Whale Wars/YMMV

• Alternate Character Interpretation: Well - alternate show interpretation, really. Much like shows such as My Super Sweet Sixteen, it's not entirely clear whether the program was made to glorify the people it stars, or whether it keeps its tongue firmly in its cheek, casts a knowing glance at the audience and mouths, "Look how psychotic these folk are!"
  • The Viking Shores previews even had Nordic whalers angrily asking the crew "Who's going to feed this nation? You?" to point out that some of the whale hunting done is done for reasons people are more likely approve of--namely, feeding people.
• Family-Unfriendly Aesop / Warped Aesop: This show seems to give the message that, instead of using diplomacy and enforcing regulations on whale hunting, having a hack team of environmentalists using violent and controversial means is more effective.
  • The fact that diplomacy hasn't done much doesn't help it's case.
    • That still doesn't excuse engaging in terrorism.
• Refuge in Audacity: When the whalers hear about Watson's claim that their presence stops them from killing and processing whales, so what do they do? They do it right in front of them.
• Rooting for the Empire: A somewhat literal case (given the fact that Japan is still technically an Empire), as you won't have to go long to find a few hundred pro-Japanese sites that are practically (and occasionally literally) screaming for the blood of those on the Steve Irwin.
• Snark Bait: Another interpretation of the show, attracting viewers amused by the crews' bungling.
• Unfortunate Implications: Due to the fact that the last 2 seasons of Whale Wars shows the SSCS harassing the Japanese whalers, it would probably lead, or has led, to a fair amount of people seeing the SSCS as a group of anti-Japanese racists. But on the other side of the same coin, it could also lead, or has led, people to think that the Japanese are underhanded sneaks using science as an excuse to harvest whales in a wildlife sanctuary. The main reason why the SSCS fight Japan so much compared to other countries is that Japan as a whole likes seafood, which kind of goes against the SSCS's status as a Sea-based environmental group.
  • The latest promos indicate that the Sea Shepherds have every intention of doing their very best to force the whalers to kill them this season, including this time blatantly putting themselves right in the ships' paths (much like they did with their trimaran). That's right... they intend to sacrifice human lives basically for PR purposes to make the whalers look like murderers. Note that the captain talking about this sacrifice seems to have no intention of putting himself or his boat in their way, though.