SAAB Advert: Release Me April 21st, 2007 The recent SAAB advert featuring the song ‘Release Me’ by Laura Sweden is awesome. The adverts begins with flowers between a motorway flyover, receiving little light are struggling to break out, the whale in the sea quarium, lonely, a huge mammal, “a glass of water longing for the ocean”, a dog tied up outside at night “I am the fire burning desperately but you’re controlling me”, the water bursting from the dam as the song screams “release me”. The personification of all the examples in the song coupled with the strong and often upsetting images are amazingly powerful. For me, the most powerful and upsetting part of the advert is the whale in the sea aquarium. Everyone has gone home, she is still there. Alone and lonely, longing to stretch out and escape, to again be with her own kind: “I am the fire burning desperately but you’re controlling me – release me”. It is as if she is almost calling, pleading for release from the situation that has been forced on her. The roar of the car leaving the tunnel in time with the words of the song just adds to the feeling of desperation. SAAB’s message at the end of the advert reads “Move Your Mind”. I hope they are taking action on their own message. The Whale in the advert is called Lolita. She has been in captivity in the smallest killer whale tank in the world, a place which has been her home for over 40 years. She performs twice daily at the Miami Seaquarium in Florida in a show that serves no educational value, and even if it did, what could her misery possibly teach us? That humankind can be cruel beyond belief? The tricks she is made to perform are almost mocking her, belittling her, unnatural, performed in an environment with no shade from the intense Miami sun, with nowhere to escape the attention should she want to or need to. The tank she is kept in is 18 feet deep – Lolita is 22 feet long. Because of this, her tail is usually touching the bottom. Lolita was 6 years old when she was captured from Washington State in 1970, where she and her family were rounded up and separated. Five whales, including 4 baby whales, died during the capture trying to help one another. Lolita is the last surviving whale of that capture. Lolita lives alone aside from a few dolphins. Lolita had a mate at the Miami Seaquarium - a fellow Orca named Hugo. Hugo was at the Miami Seaquarium two years before Lolita arrived. They were kept separately at first for fears they might fight. They called constantly to each other across the park grounds. They were together until Hugo killed himself by repeatedly ramming his head against the walls. He died of a brain aneurism nearly 25 years ago. Lolita hasn’t seen another whale since then. Her owner refuses to make her a larger tank, refuses to free her back to her remaining family. To him she is a way to make money. How can this be acceptable, be okay by people? What do you think of the advert? What do you think of Lolita being kept like this? Please post your views and find it in your hearts to sign the petition to FREE LOLITA. http://www.petitiononline.com/25021 987/petition.htm l See also: [ www.laurasweden.com ] [ Wiki : Lolita ] [ Miami Sea Prison ]