GoDaddy.com CEO Bob Parsons' Elephant Hunt Sparks Outrage... You got to be kidding

[Kalina]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/31/bob-parsons-godaddy-ceo-elephant-hunt_n_843121.html

The video below is pretty graphic.

GoDaddy CEO Bob Parsons is taking a lot of heat for the video, which details his recent elephant hunt. However, the CEO originally tried to frame the hunt as almost a "humanitarian" expedition. Many disagree.

In the middle of the night, Parsons, along with his African guides, ambush and shoot what Parsons calls a "problem elephant": "[Zimbabweans] have very little," says Parsons. "Many die each year from starvation and one of the problems they have is the elephants, of which there are thousands and thousands, that trash many of their fields destroying the crops."

Then the video gets really graphic, as Parsons records villagers who come out in the early morning to slaughter the dead animal, stripping it of its flesh. Oddly enough, this part, which is set to AC/DC's "Hell's Bells," is almost a shameless plug for the company, zooming in at one point on the company's logo.

Whether or not Parsons' point is right (that the villagers could really use the meat and protein) hasn't really been contested, but the manner in which he presented the whole endeavor seems a bit odd to many.

PETA has launched a campaign urging people to join them in closing their GoDaddy.com account and e-mailing Parsons to express their outrage.

Parsons provided an explanation of the video, but what do you think? Is it inappropriate? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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Honestly, I couldn't watch the video, why are there so many bad people out there? Everywhere i turn there's someone hurting something.

 

[Angi]

I think (after watching the video) that if he really cared about the villagers he could help them without killing an elephant. How much did he really help them? I doubt much. I believe he did it just for the thrill of the kill and that is sick. Then to try and make himself look good while doing it. Really sick. People who really care about doing good for others don't need to video it. That is just my 2 cents.

 

[Madkins007]

I am not a hunter and I love elephants, but if he followed the local rules then so what? It may be a tasteless video but I'm not planing to have lunch with the bozo and would not shut down my GoDaddy account because of it.

If I had an Outrage-O-Meter, this would rank about a 2 out of 10, and believe me, there is a lot of stuff that hits 11 out of 10 easily. Rich guys being idiots just ain't one of them.

Kalina, I admire your convictions (if not always your issues), but humans DO behave well quite often- many of them even behave well most of the time. If you are going to focus on the bad stuff, you'll make yourself sick.

You can argue that we as a culture are getting desensitized to violence, and I would not argue with you, but one way to help stop it would be to stop watching and posting the negative videos.

 

[CtTortoiseMom]

RE: GoDaddy.com CEO Bob Parsons' Elephant Hunt Sparks Outrage... You got to be kidd

I am not a hunter and I love elephants, but if he followed the local rules then so what? It may be a tasteless video but I'm not planing to have lunch with the bozo and would not shut down my GoDaddy account because of it.

If I had an Outrage-O-Meter, this would rank about a 2 out of 10, and believe me, there is a lot of stuff that hits 11 out of 10 easily. Rich guys being idiots just ain't one of them.

Kalina, I admire your convictions (if not always your issues), but humans DO behave well quite often- many of them even behave well most of the time. If you are going to focus on the bad stuff, you'll make yourself sick.

You can argue that we as a culture are getting desensitized to violence, and I would not argue with you, but one way to help stop it would be to stop watching and posting the negative videos.

Well said, agreed.

 

[Az tortoise compound]

I am not a hunter and I love elephants, but if he followed the local rules then so what? It may be a tasteless video but I'm not planing to have lunch with the bozo and would not shut down my GoDaddy account because of it.

If I had an Outrage-O-Meter, this would rank about a 2 out of 10, and believe me, there is a lot of stuff that hits 11 out of 10 easily. Rich guys being idiots just ain't one of them.

Kalina, I admire your convictions (if not always your issues), but humans DO behave well quite often- many of them even behave well most of the time. If you are going to focus on the bad stuff, you'll make yourself sick.

You can argue that we as a culture are getting desensitized to violence, and I would not argue with you, but one way to help stop it would be to stop watching and posting the negative videos.

