Steven Spielberg reveals ‘one of the bad things' that came from ‘Jaws' success: ‘Horrified'
In the new National Geographic documentary 'Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story,' Steven Spielberg spoke about how the success of his 1975 shark movie was harmful to marine life.
'One of the bad things that came out of the film was shark hunting spiked,' the 78-year-old director shared.
Executive producer and ocean conservationist advocate Wendy Benchley added: 'When Jaws came out, we were truly horrified to see that some people took it as license to go kill sharks.'
'The negative reaction hurt us and horrified us and we became passionate defenders with sharks,' said Wendy, the widow of 'Jaws' author Peter Benchley. 'We went with the National Geographic on expeditions and we were so fortunate to learn from these scientists and other experts.'
Cynthia Wigren, CEO and co-founder of Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, explained that trophy hunting became 'very popular' after 'Jaws' debuted, leading to the white shark population decreasing by as much as 80 percent.
'People wanted to be like Quint,' Dr. Austin Gallagher, shark expert and chief scientist of Beneath The Waves, said about the shark-hunting captain played by Robert Shaw in the film.
'People wanted to have that trophy that they could show off,' Dr. Gallagher added.
Shark conservation biologist Candace Fields agreed there was 'a negative connotation that came from 'Jaws' about sharks.'
'Which is very unfortunate,' Fields noted, 'because I think there's other takeaways as well.'
In an exclusive interview with The Post, Wendy noted that the terror on shark life has significantly subsided in the 50 years since 'Jaws' premiered.
'Shark hunting barely exists anymore,' she stated. 'It's mainly catching sharks for shark fin soup and that's been happening for honestly hundreds of years, but really expanded in the last 40 years when there was a huge population increase in China and other Asian countries.'
'So I've been working, and Peter worked, with many groups, and especially with WildAid, who has done an excellent job in China educating the Chinese who want to be good citizens,' Wendy continued. 'And when they realized that shark fin soup was actually killing the sharks, and a hundred million sharks were killed every year for shark fin soup, they listened. And the demand for shark fin soup has gone down 80 percent in China. So that's a wonderful thing.'
Wendy also gave a shoutout to Jackie Chan, Yao Ming and Maggie Q for their involvement with WildAid 'to really help with that particular issue.'
'Peter died in '06 and I wish he were here now to be able to see all of these changes and to see 'Jaws' is still relevant after 50 years,' Wendy said in the documentary. 'I think he'd be very pleased.'
'Jaws @ 50' premieres Thursday on National Geographic and will stream on Disney+ and Hulu.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
21 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Solution to Evan Birnholz's Aug. 17 crossword, ‘Sound Off'
Would you believe that I've crossed a pretty big milestone in my puzzling life? Today's crossword is the 500th crossword published in The Washington Post since I began writing puzzles for it in December 2015. That's a lot of puzzles, and many more clues — at least 70,000 of them by my quick back-of-the-envelope math. Of course there are a few crosswords in that 500 that I didn't write since there have been guest constructors on occasion, but I still count 'Heroes Welcome' from Dec. 6, 2015, as Puzzle No. 1 from my time with The Post and today's Aug. 17, 2025, puzzle ('Sound Off') as Puzzle No. 500. Let's keep it going, shall we? I'll be hitting my 10th puzzle job anniversary in December, and Puzzle No. 600 is off on the horizon in mid-2027.
Associated Press
21 minutes ago
- Associated Press
How do mascots like the Phillie Phanatic stay fresh in the summer heat? Vodka and water
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Phillie Phanatic has a boozy little secret for surviving the dog days of summer. Vodka and water. Neat. Hold the lemon. Not for hydration. 'He's a milk guy,' jokes Tom Burgoyne, who brings the Phanatic to life. Burgoyne, officially known as the mascot's best friend, works up a mighty sweat dancing on dugouts during Philadelphia's steamy summer nights. Lysol or Febreze used to be the go-tos for keeping the stench under control. Most mascots these days order off the happy hour menu when they really want to feel fresh and clean on the inside. 'Now a big thing in the mascot world is vodka and water,' Burgoyne said. 'You put it in half-and-half, maybe a third vodka, the rest water, you put it in a squeegee bottle and you can spray your head that way and sometimes that takes the smell away.' Sports fans around the globe get their kicks from all costumed creatures great and small that entertain no matter how red-hot it gets under that heavy honker. The musky muppets take the field through triple-digit heat, broken temperature records and oppressive humidity that can wilt even the most die-hard fan during the summer stretch. Yes, sweaty is the head that wears the crown — such as Kansas Royals' mascot Sluggerrr — and regular costume cleaning is part of the mascot game. Of course, so is staying safe. Mascot performers use vents, fans and lots of breaks to combat the heat The Phanatic, Fredbird and Clark the Cub all need a respite from the sweltering heat, which include frequent breaks, constant hydration, cooling materials and proper ventilation. No one with a baseball for a head wants to faint on the field and need even more stitches. Keeping those performers from overheating is top of mind for Mitch Maxine. His company BAM Mascots, designs and manufactures all sorts of bears, birds, sea creatures and monsters for sports teams at all levels. He understands a good mascot is more than just fabric and fur. Take a walk in their fuzzy feet and most costume designers understand the health and safety of the person inside matters just as much as the amusement provided at the ol' ballgame. 