No spoiler, but there’s a reason Dumbo of 2019 has a starkly different ending than its more naive counterpart from 1941.
“It’s funny, but I truly never liked the circus,” Dumbo remake director Tim Burton said in an interview with the LA Times. “You’ve got animals being tortured, you’ve got death-defying acts, and you’ve got clowns. It’s like a horror show. What’s to like?”
And what a horror show it is for the animals enslaved under the big top. Baby elephants like Dumbo snatched from their mothers in the wild, forced by threat of pain to perform silly tricks for our amusement. Their young bodies tied down with ropes in grueling training sessions, they’re beaten into submission with whips and bullhooks. Life for lions, tigers and other circus animals is no better; on the road for months on end in tiny, cramped cages, they have no chance for a natural existence.
But there is hope: proposed California SB-313, the Circus Cruelty Prevention Act, would expressly ban the enslavement and exploitation of animals for circus profiteers.
Introduced by Sen. Ben Hueso, SB-313 would “prohibit a person from sponsoring, conducting, operating, or participating in a circus that uses a wild or exotic animal.”
The impact of this critical bill would affect circuses across the nation. Traveling animal acts would no longer be welcome in the state, leaving circuses with two choices: either find another home for the animals while touring in California, or leave them out of the show completely and go animal-free.
Passing this bill is a must if California wants to retain its status as the most forward-thinking state in the nation. We have the most comprehensive farmed animal protections in the U.S. (though still, much more could be done to stop their suffering). Last fall, we became the first state to ban cosmetics testing on animals. But when it comes to outlawing animal cruelty in the circus, we’ve already fallen to third place, behind New Jersey and Hawaii — both of whom passed bans in December 2018.
By enacting SB-313, California would also catch up with its own local laws: Los Angeles, San Francisco and dozens of other California cities already have restrictions on the use of wild animals in circuses, traveling shows and/or other forms of entertainment.
From chariot racing to bullfighting to greyhound racing, animal exploitation has been deeply embedded in global culture throughout history. But as a progressive state, we must evolve past these outdated norms. Undercover investigations from groups like Animal Defenders International, Last Chance for Animals and PETA have clearly shown the beatings, intense confinement and brutal isolation of circus animals. And a new petition from Lady Freethinker already has more than 20,000 signatures from people urging California to pass SB-313.
Does anyone still believe the myth of the happy circus elephant, smiling cheerily at the crowds?
This is a multi-billion dollar industry funded on the backs of animal exploitation. And this is a burden no creature should have to bear.
The closing curtains of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in 2017 signaled a wave of change from the public, who is growing less and less willing to pay to watch animal torture. California, with its nearly $3 trillion economy, now has the chance to swing the pendulum even closer to the side of compassion. We must pass SB-313, for the sake of the animals as well as our place at the forefront of progressive policies in America.
I agree with Ronald Toulian……I heard that quote several times throughout the
years “The greatness of a nation is determined by the way they treat their
animals”. How true !
Circuses should never perform in front of audiences giving a false impression that the animals are perfectly happy to perform tricks while concealing the truth that their performances are all made up of manipulation, force, domination, bullying, control, deprivation and ruined lives.
No animal would naturally perform tricks in its own environment where it would flourish where nature intended without fear of man who forces misery upon animals by taking them away from their Mothers, causing both the parent and its young great distress and panic into a darkened life of misery which should be exposed to the entire globe.
Lugar de animais é na natureza e n em circos sendo explorados. Libertação animal ainda q tardia.
It’s about time! I absolutely love Tim burtons remarks: it’s about torturing animals, it’s about death defying acts and it has clowns. What’s to love about this?!?!
Excellent comment Tim burton! Yes! I feel the same way!!!!
After learning about the real ‘Dumbo aka Jumbo I will not speed a dime watching the dumbo movie.
Please stop animals being used in circuses especially wild animals like elephants and tigers etc
Bring Dumbo home ! And release all these animals either to the wild or to sanctuaries. BAN CIRCUS!
COMMENTil y en a marre de voir les hommes torturer des animaux alors que nous aussi sommes des animaux . Un humain tue un étre humain il est condamner ,s’il tue des animaux et les tortures il n’a rien ou presque .cela me dégoutte et me fait de la peine ,comme a beaucoup de gents sincères . Je demande, avec ttes les personnes qui comme moi aiment les animaux de créer des loi a l’instar des meurtriers d’humain a humains.Par avance je remercie toutes les personnes qui ont la possibilité et le cran de faire changer les états d’esprits afin de faire un grand pas dans l’évolution moral
ENOUGH is ENOUGH, animals are not ours
I CAN NOT BELIEVE A FORWARD THINKING STATE LIKE CALIFORNIA, IS STILL INTERESTED IN EVEN ATTENDING A CIRCUS WITH LIVE ANIMALS. ONE WOULD HAVE TO LIVE UNDER A ROCK NOT TO KNOW HOW THIS POOR DARLINGS ARE BEATEN INTO SUBMISSION TO PERFORM!!!!
The horrors perpetrated in the name of so-called “tradition” and “doing business” — MUST STOP — Let’s get some RATIONALITY — Let’s get some MORALITY — Let’s get some COMPASSION — WHO protects the animals? — WHO! —— STOP your unconscionable, cowardly, depravedly cruel treatment of Elephants — Transfer sweet Dumbo to a reputable Elephant Sanctuary where she can live a happy, healthy life.
If California wants to be progressive, then they need to do something about the Devore animal “shelter”!
Non aux cirques
This bill must be passed to protect these poor innocent animals who are being so badly treated. Please bring this suffering to an end and pass the bill.
Why are we amused when animals are abused into performing stupid silly tricks?
The solution lies in the hands of the public. I’ve been saying for years people need to seriously boycott any circus that uses animals for ‘entertainment’. No visitors, no animal circuses. What’s wrong with the old fashioned circuses i.e. clowns, trapeze artists etc.
For the sake of humanities and mercy. Aren’t zoo’s enough? Do they have to dance for our amusement. It’s not in their nature,so they have to be tortured and punished all their life…
It is an absolute no brainer that circus acts involving the forced submission of wild animals to degrading performances must be stopped as soon as possible. Much of the civilised world has done this.The assumption that the animals enjoy it has been exposed as a flagrant lie.
C’mon California prove how forward thinking this state is. I lived in Cali for 26 years so I know you can do it. I’m pulking for you guys to do the right thing. 🐘🐘🦁🐯🐵🐒🐾🐴🐎
I am horrified at the suffering that circus animals must endure due to their exploitation for the profit and entertainment of humans. These animals don’t get a weekend or a vacation ever. – They are constantly in chains & at the beck and call of humans who have tortured them to break their spirit in order to “train them.”
The whole circus industry makes me sick.
Please pass California SB-313, the Circus Cruelty Prevention Act.
All animals deserve to live the way that Mother Nature intended – without human interference.
Stop the torture and abuse. Let the animals go to a protected area and humans get their kicks another less harmful way.
Right on Nina ! I’ve been protesting circuses for years here in the Detroit area. I agree
with you 100 percent. But unfortunately, a lot of parents say “My kid is going to be
entertained and I don’t care WHO suffers”. We try to educate these idiots, with our
signs and sometimes verbally, but they refuse to believe that the animas are mistreated.
Yes, I will continue to protest the circuses as long as I can. Makes me ashamed to be
a human being.
Thank you, Patricia, for being in the front lines against circus cruelty. Keep up the protest!