Brett Gelman is using satire to address a serious issue in PETA’s latest campaign. The Stranger Things star portrays a fictional SeaWorld trainer who teaches new hires how to handle animal welfare concerns raised by the organization.
Brett Gelman portrays a fictional SeaWorld trainer in PETA’s campaign against captive marine animal performances
Gelman pokes fun at SeaWorld in a new PETA-produced parody that takes the form of a workplace orientation. The actor opens the sketch with the line, “Welcome to SeaWorld, the place where we j*rk off dolphins and call it conservation.” He plays an employee who trains new hires to explain what visitors might encounter, using increasingly uncomfortable descriptions of animal behavior.
His character tries to make each situation sound reassuring, even when it appears troubling. The employee’s happy act finally falls apart as he quietly repeats, “I love my job, I love my job.” Gelman also shared why he joined the campaign, making it clear that animals should not be used for entertainment. “These animals are not meant to be our entertainers. Let’s leave that to [actors]. We choose that. They don’t,” he said, as reported by The Blast.
The campaign aims to reach people planning a night out at SeaWorld. The organization said Gelman will also feature in large mobile messages circling the company’s San Diego and Orlando locations before their Howl-O-Scream events. PETA is linking its message to the parks’ Halloween events, pointing out that the animals’ distress does not end when visitors leave. The organization has raised concerns about animals being kept in confined spaces, incompatible tankmates, and injuries from aggressive encounters.
According to figures provided by PETA, SeaWorld facilities have seen the deaths of more than 40 orcas and 500 other dolphins and whales over the years. The group also claims that 16 orcas and 130 dolphins currently live across the parks in San Diego, Orlando, and San Antonio.
