Sharks have been around for 400 million years. As of Jan. 1, however, Floridians were no longer allowed to kill certain species of hammerhead shark due to a dwindling population caused by overfishing -- there aren't a lot of them left.
And it's all ROSIE O'DONNELL'S FAULT.
Photos have come out this week revealing that the television host and actress has gone on several fishing expeditions during which she she killed at least one hammerhead shark -- which doesn't seem very friendly of her, but was still a perfectly legal thing to do since she actually caught the sharks a few years back.
"Right now sharks are the most endangered animals around," marine conservationist Erik Brush told the Sun Sentinel. "This is basically an endorsement. It sends the message that it's an OK activity. And this is not an activity that we want celebrities endorsing."
If O'Donnell is endorsing sharkmurder, there's no telling who will come out in favor of it next -- Michelle Trachtenberg, perhaps? Maybe noted sportfishing icon Geena Davis?
Big-game fishermen around the world are just sitting in the marina, waiting for a former Seussical star to tell them what kind of animal to kill -- shame on Rosie for giving them ideas three years ago before it wasn't allowed!
There are plenty of people with plenty of hyperbolic anger directed at her, but level-headed Florida conservationist Arlo Hemphill probably had the tweet of the day -- confronted with such inconsequential non-news, he eloquently responded by tweeting "Kill her!"
(UPDATE: Mr. Hemphill has clarified the tweet and says that, though he loves sharks, he was being sarcastic and wishes O'Donnell "no harm at all.")
South Florida has had a long, strange relationship with shark-fishing, but the problem surely isn't with one woman (legally) catching a hammerhead a few years ago. She's a famous face to get mad at, and now the cause gets some publicity at the expense of a little bit of Ole Golly's dignity, but shouldn't some of this energy be directed at the people actually responsible for killing the sharks?
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