'In terms of the actual manufacturing of the costumes, they're just hot,' Maxine said. 'In terms of how we build it or what we make it out of, it's about how to reduce that level of heat.' That's not always easy when designing a muscular costume meant to be worn for hours. 'The thing that prevents people from being hot is usually the movement of air,' Maxine said. 'If I make a costume, even if I make it out out of very light, thin material, if I wear it in the middle of the heat, unless there's something to move air through the material and across my skin, I'm going to be hot.' BAM is among the mascot manufacturers that strategically place vents or a battery-operated fan to circulate fresh air and expel stale air and heat inside the head. Lightweight, durable fabrics are used to wick away moisture and inconspicuous ventilation ports — think of fabric screens on the eyes, nose, mouth, ears or your favorite parrot or moose — can provide fresh air. No amount of costume tech overrides the importance of staying hydrated Maxine also suggests cooling vests that can help regulate body temperatures in environments hotter than a pennant race or during extreme physical activity. Yet, the best advice on those worrisome weather days may as well come straight from mom before a Little League game: Take frequent breaks. Drink water. 'We've had a couple of clients saying they want some sort of system built into the costume where a performer can wear a water bottle inside the pouch and have a straw come up inside their head so they can sip water while they're performing,' he said. BAM made it for one customer. It was a simple design, just a belt with a holder for a water bottle, with a tube that ran up the character's chest and into the head. More could be sold in the future. The Phanatic suit doesn't include any vents or fans, but the 59-year-old Burgoyne — who started performing as the Phanatic at old Veterans Stadium in the late 1980s — has his own dressing room inside the bowels of Citizens Bank Park and can scamper away for a quick rest to beat the heat. It's needed. Consider, this summer in Philadelphia, the city's public health department declared a heat emergency once temperatures spiked to triple-digits and power outages were even reported. 'At the Vet, I used to wear bags of ice around my belly,' Burgoyne said. 'It turned to hot water after five minutes. I don't know if it really did any good at all. Citizens Bank Park seems to have more of a cross-wind so it doesn't steam up the way the Vet used. When we came over here (in 2004), I stopped doing it.' Bernie Brewer, Blooper and Bernie the Marlin might want to try sticking their swampy extendable body parts in the freezer. There's an 80% chance the world will break another annual temperature record in the next five years, and it's even more probable that the world will again exceed the international temperature threshold set 10 years ago, according to a five-year forecast released in May by the World Meteorological Organization and the U.K. Meteorological Office. Phillies fans send cooling vests in the mail to the Phanatic ('I get a lot of, 'try this, try that,'' Burgoyne said) or cooling collars to stave off heat exhaustion. The Phanatic — the costume weighs about 35 pounds, Burgoyne normally wears just T-shirts and shorts under the flightless bird — is always hot no matter the weather because of the constant motion needed to ride ATVs or fight Tommy Lasorda or hug it out with Jason Kelce. On those stifling hot days, the Phanatic doesn't charm the crowd for more than 20 or 30 minutes at a time without a break and, no, he's never passed out. Burgoyne — such a delightful storyteller, it's a shame the Phanatic is mute — says a perfect weather day for a mascot is almost any day in October. 'If the Phanatic is out there running around doing his thing in October, all is right in the world,' he said. 'He's not sweating as much, I'm not sweating as much and the Phillies are in the playoffs. That is the ideal time.' ___ AP sports:
Forbes
21 minutes ago
- Forbes
Morgan Wallen Ties Elton John For A New Spot In The History Books
Morgan Wallen is once again in charge of the Billboard 200 with his latest blockbuster I'm the Problem. The country title has led the main albums chart in the United States for 10 frames, with only short stints away from the throne during its lifetime. Another frame ruling the competitive tally helps Wallen form a tie with one of the most successful male musicians of all time. Morgan Wallen Ties Elton John Between all three of his No. 1s on the Billboard 200, Wallen has now controlled the chart for a collective 39 weeks, according to Billboard. That sum — which he reaches as I'm the Problem hits 10 frames at the top of the tally — ties Wallen with Elton John for the fourth-most terms ruling the Billboard 200 among solo male acts. Elvis Presley, Garth Brooks and Michael Jackson Looking specifically at solo male musicians, Elvis Presley owns this bit of history, and he may not be matched for a long time. The late rock legend racked up 67 stays at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. He's followed by Garth Brooks with 52 weeks and Michael Jackson with 51. Morgan Wallen Recently Passed Drake and Harry Belafonte I'm the Problem is steady at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and last week was also special for Wallen. With a thirty-eighth frame ahead of every other album in America, the country singer-songwriter passed both Drake and Harry Belafonte, as they had accumulated 37 spins at the top of the tally apiece. Morgan Wallen's Three 10-Week Rulers Wallen has pushed three of his four full-lengths to No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and all of them have led the charge for at least 10 weeks. I'm the Problem is now tied with Dangerous: The Double Album as his second-longest-ruling leader, as both racked up 10 stays at the summit. One Thing at a Time, his 2023 project, held on for 19 nonconsecutive frames.
