Zertuche 1

Santino Zertuche

Dr. Lindberg

ENGL 1302-102

8 Feb. 2024

The Unethical way Humans use Animals for Entertainment

Cataldi, Suzanne Laba. “Animals and the Concept of Dignity: Critical Reflections on a Circus

Performance.” Ethics and the Environment, vol. 7, no. 2, 2002, pp. 104–26. JSTOR,

http://www.jstor.org/stable/40339038. Accessed 1 Feb. 2024.

In this article, Suzanne Laba Cataldi, a visitor to a Moscow circus, describes her

experience seeing the Moscow Circus Bears. Cataldi describes this experience as, “a particular

experience of oppression, [and] the violation of an animal's dignity” (105). In the beginning of

the article, Cataldi describes that the circus bears are intelligent creatures of the wild, that “are

made to look ridiculously foolish” (106), in the circus for the sake of entertainment. She focuses

on the ethical implications of using animals for human entertainment, focusing on their role in

circuses. It raises concerns about the treatment of animals in performances, emphasizing the

threat to their dignity and welfare when forced to engage in activities that deviate from their

natural behaviors they would do in nature. As Cataldi exemplifies, the circus bear ‘momma bear’

makes an act of “standing on its hind legs and pushing a toy baby carriage around the singular

ring….. [in which] it seems to be on tippy- toe, wobbling on imaginary high heels, trying not to

fall. In striving to maintain its balance, the burly bear appears clumsy, klutzy - like a tipsy,

overweight ballerina “ (106). Naturally, one goes to the circus thinking about how spectacular

the animals are and people do not even think of the other side to this. The animals, or the bears’,

dignity is shredded away and are “like puppets on strings, hollowed out, stuffed animals.
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Externally controlled and manipulated, with the aid of silly props and costumes, in an unnatural

(human) setting and caricature of femininity, these bears are made to appear weak, ridiculous”

(Cataldi 107). Overall, Cataldi’s article goes into detail how bears or animals in general are

stripped from their dignity, as natural animals of the wild, to be used as if they were nothing but

money making machines.

Cohn, Jeffrey P. “Decisions at the Zoo.” BioScience, vol. 42, no. 9, 1992, pp. 654–659. JSTOR,

doi.org/10.2307/1312170. Accessed 1 Feb. 2024.

Cohn Jeffrey P. article delves into the ethical and practical challenges that zoos face when

managing their animal collections, with a particular emphasis on controversial breeding

practices. To show this, Cohn uses the white tiger as an example to show the disputable breeding

practices, “[They are] an anomaly in the animal kingdom. They are neither a species nor a

subspecies. They are just the result of a recessive trait. To get more white tigers, zoo managers in

India and the United States in the 1950s mated fathers with daughters, granddaughters, and even,

on occasion, great granddaughters” (654). Furthermore, Cohn investigates the trade-offs zoos

must make between maintaining popular exhibits, the expectations of visitors, the conservation

goals, and animal welfare concerns. As Cohn quotes Micheal Robinson, Director of Washington,

DC’s National Zoo, “ "We cannot avoid being in the middle of controversy if we are to lead on

such issues as [human] overpopulation and habitat destruction… Zoos cannot avoid dealing with

issues that affect the management of wild animals" (654). Nonetheless, the article discusses how

the white tiger breeding controversy has divided zoos. Like Cohn states, “Most zoos have agreed

to stop breeding white tigers… [because] their coloration is of questionable survival value, and

they are highly inbred and sometimes suffer from genetic defects, such as elongated heads and

crossed eyes” (654). However, while most zoos have agreed to quit breeding white tigers due to
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concerns about their genetic health, “two holdouts are the Cincinnati and Omaha zoos [which]

both stoutly defend their use of white tigers to draw visitors” (Cohn 654). But because of these

practices, “the animal welfare/animal rights movements have extended their criticisms to zoos”

(Cohn 658), mostly focusing on the treatment and well-being for individual animals. In

summary, Cohn’s article explores the ethical challenges zoos face when it comes to controversial

breeding practices, especially those involving white tigers. Not only that, but the article also

presents the trade-offs between popular exhibits, visitor expectation, and conservation efforts,

and also shows the division among zoos over white tiger breeding. This article is useful towards

my research because it shows how even though they are conscious of the wrong they are doing,

some zoos still choose to keep breeding these animals.

EVANS, RHONDA D., and CRAIG J. FORSYTH. “ENTERTAINMENT TO OUTRAGE: A

SOCIAL HISTORICAL VIEW OF DOGFIGHTING.” International Review of Modern

Sociology, vol. 27, no. 2, 1997, pp. 59–71. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/41421131.

Accessed 1 Feb. 2024.

Rhonda D. Evans and Craig J. Forsyth wrote this article on the history of dog fighting.

