Whoever says this is "television stooped to a new low" clearly doesn't know anything about presenting an extreme point of view in an unbiased manner. In "Whale Wars", Animal Planet has managed to give us a show that actually chronicles a very controversial group of people without taking a side. There are no endorsements for, or against, the Sea Shepherds or their activities by the production crew or the television network. After watching many biased documentaries of all sorts by all sorts, I thought Whale Wars was a nice change.
Personally, I don't really ascribe to too many environmentalist causes, for a variety of reasons. As such, I was initially skeptical when I heard about the premise of Whale Wars. I was sure I'd be getting another heavily biased faux documentary, the aim of which was to pander to one extreme on the right-left political spectrum. I was also expecting lackluster production with tedious editing.
Fortunately, none of that is the case. While most of the people involved in this venture seem almost foreign to me (I'm a gun owner, I eat meat nearly exclusively, and I consider myself an American patriot), they do not come off as completely insane ecoterrorists. This is perhaps because they're explaining themselves at every turn. There are many sit-down interviews in addition to action sequences; the viewer can then weigh what he sees them doing against what he hears them saying, and is invited to make his own judgment.
The pacing is not boring or slow, nor is it rushed. As we see the Sea Shepherds deciding on tactics and the commission of their actions, we also see the consequences of what they do. They are not glorified or lionized, and I don't come away feeling as if the show has tried to legitimize or marginalize them one way or the other. The same goes for what we are able to see of the Japanese whaling ships.
But this is where the niceties end. After multiple attempts to communicate with the Japanese, the Sea Shepherds become aggressive. When I first heard about this group and some of their tactics, such as throwing stink bombs onto the whaling ships, I felt they were completely outside their rights as activists. However, that's because I thought they were attacking these vessels in Japanese waters, exclusively. When I learned that the Japanese were not in their own territory, I had to reconsider.
Are the Sea Shepherds right, or wrong? That's for individual viewers to decide. Are their tactics effective? I suppose we'll all have to wait for the Japanese and Australian governments to make an action before we can determine that.
I'm forced to admit, though... The Sea Shepherds definitely have guts, and aren't slacking. Their missteps are shown alongside what they consider victories, and I can at least appreciate that they've decided to actually DO something about what they call a problem, instead of asking others to do it for them. I've never liked whiners, which is why I can admire them for being active and aggressive (though arguably nonviolent) instead of just sitting around whining about it.
Personally, I don't really ascribe to too many environmentalist causes, for a variety of reasons. As such, I was initially skeptical when I heard about the premise of Whale Wars. I was sure I'd be getting another heavily biased faux documentary, the aim of which was to pander to one extreme on the right-left political spectrum. I was also expecting lackluster production with tedious editing.
Fortunately, none of that is the case. While most of the people involved in this venture seem almost foreign to me (I'm a gun owner, I eat meat nearly exclusively, and I consider myself an American patriot), they do not come off as completely insane ecoterrorists. This is perhaps because they're explaining themselves at every turn. There are many sit-down interviews in addition to action sequences; the viewer can then weigh what he sees them doing against what he hears them saying, and is invited to make his own judgment.
The pacing is not boring or slow, nor is it rushed. As we see the Sea Shepherds deciding on tactics and the commission of their actions, we also see the consequences of what they do. They are not glorified or lionized, and I don't come away feeling as if the show has tried to legitimize or marginalize them one way or the other. The same goes for what we are able to see of the Japanese whaling ships.
But this is where the niceties end. After multiple attempts to communicate with the Japanese, the Sea Shepherds become aggressive. When I first heard about this group and some of their tactics, such as throwing stink bombs onto the whaling ships, I felt they were completely outside their rights as activists. However, that's because I thought they were attacking these vessels in Japanese waters, exclusively. When I learned that the Japanese were not in their own territory, I had to reconsider.
Are the Sea Shepherds right, or wrong? That's for individual viewers to decide. Are their tactics effective? I suppose we'll all have to wait for the Japanese and Australian governments to make an action before we can determine that.
I'm forced to admit, though... The Sea Shepherds definitely have guts, and aren't slacking. Their missteps are shown alongside what they consider victories, and I can at least appreciate that they've decided to actually DO something about what they call a problem, instead of asking others to do it for them. I've never liked whiners, which is why I can admire them for being active and aggressive (though arguably nonviolent) instead of just sitting around whining about it.