In case you didn’t know, back in May of 2016 a three year old climbed in the gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo. The gorilla, Harambe grabbed the child and was shot and killed to save the boy. This brought an uproar on social media of how unfair it was for the animal to die. Like most news stories the hyped lasted about a week, until now. The uproar is back in the form of memes, hats, shot glasses, and other apparel and gifts.
If you go on Twitter you are sure to see various Harambe memes and merchandise. You will also see the Cincinnati Zoo blocking many Twitter users for harassment. Either tweeting at them or direct messaging them jokes and other things about Harambe. The Cincinnati Zoo tweeted out asking people to stop and when they were only met with more jokes, the abandoned Twitter completely.
Now when is it enough? When people start making memes? When merchandise is made? When it enters the schools as ear book photos? Or is it enough when a business is under fire and forced to shut down an account to avoid harassment. Now people may not agree how the situation was handled back in May, but the jokes are not funny. The harassment is not funny. How is making jokes and memes out of a deceased animal any different than making them about a deceased human? No one does that so why are we now? Where are the memes and attention for real problems involving animals like trophy hunting and poachers? Why is it okay to harass a business but harassing individual people causes an uproar? People will get upset about someone abandoning social media because of harassment but when a business does it just fuels the fire. How does any of this make sense? You wouldn’t make jokes about a deceased person so why make them about an animal. It isn’t even raising awareness for anything, just poking fun at a sad event.
I’m here to say enough is enough. The jokes are not funny. The harassment is not funny. Leave the Cincinnati Zoo alone. If you really care so much about animals, drop the Harambe jokes and pick up a real cause like the APL or a group against trophy hunting. These jokes aren’t doing any good and are not for any cause except amusement. So quit wasting your time with the jokes and pick up a real and meaningful cause.