Even though this article does not mention it being wrong or unethical, just seeing how dog

fighting occurred is enough to see why it can be seen as unethical. Ronda and Forsyth chose the

title, "Entertainment to Outrage," to show how even though it was seen as entertainment for the

people, it led to outrage for the dogs (59). In this article, the place where these dogs are forced to

fight is compared to a "boxing ring" where they are forced to brutally attack each other (Ronda

and Forsyth 59). Knowing how dog fighting works, shows how humans exploit animals for

entertainment, exemplifying a larger ethical concern. In dog fighting, animals are subjected to

cruel practices solely for human entertainment and financial gain. Additionally, they mention
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how many people are against it, "although varying degrees of opposition from religious

reformers, various humanitarian organizations, and more recently legislation and law

enforcement" (Ronda and Forsyth 59). Seeing that law enforcement and other organizations are

against dog fighting shows how this could be seen as unethical. This reflects a larger trend of

exploiting animals for entertainment purposes, such as circuses, zoos, and other performances.

The parallels continue with disregarding these animals' well-being and inherent dignity, reducing

them to mere objects of entertainment. Whether it is forcing bears to perform unnatural tricks in

circuses or subjecting dogs to fights for pleasure, these practices highlight the ethical challenges

associated with our treatment of animals for entertainment, prompting reflection on the need for

more compassionate and ethical approaches to animal-human interactions. The author's critical

analysis of the historical and cultural aspects of animal use in this form of entertainment

broadens my understanding of the complex factors at play. This will help me better understand

why these events happened, such as financial gain.

Roberts, B. W. C. “COCKFIGHTING: AN EARLY ENTERTAINMENT IN NORTH

CAROLINA.” The North Carolina Historical Review, vol. 42, no. 3, 1965, pp. 306–14.

JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/23517778. Accessed 1 Feb. 2024.

In this article, much like the dog fighting article, B. W. C. Roberts discusses the

beginning of cock fighting and its history instead of giving us his biased opinion. The article

looks at the history of cockfighting in North Carolina. The mid-nineteenth century was the

golden age of cockfighting in North Carolina. In 1860, detailed sports rules were published,

meaning this was seen as any other regular sport or hobby. People were seen as courageous for

participating in, "Cockfighting, the sport that in ancient times was shown to soldiers as a

demonstration of courage" (2). A comparison of how cock fighting was seen is how we
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nowadays see any other sport, such as basketball or baseball. These people who fought their

birds did not think of them as living creatures; all they saw were killing machines and a chance

to make money. These birds were forced to brutally cut each other with blades that were attached

to their feet. To even further explain how normalized this was, they even had a cock fighting

season before it became illegal. This "sport" even had public advertisements, and gatherings to

promote these events were common, demonstrating the widespread acceptance and participation

in this cruel form of entertainment. The people who participated in these cock fights got a rush

from watching this and saw it as if it was any other weekly activity. Understanding the historical

context and public opinion toward cockfighting helps to contextualize the ethical implications of

using animals for entertainment. Furthermore, this historical analysis contributes to a broader

understanding of the systemic factors that maintain animal exploitation in the entertainment

industry, which informs current efforts to advocate for more ethical animal treatment practices.

Warwick, Clifford. “The Morality of the Reptile "Pet" Trade.” Journal of Animal Ethics, vol. 4,

no. 1, 2014, pp. 74–94. JSTOR, doi.org/10.5406/janimalethics.4.1.0074. Accessed 1 Feb.

2024.

In this article, Clifford Warwick discusses his concerns about the reptile "pet" trade and

why he thinks it is unethical and dangerous.Warwick, within his article, examines the ethical

concerns regarding the trade and ownership of reptiles as pets, including captivity-related stress

and mortality, ethical considerations of live food and feeding practices, and the public health

risks posed by reptile-transmitted zoonotic diseases. Not only that, but he stresses the need for

ethical consistency, responsible care practices, and a holistic understanding of the connections

between environmental, animal, and human health. His main idea is that almost all people who

go into this trade or hobby of collecting exotic lizards rush into it without doing their research,
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causing them to hurt the animals and maybe even themselves. Most people who go into the

reptile pet trade do not treat reptiles as they would with other animals; "reptiles are routinely

subject to abuses by people who probably would not direct the same treatment at familiar and

intrinsically valued animals" (90). There have been cases where people end up releasing these

animals into the wild, not knowing they are invasive species that can permanently alter the area.

The dangerous diseases these animals carry are also another crucial factor as to why it is so

dangerous. Some of these animals can be venomous and deadly to humans. The main problem

with this is how the animals are treated unfairly. These animals are living, breathing creatures

that are being treated like a fancy collector's item. By highlighting the consequences of

irresponsible practices and the lack of ethical consistency in the reptile pet trade, Warwick's

insights inform advocacy efforts to promote more humane treatment of animals across

entertainment industries. This information will significantly help my research because it talks

about how people keeping animals as pets also commit these mistakes, unlike big companies like

zoos.