HBO Gets Busted Over Luck

Watercooler

By Nads | Thursday, May 3, 2012 | 2:14 pm | 22 Comments
Tagged: , ,
Posted in: Watercooler

HBO is under fire over Luck. PETA said they’ve obtained new documents proving that Luck did in fact abuse their horses. E! is reporting that the AHA reported that the horse trainer Matt Chew was no bueno. The docs said, “The AHA found that horses were underfed to save money, with one of them an alarming 300 pounds underweight, and that sick horses were utilized in filming. The report also alleges that improperly trained or unprepared horses were used in racing sequences, endangering both the jockeys and the animals themselves, and that the animals were routinely tranquilized to keep them docile.”

Furthermore they’re reporting that try, “Chew tried to deceive the organization’s representatives by giving false names to horses in order to prevent discovery that the animals were unfit to race. Not only that, but sick mounts would allegedly disappear from the set without explanation, prompting a warning to the trainer that he could be charged with neglect.”

PETA’s SVP said, “These documents appear to reveal what Luck executive producers David Milch and Michael Mann have repeatedly denied: that horses were mistreated and endangered on a daily basis. HBO says today it lost $35 million with the cancellation of Luck, but the horses paid a much bigger price. The authorities can take action now to send a message that cruelty to animals for the sake of ‘entertainment’—or for any reason—will not be tolerated.”

It’s a game of he said/she said right now. I’m sure the truth lies somewhere in the middle on this…but those poor horses. :(

 

About

Although comedy is her profession, Nadine has accomplished a lot in her young age. She is a national champion black belt, a world-class soccer player, and an avid snowboarder. She started playing soccer at the age of 4, and continued playing through college where she majored in Biology, but quickly realized her destiny was to tell jokes, not to wear a lab coat. So she decided to be funny while finishing her Bachelors Degree in biology and continued on to get her M.B.A. Nadine’s comedy style is much like her athleticism, fearless. She’s made her way up the comedy ladder very quickly, and has become a club favorite at many of the country’s top comedy clubs, including the Improv chain. Performing in the Boston Comedy Festival and being noted as the “one of the youngest and brightest up and comers” and traveling to the Middle East to entertain the troops are just a few of her notable accomplishments. These days Nadine splits time between the stage, a radio studio, her computer blogging, and a television studio. Nadine’s TV, Radio, Writing credits include: national commercials, talking head roles on E! Entertainment, Showtime’s Hot Tamales Live, The Skinny: Fat Free News, The Sunny Side of The Truth: Real World Hollywood, TVgasm, Zazreport, Daddy’s Girls, Jerseylicious, celebrity interviews on Mania TV, a weekly half-hour television show that syndicates to colleges across the country for National Lampoon and a nightly radio show on XM Satellite Radio.

22 Comments

  1. 1
    fancyface
    Posted May 3, 2012 at 4:33 pm

    Oh that’s so sad if it turns out to be true and something needs to be done, BUT…wtf is LUCK?

  2. 2
    Robin Robinez
    Posted May 3, 2012 at 7:28 pm

    Why are those people wearing horns to protest the mistreatment of horses? God made horses without horns so you don’t poke your eyes out.

    Seriously though, I think that PETA tends to overwhelm people with their abrasive stance and much of the publicity they get is about the protest itself and the outrageous actions they take. Animal cruelty and the subject of the protest(s) is many times lost in these extreme efforts. Also, people tend to think PETA is a bunch of nutjobs due to their extreme behavior and this is sad because I know that these folks have a passion for animals and truly care,or they wouldn’t be doing it; but the need for publicity for the “cause” overshadows the cause itself.

    I also can’t help but notice that PETA wasn’t the org that reported this initially. It was the AHA. Yes, they did their job without wearing horns or protesting. The AHA should be congratulated,yet PETA was right there to disclose info that the AHA had already disclosed. Essentially trying to grab the spotlight.

    See what I mean? If they would expend as much effort, resources and time as they do trying to grab the headline, they could really do wonders for abused and neglected animals. I also wonder why PETA is always concerned about abused animals that celebrities wear, are in the news or are on a HBO show?

    I am an animal lover. Period. For the sake of all the abused critters I wish that PETA was the Godsend that they need. In my opinion it’s a group of folks with good intentions and bad practice.

    In the meantime there are many wonderful groups that don’t want publicity and quiety go about the buisiness of providing low cost spay/neuter programs, innoculations, no kill shelters.

    OK. Sorry. I will get off the soapbox.

    TC, Robin

  3. 3
    Hypnotoad Hypnotoad
    Posted May 3, 2012 at 8:02 pm

    A moment of brevity:

    At least the horse lives on in the twitterverse to watch HBO’s “Girls” and comment on it’s general existence: https://twitter.com/#!/LuckHorseOnGirl

  4. 4
    maryedith
    Posted May 3, 2012 at 8:06 pm

    Brevity=levity, Hypnotoad?

  5. 5
    Hypnotoad Hypnotoad
    Posted May 3, 2012 at 8:37 pm

    Levity, yes! Good lord, what was I thinking? Clearly, I was not thinking at all. However, it was a pretty short and to-the-point post, so I’m going to go ahead and say that perhaps I meant “brevity” after all . . . Or something . . .

  6. 6
    Hypnotoad Hypnotoad
    Posted May 3, 2012 at 8:39 pm

    I blame the new Bud Light Lime-a-Rita. I’m going to blame everything on Lime-a-Rita from now on. So, prepare yourselves . . .

  7. 7
    maryedith
    Posted May 3, 2012 at 8:40 pm

    It took me a minute, too. I mean, I totally read it the way you meant it.

