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Show Biz Horrors
Show Biz HorrorsDespite that familiar statement that scrolls down the movie screen at the end of a film, many animals are harmed in the making of movies. Before and after their performance, animal actors are held captive by the trainers, crammed into tiny cages and ignored--or worse, beaten. Many trainers beat animals routinely so that they'll be attentive and obedient. Normally gregarious and playful creatures like orangutans and chimpanzees are kept in a constant state of terror, watching the trainer's every move in order to avoid the next blow.When apes get too strong for a trainer to control, usually around 8 years old, they may be sold to a poorly run roadside zoo, where the rest of their lives will be spent in filthy holding cells, with little concern given to the quality of their environment, food, or health. Horrors Hidden by the Silver Screen Most films with even one animal will claim that "no animals were harmed in the making of this film," but a behind-the-scenes look reveals otherwise. Here are just two examples of the abuse that great apes have faced on set: - In the 1978 film Every Which Way but Loose, Clint Eastwood played opposite an orangutan named Buddha. One day, when the film was nearly completed, Buddha indulged his sweet tooth in some doughnuts he'd found on the set. As punishment for his "crime," he was allegedly beaten with an axe handle by his trainers and eventually died of a brain hemorrhage. - On the set of Project X, a film about the U.S. Air Force's primate experiments, six animal trainers employed by Twentieth Century Fox allegedly physically and mentally abused the chimpanzee actors. Eighteen felony charges were filed against them. Cruel Intentions Animal trainers will use any means necessary to force their victims to perform. Punching and kicking are everyday occurrences, and serious beatings aren't given a second thought. A volunteer at Amazing Animal Actors, one of the five major chimpanzee training facilities that supplies Hollywood, heard trainers say these horrible things about the chimpanzees being held there: - "Hit them hard enough that they know you mean business but not so hard that you do permanent damage." - "Aim for her head because it's really sturdy." - "Kick her in the face as hard as you can. You can't hurt her." - "If you need to hit her, use this [referring to the handle end of the hammer]." - "Don't be afraid to just hit her." The trainers' actions were even crueler than their words. The volunteer talked about witnessing these abusive events: - "The trainer demonstrated for me: she made a fist and punched Sable in the head with her right hand, just above her left eye. Sable screamed and jumped tighter into my arms, no longer squirming. The trainer had to wave her hand like this to shake off the pain--she had hit Sable that hard." - "I witnessed trainers punching her in the back, kicking her in the head, and throwing objects at her including a rock, a mallet, and a sawed-off broom handle." - "I saw a volunteer ask the compound director how to get Cody to stand up, and the director grabbed Cody's ear and forced him to stand by pulling his ear sharply until Cody screamed in pain." - "The director grabbed Cody by his lower lip, pulled him forward, and then pushed him down until he was lying on his back. Again, Cody screamed and whimpered in response. I saw volunteers and trainers hit Cody on the head with a lock, take a full windup and punch him in the back, kick him in the head, and hit him with a blunt instrument known as 'the ugly stick.'" - "I watched as the compound director started punching Apollo repeatedly with all his strength, throwing his whole body into each punch." - "A trainer punched Apollo in the face and then pinned him against the fence with his knee." - "The director hit Apollo three times with a broom handle, first winding up and hitting him with something akin to a baseball swing, and then whacking Apollo twice at close range and really hard." "Abuse and physical violence are seemingly commonplace in this industry, and it's not even a secret," the volunteer said. "In fact, it's taught in a training school that is currently producing many future animal trainers and zoo workers." To read factsheets on specific trainers and how they abuse their animals, click here. These trainers are paid with the dollars that you spend on movie tickets. Please don't give money to animal abusers. Avoid movies with live primates. |
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