Willie Nelson and Barenaked Ladies Get Whale of a Thank-You From PETA

For Immediate Release:
December 6, 2013

Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382

In the wake of announcements that both Willie Nelson and Barenaked Ladies have pulled out of scheduled performances at SeaWorld, PETA has rushed boxes of orca-shaped vegan chocolates to the iconic musicians to thank them for refusing to partner with the cruel amusement park.

The musicians’ decisions come in the midst of controversy that has plagued SeaWorld since the release of Blackfish, the documentary that exposes the park’s practice of capturing orcas from their family pods in the ocean and locking them in tiny concrete tanks, where they suffer physically and psychologically from the constant deprivation of captivity (and have lashed out at their trainers—sometimes fatally—in frustration). The members of Barenaked Ladies are among those whose opinions have been swayed by the Oscar-nominated film—after viewing it, they decided that they didn’t “feel comfortable proceeding with the gig.”

They’re not alone: Other musicians who won’t support SeaWorld include Tommy Lee—who has demanded that Mötley Crüe music not be used in the park’s shows—and Morrissey, whose band wore “SeaWorld Sucks” T-shirts at a recent San Diego show.

More information is available at SeaWorldOfHurt.com.