Good morning America just contact me about my palytoxin experience.

[Superrmario]

Believe it or not, Good Morning America just contacted me regarding my palytoxin experience. They wanted to know if we were willing to be interviewed. I'm not sure if anybody has read the writeup on www.advancedaquarist.com but here is the link.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/blo...-poisoning-almost-killed-myself-wife-and-dogs

 

[Oscaror]

Congrats! That's pretty cool Just one thing...
You need to be very, very careful about what you say, you don't want the story to go from your experience, to how dangerous the hobby is and whether regulations should be put on zoas, there's been enough hate towards the hobby from the media lately :/

 

[braaap]

I'd refuse the interview. Honestly nothing good for the hobby can come from it.

 

[Superrmario]

This is correct Oscaror. Negative publicity is the last thing we need.

 

[Fishon]

No Bueno!! News thrives off the bad, cause that's what catches our attention, and never the good!!

 

[AdamNC]

This is the same path the reptile guys are going through, tread lightly please!

 

[kschweer]

Yea I would be careful as well. No matter how you put things or say things in the interview they can and sadly most likely will be put in a negative way, either in the editing room or by the interviewer.

 

[kv69]

I think I would pass. Glad you guys and the dogs are ok as well.

 

[bfam4t6]

So, Good Morning America wants to profit by theatrically displaying your bad experience?

If their goal was simply to educate, I'd say go for it. However, they do not want to educate. They want viewers. They want profit. They want your story to catch people off guard and make them stay throu a commercial break. They want shock and awe! You'll be the circus animal jumping through the flame while everyone goes "Wow! Look at that! That was dangerous, and he could have gotten hurt! But thank god he's okay!"

Please, don't let them do that. Don't let them sucker you in.

The media exists to profit, same as Hollywood or your favorite sitcom.

The media exists to profit.


Americans would do well to remember this fact.

 

[ca2or]

Crazy story and I would pass on the interview. However, glad to hear you and the fam are doing better

 

[Superrmario]

I will follow-up shortly. On my way home from the Long Island Aquarium.

I spoke to the producer about my concerns.

 

[kv69]

I worked in this biz many years... be very wary of what they are telling you... they don't make the final decisions and I am very sure that you are probably not talking to the executive producer in charge... be very careful with these guys... I'm not trying to sound doom and gloom but these guys are in it for ratings and keeping their viewers by playing the game of semantics... nothing good can come from it.

 

[reefbeard]

I would respectfully decline. It is hard to think much good could come of it.

 

[Superrmario]

Just got home a few moments ago. I spoke with the producer of this segment at length.

I expressed concern regarding the negative publicity this could possibly bring to myself as well as the Saltwater community as a whole. I explained, I don't want to be the face of our community nor make this a negative.

She assured me that the segment is based on providing personal experience in this area as a positive.

While I do think that there will be some sort of theatrics leading up to it, I don't feel that my story will be shown as a negative.

I put my story out there on a forum so novices can learn before making the same mistakes I made. It's now being brought in front of a larger forum for which I am glad.

How many parents have purchased Clowns, Anemones and Hippo Tangs for their kids based on Finding Nemo, yet have no clue that a salt water reef is a bit more than putting a goldfish in a bowl.

Those are the people that must be educated.

 

[RareEarthCorals]

These are the things we dont know about the hobby that can harm us. This is something that could of happened to any of us who dont understand palyotoxin and how it can affect us. I would have never known this to be possible until it was too late.

 

[tripleridge]

I new to the hobby. I would have never know if it wasn't for this post. Thank you for teaching me something today!

 

[7hogwarts]

I have done interviews on TV as well as the newspapers. I too, would approach with caution. Ask for the questions prior to the interview. If they tell you ahead, you can carefully answer your good responses. If they are not giving you the questions ahead of the interview, then I would pass. Should you decide to do the interview it would be beneficial to reply that there is a great source of info at Reef2Reef.

 

[jg93]

Superrmario -

I'm a producer. I've been working in the entertainment field for 12 years.

We lie.

Please do not believe what she is telling you. She is telling you exactly what you want to hear to get you on the segment. What a surprise. She's playing to your ego.

I guarantee this story will be framed in a negative light, with a 'clickbait' headline suchs as "One of the most deadly toxins known to man - in your aquarium. News at 11." Obviously that's oversimplifying it - but not by much.

I know you want to do what's right. I know you want to warn people of the toxins in their home. If that's what they want to actually do, they would contact scientific experts, not a victim. That's the biggest red flag of all, that they want to hear from you.

I can all but guarantee no good will come to our hobby from this. More legislation, more negative light, perhaps even a banning of paly's all together. Again, I know I'm sounding alarmist, but much stranger things have happened.

 

[Reef_a_holiks]

ive heard about this and even know some that have been effected by this toxin. I am still not 100 percent on how exactly you can get effected by it? Can you get effected by simply putting your hand in the tank to change the rock work a bit, or is it more than that?

 

[Mark...]

I fear bad people will use this info to do really bad things...get my drift...