Joan Jett Serves SeaWorld With ‘Cease and Desist’ for Unauthorized Use of Music in ‘Shamu Rocks’
For Immediate Release:
December 9, 2013
Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382
In the wake of concert cancelations at SeaWorld by Heart, Willie Nelson, and the Barenaked Ladies, the controversial captivity center has been served with a “cease and desist” order from Joan Jett after a video surfaced showing her hit “I Love Rock ‘n Roll” being played at the opening of the “Shamu Rocks” show in Orlando. In a letter e-mailed today to SeaWorld CEO Jim Atchison, Jett writes the following:
I was surprised and upset to see on YouTube that SeaWorld used “I Love Rock ‘n Roll” as the opening music for its cruel and abusive “Shamu Rocks” show. I’m among the millions who saw Blackfish and am sickened that my music was blasted without my permission at sound-sensitive marine mammals. These intelligent and feeling creatures communicate by sonar and are driven crazy in the tiny tanks in which they are confined. If I don’t receive written confirmation that SeaWorld will cease and desist from using any Joan Jett & the Blackhearts music, I will be forced to take further action, and you’ll find me among the PETA protesters outside your parks.
Jett, a longtime PETA supporter, joins an ever-increasing roster of artists targeting SeaWorld. In August 2012, Tommy Lee prohibited SeaWorld from using Mötley Crüe songs in “Shamu Rocks.”
Jett’s full letter appears below and can also be viewed here. For more information on SeaWorld’s controversial and cruel practices, visit PETA.org.
December 9, 2013
Jim Atchison
President and CEO
SeaWorld
Dear Mr. Atchison,
I was surprised and upset to see on YouTube that SeaWorld used “I Love Rock ‘n Roll” as the opening music for its cruel and abusive “Shamu Rocks” show. I’m among the millions who saw Blackfish and am sickened that my music was blasted without my permission at sound-sensitive marine mammals. These intelligent and feeling creatures communicate by sonar and are driven crazy in the tiny tanks in which they are confined. If I don’t receive written confirmation that SeaWorld will cease and desist from using any Joan Jett & the Blackhearts music, I will be forced to take further action, and you’ll find me among the PETA protesters outside your parks.
SeaWorld’s reliance on cruelty and captivity for commerce has been widely exposed. I hope you’ll take the respectable path and release the captive orcas to coastal sanctuaries so that they can live out their lives with other orcas in nature. This move would show that your company is truly family-friendly.
This message is not a complete statement of my rights and remedies, all of which are expressly reserved.
Sincerely,
Joan Jett
