SeaWorld facilities between 1986 and 2008 — an average of nearly one each year — and not one died of old age.” They finished, urging Arthur to, “for the sake of the animals, [ ] reconsider your position of SeaWorld.”
Arthur, the Yale University Law School graduate that he is, considered both sides, weighed the opposing arguments, and came to a decision, conceding defeat and changing his position. “[PETA official] Ms. Leahy is clearly right, and I have reconsidered my position. I am ashamed, I apologize for my former statements, and I will no longer recommend that tourists patronize the various SeaWorld parks.”
A class act as always. Want to play it safe? Just don’t go to theme parks, period.
* Image via Jaunted.