Jimmy Kimmel writer Blaire Erskine asks people to stop sharing her Bass Pro Shop video parody
It didn’t take long for the man who jumped naked into the massive aquarium at The Bass Pro Shop Leeds to go viral.
The Internet took notice and so did Jimmy Kimmel writer Blaire Erskine, who on Saturday posted a video in response to the critics of the 42-year-old man who was taken into custody, then taken to a hospital for mental health treatment.
On Sunday, Erskine then commented on her own video: “stop sharing this.” She did not elaborate on why she wanted people to stop sharing it and did not delete the video.
In the parody video, Erskine portrayed the “Bass Pro Shop Guy’s Wife,” saying her husband decided to go swimming in the store’s “swimming pool” as they took their kids to get pictures with “January 6th Santa.”
Her character insisted it was a pool and not an aquarium because “aquariums have tops on them. If you do not want us to get in it, put a top on it.”
The video had been viewed more than 6.2 million times as of Sunday night. There were those who weren’t sure if it was real and thought that Erskine was in fact the man’s wife.
Those who knew it wasn’t real debated the humor in it. Many applauded the writer for her comedy. Others? Not so much.
A few suggested it was better he jumped in the aquarium rather than shoot children in school.
“Keep seeing comments … about the bass pro guy, and I feel like I’m losing my mind,” Erskine replied on “X,” the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “We shouldn’t laugh at him because he could have shot up a school, but he didn’t? WHAT???!!??”
She continued to address the responses the video received:
“mental health is so important and I hope he’s the right meds/treatment he needs now. I hope when he’s feeling better he can see how skinny dipping in the bass pro fish tank is objectively funny.
“no one got hurt and he’s still here to get the help he needs and that’s why it’s okay to have a lil chuckle….also, just want to point out that this guy resisted arrest and assaulted an officer. imagine if a guy who wasn’t white did all of the same s..t in ALABAMA of all places.”
On Thursday, video taken by bystanders of a man doing a cannonball into the aquarium and later standing under the waterfall.
Leeds police said he was in the aquarium for no more than 5 minutes.
Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.