Topic

Entertainment

1,074 petitions
64,628 new supporters this week

Petition to James J. Breheny, Max Pulsinelli

End Happy The Elephant's 10 Years of Solitary Confinement

The Bronx Zoo has been given the shameful title of the 5th worst zoo for elephants in the country. The New York Times calls Happy the Bronx Zoo’s loneliest elephant. That’s because this highly intelligent and social being is one of the only zoo elephants in the entire United States who is being held alone. And it looks like her living conditions won’t change anytime soon unless we do something about it. I am asking you, my fellow animal lovers, to encourage the Bronx Zoo Director James J. Breheny to release Happy to a sanctuary where she can be in a more natural setting and live the rest of her life in peace. New standards regarding the keeping of elephants were recently passed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the accrediting organization for American wildlife institutions. Among their recommendations was that elephants be held in groups of three or more, as they are highly social creatures. Now, zoos around the country  are scrambling to comply with the regulations by AZA’s 2016 deadline. Yet, the Bronx Zoo seems steadfast in its opinion that Happy is “happy” with her solitary life. This goes against all scientific data about elephant behavior. Happy and 6 other elephant calves were captured in the wild from Thailand and brought to the States in 1977. For 25 years, she and her companion, Grumpy, were kept as a pair in the Bronx Zoo. When Grumpy passed away, she was paired with Sammy, who sadly died in 2006. It was then that the zoo decided to end its elephant program, but it didn’t relocate the elephants it currently had. For 10 years, Happy has been in a sort of solitary confinement, unable to truly interact with the other elephants held at the zoo. This is a social being like a monkey or a dolphin. Elephants thrive in the company of their own kind, where they form multi-generational family groups that remain loyal to one another for life, and the elders pass wisdom down to the younger ones to help them navigate their world. Happy is likely not at all happy. She has endured a decade of loneliness and deserves the chance to be with others of her kind in a sanctuary. Please join me in telling the Bronx Zoo to release Happy to a sanctuary and let her really have a chance at happiness.

Joann Burrows
774,249 supporters
Promoted by 389 supporters

Petition to NFHS

NFHS Wrestling Weight Classes- All Sizes Matter

#SIZEDESCRIMINATION The NFHS is once again looking to change weight classes that will drive away, sideline, and bench more high school wrestlers.  They are trying to reduce weight classes and drive away smaller athletes. Although the statistics will show that the smallest 106 pound weight class does have forfeits, the most important statistic being ignored is the OPPORTUNITY being provided to these smaller athletes.   If you look state by state at the high school state wrestling tournaments, the 106 pound weight class is filled or very close to filled.  Why would we eliminate this and cut this OPPORTUNITY for the student athlete. The current argument is to make it more exciting for the fans to reduce forfeits.  First off; these organizations were meant to take care of and provide opportunities for the student athlete, not the fans.  Secondly; a true fan of the sport would accept the forfeits and embrace the opportunity provided for all student athletes, not look to hinder and take away. The NFHS needs to keep the 14 weight classes as they are now, stop driving student athletes away, and assist in growing this sport, not reducing it.

Jory Whorton
38,616 supporters
Started 2 days ago

Petition to Donald J. Trump, U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate

Award Gary Sinise the Presidential Medal of Freedom

Gary Sinise is an American actor who has played many household characters over the years including Lieutenant Dan in Forrest Gump. What is less known is that he has dedicated most of his time, and money, off the big screen to supporting our military, it’s veterans, and it’s family members.The Gary Sinise Foundation has provided millions in philanthropic endeavors to our nation’s military and first responders. On our military bases across the world, Gary Sinise and his band have put on hundreds of Morale, Welfare, and Recreation concerts. Furthermore, Gary has visited our troops down range on USO tours more than any other person, let alone celebrity. I cannot list every good deed he has done for our military and their families, and also to our nation. Please visit his foundation website, his Wikipedia page, or read the countless number of articles attesting to his wonderful work for further proof of the character of this man. According to Whitehouse.gov, the Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest honor bestowed upon an United States citizen and is awarded for, “especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, or world peace, or cultural or other significant public or private endeavors". I believe Gary meets and exceeds this criteria. I hope you do to and sign, share this petition. Thank you. V/R Gerry Denardi

Gerry Denardi
34 supporters
Update posted 2 days ago

Petition to The Walt Disney Company, SONY, The Michael Jackson Estate, Walt Disney, PepsiCo, Motown , Sony/ATV , Gary Marsh, John Branca, John McClain

