'Game of Thrones' star Maisie Williams: Stop going to dolphin shows

Great intention but I doubt will convince most people.

Where would I be without the guidance of various and sundry "celebrities" and "tarento"?

How could I make any decision without their eminent advice?

Ahhh, activism for dummies, another celebrity and anti Japan whaling stuff.

What else is new.

Animals eat animals. Humans eat animals. That is the way it is.

A girl does not watch dolphin shows.

I like her as an actress, and I agree with her point of view. But I wish entertainers would just be entertaining for a change. I watch GOT to get away from the world's problems, not to give a public forum to the very well paid actors for expressing whatever opinion pops into their heads.

The hunters in Taiji and their supporters have repeatedly defended the custom as tradition, although eating dolphins is extremely rare in Japan. The Japanese government also defends whaling as research.

They need to get their stories straight. Is it tradition or research?

“It’s not an attack on Japan at all, or on Taiji, or the people of Taiji,” she said. “I want to say, honestly, hand on heart, that this is not an attack on anyone in specific.”

That's not how they are going to see it, no matter how many times you say it. The Japanese have a remarkable victim complex and a paranoid belief that the whole world is out to get them.

During her trip, her second time in Japan, she plans to go whale-watching in Mikura Islands, south of Tokyo,

Whale-watching tends to stress-out whales, too. I therefore encourage my 122 twitter followers to stop attending whale-watching tours and boycott Maisie's tv shows until she stopped promoting these tours!

How ironic that an actress whose fame rests on a role in a drama that presents barbaric medieval feudalism is protesting the barbaric , medieval slaughter and sale of dolphins. In a country rapidly sinking back into feudalism.

tourist visa denied! ... that is a direct ATTACK on you !!!!

No shit

You know nothing Maisie Williams!!

There will always be people for and against taiji (as shown in the comments here). The bad thing for Japan is that celebrities such as Maisie Williams have millions of social media followers who may not be inclined to follow Sea Shepherd etc., but who are more than willing to jump onto the bandwagon in support of their star (just look at the stories about rabid Justin Bieber Twitter fans). I would also hazard a guess that the general age of people who watch GoT would be about the same age as Japan is trying to attract with it's "Cool Japan" tourism campaign, but things like taiji may well prove an instant turn-off. Another case of Japan trying to do something positive with one hand whilst the other works in the exact opposite direction.

good, please close down all aquariums outside of japan :)

How ironic that an actress whose fame rests on a role in a drama that presents barbaric medieval feudalism is protesting the barbaric , medieval slaughter and sale of dolphins. In a country rapidly sinking back into feudalism.

You said the keyword, "Actress"

Remember, she is still a human and as such can be empathetic towards the harsh treatment of dolphins. Good for her.

Though GOT is just a story, interesting how so many people forget that and instead draw significance from it.

That being said, Maisie William's character is enigmatic in as far as one would not want to get on the bad side of a girl who is not 'Nobody' (see GOT end of Season 6 if you don't understand that reference).

Her anti-dolphin hunt cause has its merits but sadly I think it is bit of possing in the wind in this instance.

Who cares what someone else does... Stop making everything an issue...

Just don't make it a political or a social issue...

Being a celebrity does not automatically allow that person to force or political view upon others and influence society.

kazetsukai: "Who cares what someone else does... Stop making everything an issue... Just don't make it a political or a social issue..."

If no one took issue with the way others sometimes acted, the world would be in chaos. Making it political and social is what's necessary, and it's been proven that often the ONLY way to get Japanese to act on issues it is lagging the rest of the world in is to shame it. Yeah, they get all defensive and flip-flop on whether it's for science or tradition and what not and deflect like deflection were going out of style, but eventually they come around when they see that their "defense" of somethign THEY THEMSELVES do not even believe in is a completely lost cause.

"Being a celebrity does not automatically allow that person to force or political view upon others and influence society."

She's not forcing her views on anyone at all, she's using her influence to spread information and express her point of view. That you cannot see the difference proves what I said about being defensive. On the contrary, you demanding people not take issue with something in order that the scandal be kept down is the problem.

I don't see the connection, she's an actress barely known in Japan, how is she telling western countries about not buying tickets affect the town in Taiji to stop killing dolphins ?

commanteerDEC. 03, 2016 - 08:27AM JST I watch GOT to get away from the world's problems, not to give a public forum to the very well paid actors for expressing whatever opinion pops into their heads.

And you still haven't. GoT isn't a platform for her to express her opinions, and to my knowledge there has not been and never will be any reference to dolphin shows in the series.

What you're objecting to is someone who is famous also expressing an opinion about something, possibly with a bit of resentment that people listen to her opinion because she's famous while people don't generally listen to you, except perhaps for the comparatively small circle of friends and family your life directly touches. Which, I'm afraid there's no alternative but for you to get over it. Celebrities have the right to free speech just as much as you or I, and being resentful that they get noticed is only going to make you pointlessly angry.

A pathetic girl,was used by somebody else.

@kibousha You answered your own question. She may be less well known in Japan but she is certainly very well known overseas. Everyone is well aware that taiji residents don't give a proverbial about marine life. The only way is to pressure the Japanese Govt to shut it down. The more bad press it creates, the more pressure. Governments tend to wimp out because of sensitivities about international trade. Celebrities do not need to worry about such things.

Stop making everything an issue... Just don't make it a political or a social issue...

We quite often hear this kind of comment from Japanese people (usually from oyaji).

Instead of debating the issue, they declare and insist that the issue should not even be discussed, that it is out of bounds.

It's an unusual phenomenon...

... attempting to control people by telling them what can and can't be discussed.

@Aly,

They need to get their stories straight. Is it tradition or research

You need to learn how to read. The people of Taiji claims the practice of dophin hunt as tradition. The Japanese government supports whaling on the basis of scientific research. Two different issues with two different point of views.

@Bass I gave you thumbs up on your comment above (a personal record for you I think!)

Deport her and never let her in.

Remember, she is still a human and as such can be empathetic towards the harsh treatment of dolphins. Good for her.

...and I just agreed with Bass4funk; strange days, indeed.

The westerners should stop eating turkey for Thanksgiving. Turkey is beautiful birds and intelligent. it may also contain toxic chemicals.

Remember, she is still a human and as such can be empathetic towards the harsh treatment of dolphins. Good for her

Erm, nowhere did I say she wasn't human nor did I criticize her expressing her own opinion, which I fully support. I was merely pointing out the similarly between the fake brutality and gore of GoT and the real brutality and gore of the Taiji dolpin slaughter.

You need to learn how to read. The people of Taiji claims the practice of dophin hunt as tradition. The Japanese government supports whaling on the basis of scientific research. Two different issues with two different point of views.

Stupid answer. Since the gov supports and FUNDS the practice, their opinion should match that of the people of Taiji.

How is it stupid? Reread your comment before saying that it is a stupid response since it accurately answered your question. Also, the Japanese government does support the dolphin hunt, I'm not sure they are funding it. Provide a link showing that the Japanese government FUNDS the practice.

They need to get their stories straight. Is it tradition or research?