Whale Wars: Killers get more witnesses
The Animal Planet network is boasting that the season premier of Whale Wars, the reality show aboard of an anti-whaling expedition, attracted an audience of 1.2 million, or 22 percent more than last year’s debut show.
The season continues for eight more weeks “much to the chagrin of the Japanese [whalers], who would probably rather not have their hunts on display in American homes,” notes the Ecorazzi enviro-tainment blog.
I wonder: Does this show put more pressure on the Japanese government to rein the whalers (who only are allowed to kill whales because they claim to be doing “research”), or does it get the whaling interests to dig in their heals?
Either way the direct-action adventures of the Steve Irwin — which an English-speaking maneuvers into the path of Japanese whaling vessels — is made-for-TV eco-drama. And Animal Planet is milking for all it’s worth the occasionally dysfunctional antics aboard the vessel, as well as an incident in which Australian police temporarily confiscated footage that’s actually used in this season’s shows. From the network’s press release:
Earlier this year when the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society vessel the Steve Irwin docked in Hobart, Tasmania, it was met by two dozen members of the Australian Federal Police. They were there to confiscate hundreds of hours of videotape, launching an investigation into what was one of the most intense and dramatic campaigns ever conducted by the Sea Shepherds in their 30-year history. It was a life-changing experience for those on the boat and is the basis for WHALE WARS.
The new season includes collisions at sea; dangerous ice fields to avoid; harrowing nautical maneuvers; and the use of more aggressive defenses against the Sea Shepherds.
‘Whale Wars’ makes for good TV
Does anyone else find the promotional material and overall approach of the Animal Planet’s upcoming “Whale Wars” series a bit obscene?
Not that there’s anything wrong with that. The reality show, which premiers its second season Friday night (9 p.m. Eastern), tracks activists on a mission to prevent Japanese whalers from killing their prey.
In some ways, it’s incredibly effective propaganda for a worthy cause. And to be that effective, it has to introduce us to the flawed heroes, the impersonal villains, and their bloodied victims.
For those who missed last season, “Whale Wars” follows the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s ship (the Steve Irwin) and its crew as they harass Japanese whalers by getting between them and their prey, by videotaping their activities, and even by getting close enough to throw stink bombs that ruin the harvested whale meat. Last season, Captain Paul Watson came across as an erratic autocrat but not at the expense of the righteousness of his cause. Read more
