Uvalde hunting ranch owner stands by controversial toilet paper-burning video
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Ox Ranch owner Brent Oxley stands by a video produced by the business which shows toilet paper being lit on fire by a flamethrower. The clip was posted across the ranch’s social media accounts, angering many, but Oxley says the video presented a marketing opportunity and way to donate toilet paper. Ox Ranch says more than 75 care packages, seen here, have been donated. lessOx Ranch owner Brent Oxley stands by a video produced by the business which shows toilet paper being lit on fire by a flamethrower. The clip was posted across the ranch’s social media accounts, angering many, … more
Photo: Courtesy, Ox Ranch
Photo: Courtesy, Ox Ranch
While stores around the world are experiencing a run on toilet paper amid coronavirus anxieties, a hunting ranch in Uvalde decided to torch some of their surplus for a video the business owner is standing by because he says the controversy is helping the company and philanthropic efforts.
The video, which was shared across the ranch’s social media platforms on Saturday, shows an employee setting an inferno to rolls of toilet paper stacked on Quilted Northern boxes via flamethrower.
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“There’s no toilet paper shortage over here at the Ox Ranch..in fact…we had a little fun with the flamethrower,” the posts read. “Book with us today for the ultimate social distancing destination.”
The video has generated nearly 300,000 views since Saturday on Facebook and countless of comments from incensed clients who say they will no longer book with the ranch as well as onlookers who are experiencing empty toilet paper shelves at stores or know vulnerable individuals who are.
“I realize this was funny in your mind’s eye; however, you missed your mark terribly,” reads one of the many Facebook comments. “We just gave an elderly neighbor some of our limited toilet paper because they had not been able to purchase any. You need to find a new marketing/social media director.”
Owner Brent Oxley is aware of the controversy, but is not backing down from the decision to torch his estimate of 50 to 60 rolls of toilet paper for the video. From his point of view, the video provided opportunities for cheaper marketing, philanthropy and keeping his employees paid through the challenging times brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
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Follow up posts on each of the ranch’s social media channels say Ox Ranch is donating money to first responders and toilet paper to anyone who emails in asking for some. Those following the situation flooded those posts as well, questioning Oxley’s intention’s, asking why the donations of funds and supplies were not mentioned in the first place and wondering why the video remains on the pages.
Oxley said he believes the video is doing more for his business than the billboard ads he spent $80,000 on before the coronavirus crisis hit.
“We’d be crazy to take down a video that has gone viral that cost less than $100 to make! I’m proud of the philanthropy that we are doing for the community and can’t wait to do more. If people are going to judge us over the burning of a few rolls of toilet paper, let them,” he said.
“I have an obligation to the 50-plue employees,” the owner added. “I’m going to keep them employed and continue to pay their salaries during these challenging times.”
Oxley says his business, which provides hunting of exotic animals and allows civilians to shoot machine guns and drive tanks, is controversial in itself. The heated discussions surrounding the toilet paper-torching are an extension of the responses the ranch already gets, he says.
“Bad publicity is good publicity for us,” he said. “We unfortunately cannot do business without offending people. If I was in the business of making everyone happy, I would shut us down and make a pie shop. The world is full of hypocrites, and I’d be willing to bet the bulk of the negative comments from this video are from the very people sitting on large stashes of (toilet paper) and contributing to the current shortages.”
The ranch’s philanthropic efforts include donating $10,000 to first responders and medical facilities, up from Oxley’s original pledge to give $100 per roll that was burnt. The ranch is also sending out more than 75 care packages to individuals who have emailed requests. The owner said the demand for help was “far greater” than the amount of toilet paper that was bought to produce the video, so the ranch’s stock is now being used for donations.
“If we hadn’t been controversial, this video wouldn’t have gone viral. Had this video not gone viral, we would have been able to help the 75 families that reached out to us. In addition, we are also helping our 50 employees and their families,” Oxley said. “We’re just a little ranch in Uvalde, but somehow managed to supply toilet paper to every single person that responded to our free toilet paper post.”
Madalyn Mendoza is a breaking news reporter and general assignment writer. Read her on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | [email protected] | @MaddySkye
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