Very well put Mark.

 

[Laura]

This argument and debate has SO MANY ANGLES it could take..
Should we just Cull the animals when they get to many so they dont starve to death? and let the meat go to waste?
Should we do nothing and just let nature take its course? Most of the animals problems are Man Made....
or should we allow rich fools who want to hunt pay mucho bucks to people who have nothing, and hunt these animals and donate the meat to hungry villages?
Making a video is tastless, documenting his vacation is not.
I dont like PETA, but that doesnt mean some of the things they have done or brought to light are good.. Premarin Mares for one..
They are a bit too radical for me.. taking in puppies and kittens and killing them and dumping them in a dumpster because they dont think animals should be Pets... is wrong in my book... yes, they did it,, yes they were caught.. I dont recall what the punishment was or thier excuse..
but thats a whole other debate/ topic/ issue.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Interesting!

 

[B K]

Now this is spam

 

[exoticsdr]

Thank you Mark for being so eloquent and to the point. I applaud you.

doc

I am not a hunter and I love elephants, but if he followed the local rules then so what? It may be a tasteless video but I'm not planing to have lunch with the bozo and would not shut down my GoDaddy account because of it.

If I had an Outrage-O-Meter, this would rank about a 2 out of 10, and believe me, there is a lot of stuff that hits 11 out of 10 easily. Rich guys being idiots just ain't one of them.

Kalina, I admire your convictions (if not always your issues), but humans DO behave well quite often- many of them even behave well most of the time. If you are going to focus on the bad stuff, you'll make yourself sick.

You can argue that we as a culture are getting desensitized to violence, and I would not argue with you, but one way to help stop it would be to stop watching and posting the negative videos.

 

[Yvonne G]

You can argue that we as a culture are getting desensitized to violence, and I would not argue with you, but one way to help stop it would be to stop watching and posting the negative videos.

One reason us humans ARE becoming desensitized instead of outraged is because we DO watch these negative videos. I know that's not going to change. Most people do love a train wreck. But I choose to NOT watch them. Only reason I read these threads are to check for spammers. I have to look at every thread. But I hardly actually READ any of them, and I NEVER click on the links.

What can I do about turtles in China or Elephants someplace else? Nothing. I can only take care of my own, and do what I can do.

 

[Laura]

I just watched the video.. and except for the song ( im not a hunter, but not against it if done right and the animal is respected and not wasted) I see nothing wrong with what he did. He is taking out a problem animal. Not an entire herd. He is not stuffing it and putting its head on the wall.. he is saving the farmers crops.. and feeding the locals.. I bet that entire animal was used and nothing went to waste.
The kill seemed quick. Two other young bull elephants ran off, unhurt and didnt come back.
If anyone wants to spend energy on a cause.. I think birth control for a country who cant feed itself, and maybe looking into fencing to keep animals out.. might be a better one.
my 2 cents.

 

[Robert]

Agreed.

I am not a hunter and I love elephants, but if he followed the local rules then so what? It may be a tasteless video but I'm not planing to have lunch with the bozo and would not shut down my GoDaddy account because of it.

If I had an Outrage-O-Meter, this would rank about a 2 out of 10, and believe me, there is a lot of stuff that hits 11 out of 10 easily. Rich guys being idiots just ain't one of them.

Kalina, I admire your convictions (if not always your issues), but humans DO behave well quite often- many of them even behave well most of the time. If you are going to focus on the bad stuff, you'll make yourself sick.

You can argue that we as a culture are getting desensitized to violence, and I would not argue with you, but one way to help stop it would be to stop watching and posting the negative videos.

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Now this is spam

 

[terryo]

I hate watching things like this. I feel so sorry for those poor people with no food, and I think of the children starving. Yes, I feel so bad for the elephants too. As for humans behaving well most of the time......not in my book.

 

[Candy]

I am not a hunter and I love elephants, but if he followed the local rules then so what? It may be a tasteless video but I'm not planing to have lunch with the bozo and would not shut down my GoDaddy account because of it.