  8. 8
    PearlBlackDragon PearlBlackDragon
    Posted May 3, 2012 at 10:29 pm

    PETA kills more animals than any other rescue organisation in the US. They killed 95% of the animals they took in last year. 95%.
    Their word means not a thing to me. I will wait until a legitimate animal protection agency makes these claims.
    Google peta kills animals or the state of Virginia vs. Peta before you yell at me.

  9. 9
    Robin Robinez
    Posted May 4, 2012 at 3:08 pm

    A legitimate animal protection agency did make the claims. The AHA reported this first. Then PETA took the info and ran with it, gaining publicity for themselves.

    And of course, as I mentioned before, it is all about PETA getting publicity on the backs of those folks that did the actual work and the horses are an afterthought.

  10. 10
    PearlBlackDragon PearlBlackDragon
    Posted May 4, 2012 at 6:05 pm

    PETA “claimed” to have “obtained” papers from AHA stating the abuse. There were never any such papers.
    http://www.observer.com/2012/02/breaking-hbo-responds-to-racing-show-luck%E2%80%99s-real-life-horse-fatalities/

    I love animals but PETA I hate and I will spread the word about their hypocrisy and lies until my dying breath. I do understand what you are trying to say though Robinez.

  11. 11
    Robin Robinez
    Posted May 4, 2012 at 6:45 pm

    Thanks for the link. I was floored by some of the comments. Do those folks really think that horses purposely break their own legs and abuse themselves on a reg basis? They are saying horses are commiting harry carey?

    Some horses abuse the rider, just for the fun of it. They are too proud to hurt themselves. I had a horse, when she didn’t want to be rode in the pasture, she would aim directly for the barbed wire fence so she could rub me up against it. She trained me to take her on a trail to avoid the barbed wire treatment. ;)

    The comments on the link have me scratching my head….

    PBD, I think we are on the same page.

    TC, Robin

  12. 12
    snowshoecat snowshoecat
    Posted May 4, 2012 at 7:26 pm

    Thank you, Robin, and PBD, for spreading the word about PETA. I had no idea. I have ridden since I was little and appreciate the beauty and intelligence of horses. I was absolutely sickened when I first heard of the abuse on the set of Luck.

    I am outraged that PETA is an organizational famewhore riding the good works of other, legitimate organizations. There is more to animal activism than throwing paint on a dowager’s fur coat.

    Thanks for the link, PBD. I am on to reading it now.

  13. 13
    Robin Robinez
    Posted May 4, 2012 at 9:20 pm

    Take a blood pressure pill before you read it Snowshoecat. Especially if you are familiar with horses. I can only equate the comments with the most ridiculous thing that I have ever heard in my entire life.

    I have owned and had access to horses my entire life. You tend to bond with a horse. Like a good dog. I have always said that a horse is just a big Dog/?yr old. I would know if my horse was going to commit suicide by breaking their legs. On Purpose. Pfft.

    Anyway, I have never heard ,or saw, or witnessed, or read, or saw a text about a horse that abused themselves and broke their own legs!

    Also, a horse can come up lame and still live a nice life. Just can’t race.

  14. 14
    sarcasatire sarcasatire
    Posted May 4, 2012 at 11:02 pm

    I had a friend who used to do dressage. Once her horse, threw her and she flew so hard she cracked her helmet. Another time, as she was leading him, he reared up and went so wild, he broke her ribs. She said he didn’t mean it, he was just a baby. I said, only low self esteem makes a girl identify with her abuser. ;)

  15. 15
    Robin Robinez
    Posted May 7, 2012 at 12:46 am

    ” I said, only low self esteem makes a girl identify with her abuser. ”

    The horse really doesn’t have an agenda, normally.

  16. 16
    Robin Robinez
    Posted May 7, 2012 at 1:05 am

    “No matter how I try and separate myself from her, she just seems to seek me out.”

  17. 17
    sarcasatire sarcasatire
    Posted May 7, 2012 at 1:49 am

    “The horse doesn’t have an agenda mostly.”

    You’re right! So was my friend. That’s why I thought it was funny how she said it. The same way it was funny how you said your horse “trained you” by dragging you along a barbed-wire fence. I thought that was funny too.

  18. 18
    sarcasatire sarcasatire
    Posted May 7, 2012 at 2:58 am

    To be clear, when I wrote my earlier post, I was agreeing with you that horses can be temperamental, and pointing out that you weren’t the only person to think so, using my friend as an example.
    I made a joke that compared it to battered wives syndrome (he only beats me because he loves me) the same way I made a similar joke about myself on Suburbint’s ‘weekend shows’ post.

    Adebesi!! (both scary and amazing…OZ fans know what I mean.)

  19. 19
    Robin Robinez
    Posted May 7, 2012 at 2:51 pm

    The point of my post is also clear.

  20. 20
    sarcasatire sarcasatire
    Posted May 7, 2012 at 3:14 pm

    It is. Apparently you’re saying that it doesn’t matter if I’m civil with you, I’ll only be met with hostility.

    Noted.

  21. 21
    sarcasatire sarcasatire
    Posted May 7, 2012 at 3:16 pm

    And I love how you posted this on the other thread, as if to say, “See guys, I’m picking a fight with Sarcas on this thread, too! Join us!”

  22. 22
    Mimo
    Posted May 8, 2012 at 10:34 am

    I’m really impressed with PETA.

    Looking at the opening picture, I can’t imagine how many miles they walked in open fields to find all those horns that fell off. I know they must have done that because 1) they wouldn’t have gotten them from a slaughter house and 2) they can’t be plastic ’cause that would be as bad as someone wearing fake fur and 3) they wouldn’t have bought them because they wouldn’t know if the person selling them got them from a slaughterhouse.

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