Disney Channel Michael Jackson Tribute

In June 25, 2009, the world lost one of the greatest entertainers of all time, Michael Joseph Jackson. Years later, there had been tributes to him in concerts, charities and everywhere. Unfortunately, there hasn't been a tribute album made for us to listen. So, I've figured that the best way to honor a legend is to highlight and recreate their work; The music of the King of Pop should definitely be performed by the most talented young stars of today and the powerful and positive messages in his music should exist forever! Today, the brightest young entertainers are on current Disney Channel shows and movies (Andi Mack, Descendants, Raven's Home, Stuck in the Middle, etc.). The talent and popularity of these young stars will enhance Michael's legacy and reinforce his positive messages for the youth of today. Performances by these young stars would be Bad and live Off the Wall! The youth today would feel even more Invincible when hearing this recreated work because they're Dangerous showing their extraordinary musical talents. It would be a Thriller just hearing them sing in honor of Michael and dedicate this album to his fans and his children [Paris, Prince, & Blanket] making HIStory throughout the world. I already know who Michael Jackson was since then and he did inspire everyone to make the world a better place and do the right thing in life for both kids & adults on this Earth. Every time I think about him listening to his music, I start wondering what he'd do if all of these events (police brutality, wars, terrorism, cancer, etc.) keep happening in the world. I intend to help stop this and we all must come together. This is a vision any moonwalker would like to see in future outcomes, and I'm gonna help make it come true. Michael is gone, but his spirit lives and so does his music to be listened and recreated again by the stars of Disney Channel shows. It will be an unstoppable one to listen for fans like me and you. Your signatures on this petition will ensure that the great music of the King of Pop will last forever. Please join me in support and sign this petition to ask Disney & The MJ Estate to help pay tribute to our musical hero with its stars singing his hits one by one in a great & glorious album. Let's start making a change together and moonwalk our way to victory...now. #DisneyStarsSingMJ

Alex Dillard
9,732 supporters
Update posted 4 days ago

Petition to HBO, Sesame Street, Sesame Workshop, PBS , The Jim Henson Company, The Muppets Studio

Kevin Clash, please come back to "Sesame Street" as the puppeteer and voice of "Elmo".

Kevin Clash should return to Sesame Street as the puppeteer and voice of Elmo.  I miss him, especially his Elmo puppeteering and voice.  It has adored my childhood.  Back then on November 20th, 2012, he resigned after those false accusations!  And then, 2 years later, in April and June of 2014, those false accusations have been then thrown out, cleared and dismissed for Kevin Clash, meaning that his personal life has now been restored and well-respected.  And those accusers had to go ahead and go after him, frame him, set him up, and ruin his life!  And also, those accusers also had to go ahead and ruin my childhood!  I loved Kevin Clash's documentary movie Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey, released back then in 2011, 1 year before he resigned, and it was such an AWESOME feel-good documentary movie! I am still angry and upset about what happened to Kevin Clash back then on November 20th, 2012, and I am still feeling that way EVER since after that time!  And I was also against it, too, when this happened to Kevin Clash, and I am also still against it, too, also EVER since after that time, too!  And that is why I am going to keep on protesting, and I am NOT planning on ending the protest anytime soon!  And as to when it will end, this protest will end when Kevin Clash comes back to Sesame Street as the puppeteer and voice of Elmo! So hopefully, once again, Kevin Clash should return to Sesame Street as the puppeteer and voice of Elmo, because, once again, like I said before, I miss him, especially his Elmo puppeteering and voice, and it has adored my childhood. If you agree and are with me, please sign this petition.  Thank you. P.S. Also, please check out my Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/comebackkevinclash/

Ian Cotter
290 supporters
Started 5 days ago

Petition to National Association of Theatre Owners, Motion Picture Association of America, AMC Theatres, Cinemark Theatres, Regal Cinemas, Classification and Ratings Administration

Saving Parents from Wasting Money on Rated R Films for Kids; but Buy their Tickets Instead

As a couple of teenagers under the age of 17 want to head into a rated R movie, they are stopped with being asked if they can “show their ID,” which is a reasonable thing to ask for when it comes to movies with mature features. However, movie theatres have made life a little bit more complicated for parents who simply want to buy tickets for their children to see a rated R movie.  In most movie theatres across the United States of America, parents are unable to simply buy the tickets for their children, but are rather forced to actually attend the film with their children, which brings up a whole world of concern.  Adults in the workforce would rather do work and/or rest for their busy days rather than be forced to see a movie with their children and waste hard-earned money that could be spent on living expenses just to sleep in the theatre or waste hours of their time for content they are simply not interested in. Movie tickets are becoming rather expensive nowadays, and many parents have become fed up with the hassle of being forced to see a film they have no interest in going to only in order to let their children see it, even with the complete understanding of the mature aspects of the film. Though one may argue that anyone ages 21 and up can attend the film and parents do not have to, there are numerous teenagers who do not have older siblings or anyone older that they know in their lives who are willing to come support the movie with them. This petition calls out an alternative to the situation. This petition simply would call out that it would be much better if a parent could have the choice of either attending the film with their children or not. If they do not wish to attend the film, they must sign that they understand the specific thematic elements  listed (examples: graphic violence, sex, use of drugs, etc.) either online or in person at the box office to prove that their children are seeing the movie with parental permission. They can even be offered to watch the trailer just as a reminder of the overall context of the film. This nation lives in a time of understanding and significant progress. Let the movie theatre, a fun place to enjoy time with family, be the next place to do just that. By allowing parents to choose what’s best for their kids without making them waste money, Americans are only another step closer to freedom. 

Leah T.
21 supporters