If I had an Outrage-O-Meter, this would rank about a 2 out of 10, and believe me, there is a lot of stuff that hits 11 out of 10 easily. Rich guys being idiots just ain't one of them.

Kalina, I admire your convictions (if not always your issues), but humans DO behave well quite often- many of them even behave well most of the time. If you are going to focus on the bad stuff, you'll make yourself sick.

You can argue that we as a culture are getting desensitized to violence, and I would not argue with you, but one way to help stop it would be to stop watching and posting the negative videos.

And if you do that Mark then who wins? The idiots that think it's manly to go and kill off innocent animals? Those people did not look like they were starving to me and I would never keep my account with anyone who did this for his so called "Vacation Time." Kalina and others like me are the type of people who make people aware of what's happening out there so don't try to stop us from doing that by making telling them that they'll make themselves sick by being activists for it. More people should become involved and then disgusting people like this guy wouldn't be flashing their so called "Animal Prizes" around. To bad the elephants didn't get the chance to turn on them in the dark, that's the way I see it.

 

[terryo]

Well, it looks like Bob Parsons has lost a lot of accounts by posting about the great time he had on his vacation. I read all the comments, and about 90 % think he's a jerk and are pulling their business out.

 

[Candy]

Thank you so much for posting this Terry. I have belief in humanity again.

 

[Cameron]

i don't have a problem with it. i believe that God put animals here for us to eat and use. do i want to see animals abused? no. do i have an issue with people hunting them, killing them and eating them? no. if i could afford it, i would be on the first plane to africa on my own big game hunt...

 

[efciv]

i don't have a problem with it. i believe that God put animals here for us to eat and use. do i want to see animals abused? no. do i have an issue with people hunting them, killing them and eating them? no. if i could afford it, i would be on the first plane to africa on my own big game hunt...

Took the words right out of my mouth.

 

[dolfanjack]

I graduated from Oregon state in wildlife biology and I can tell you this happens behind close doors all the time. Candy, people have did all kids of stupid stuff just because they didn't know better and now we have to fix it. The feds killed thousands of mountain goats in Washington states Olympic Natl. forest. Why? because people a hundred years ago thought it would be cool to have them there and no one new better. The goats where destroying native plants and the feds are trying to get the forest back to more natural origins. This includes letting natural fires burn. Since goats aren't endangered and the feds don't want them to spread disease they had to be destroyed. The same thing applies to dangerous elephants in Africa. Humans for the most part are trying to keep a balance. This guy might be an idiot for posting but its better he pays big bucks for the kill and then share the meat then to have a govt official kill it and let it rot. My two pennies, Jack

 

[dolfanjack]

I graduated from Oregon state in wildlife biology and I can tell you this happens behind close doors all the time. Candy, people have did all kids of stupid stuff just because they didn't know better and now we have to fix it. The feds killed thousands of mountain goats in Washington states Olympic Natl. forest. Why? because people a hundred years ago thought it would be cool to have them there and no one new better. The goats where destroying native plants and the feds are trying to get the forest back to more natural origins. This includes letting natural fires burn. Since goats aren't endangered and the feds don't want them to spread disease they had to be destroyed. The same thing applies to dangerous elephants in Africa. Humans for the most part are trying to keep a balance. This guy might be an idiot for posting but its better he pays big bucks for the kill and then share the meat then to have a govt official kill it and let it rot. My two pennies, Jack

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I graduated from Oregon state in wildlife biology and I can tell you this happens behind close doors all the time. Candy, people have did all kids of stupid stuff just because they didn't know better and now we have to fix it. The feds killed thousands of mountain goats in Washington states Olympic Natl. forest. Why? because people a hundred years ago thought it would be cool to have them there and no one new better. The goats where destroying native plants and the feds are trying to get the forest back to more natural origins. This includes letting natural fires burn. Since goats aren't endangered and the feds don't want them to spread disease they had to be destroyed. The same thing applies to dangerous elephants in Africa. Humans for the most part are trying to keep a balance. This guy might be an idiot for posting but its better he pays big bucks for the kill and then share the meat then to have a govt official kill it and let it rot. My two pennies, Jack

Not sure why this posted twice, sorry