EVERYONE LISTEN UP

LISTEN WELL

Because I have something important to tell. Most of you will already know this, and that's only good, but we need to get to a situation where everyone knows this. Because everywhere I've been in Thailand, I get handed flyers for elephant safaris, monkey shows, snake performances, and much more animal suffering. Guys, this is NOT okay and no one should be supporting this.

The elephants that have to carry a bunch of simple souls through a jungle with such an idiotic chair on their back have had a pretty unpleasant time before they are so beaten down that they actually walk around with those fools on their back. These animals are taken from the wild to serve humans, and that is never, ever a good idea. And even those little monkeys or even those snakes, which may not be so cuddly and therefore less imaginative, but it is all unjustifiable.

Ask yourself the question: “do the animals do this in the wild too?” If the answer is “no”, then I forbid you to spend money on it.

I was extremely surprised to see how every tour agency offers an elephant safari. When I asked if that was a popular attraction, almost all of them said: “Oh yes, very very popular everybody loves elephants!” And that makes me sad.

Before an elephant gets that aforementioned damned chair on its back, it has to be so domesticated to allow that. We have the idea that elephants are sweet cuddly animals because we see them so often in tame situations, but in the wild, they are quite dangerous animals that can act very unexpectedly. That taming certainly happens in Thailand and other Asian countries through the ‘Phajaan process’ where, it was once thought, the soul of the animal is separated from the body and thus listens to humans. Watch this video for a moment, I warn you, it really is gruesome footage, but then get close to an elephant that works for tourists. And definitely show that video to everyone who thinks that it ‘isn't that bad.’ Also highly recommended is the documentary Tyke Elephant Outlaw, now available on Netflix.

The rule to determine if something is sad is very simple. Ask yourself the question: “do the animals do this in the wild too?” If the answer is “no”, then I forbid you to spend money on it. Ever seen an elephant craft a chair with its trunk? Or a monkey jump through a hoop? Or in another corner, a dolphin standing with a human on its nose? Swimming with dolphins in captivity is just as corrupt.

I promised May not to write too much about travel-related things, but it makes me so angry that many people still don't think and thus continue to stimulate this kind of abuse. Promise me that you are not like that. Otherwise, I'll send Poes Disco after you, who is very frightening in a very natural way. Really.