Facebook Screenshots from Ox Hunting Ranch's Facebook video
Ox Hunting Ranch posted a video on Saturday, March 21 showing someone using a flamethrower to burn what looked like a large pile of toilet paper. Now the video’s gone viral and the business is getting a lot of angry responses from people who’ve had a tough time finding toilet paper during the coronavirus outbreak. Ox Hunting Ranch has said they didn’t use as much toilet paper as it looked like in the video. Now they’re giving away about 450 rolls of toilet paper to people who need it. Read on to see the video and learn more about what happened.
The Video Shows Someone Setting Toilet Paper on Fire
The video was posted late morning on Saturday and shows someone burning what looks like a huge pile of toilet paper with a flame thrower. The description reads, “There’s no toilet paper shortage over here at the Ox Ranch.. in fact.. we had a little fun with the flamethrower!! ??? Book with us today for the ultimate social distancing destination.” It’s followed by a lot of hashtags.
At the end of the video, a headline reads: “Unlimited Toilet Paper and White Claw Available.”
As of the time of publication, the video was going viral with 1,700 comments, 1,400 shares, and 1,000 reactions on Facebook. Here’s the video.
A lot of angry responses were left, but there were some laughing reactions too.
Sydalg Gonzalez wrote: “We have nursing homes in the surrounding communities, elderly with no access to toilet paper… How is this selfish act suppose to impress the community? I find this marketing strategy distasteful and demonstrates pure arrogance at its best. I hope you all set your feet on the ground… with everything going on… just pray that you don’t ever have to go without..”
Cory Scott Thyfault wrote: “Ok so I Just want to get this clear, wanting Business exposure to promote there Hunting Ranch they go and Burn Toilet paper? Waist something many family’s, elderly people are needing cause there is none available. NOT winning my Business or any of my Family’s, Friends, Businesses I work with. If they were smart would have spent a little time and found where that TP could have done Good and Donated it out. That would have Won my Business. I am a small Rancher in a small Community and we all are having to ban together and help stretch everything we all got to get through these times. Dumb is all I can say.” [sic]
Ox Ranch quickly responded to the comments left, saying the boxes of toilet paper they burned were all empty except the one opened for the video, and that they bought the toilet paper when there were no shortages. Then they added: “Toilet paper is not a NECESSITY… nobody is being hurt. You can jump in the shower after you go…”
Ox Ranch has also said that they are donating $100 for every roll they burned to local food banks and medical facilities.
Here are some screenshots from the video.
They repeated their five points in reply to a lot of the angry comments that viewers left on Facebook.
Don Hawn wrote back: “your response may be true, or not, but you have chosen the wrong time to post such a stupid and insensitive video, in the light of the current state of the country!!!!!” [sic]
A few people didn’t think it was a big deal. Ernesto Vasquez Jr. wrote, “i dont see an issue with it. they paid for them they can d0 what they want with it.” [sic]
But most people were pretty upset. In response to someone saying this was bad for PR, Ox Hunting Ranch responded: “no publicity is bad publicity. For everyone who is angry there are just as many who get the point of this whole video. The very reason why people are angry is the reason why we have actual shortages. DriveTanks.com and the Ox Ranch donate millions a year on top of the numerous chairtys that we work with.” [sic]
According to their Facebook page, Ox Hunting Ranch is “in the early stages of creating the finest hunting ranch the world has ever seen.” The page goes on to say: “I consider Ox Ranch the ultimate adult playground in which city folk can escape to hunt over 30 species of exotics, blow cars up, explore caverns, shoot machines guns, off road, jet ski, and or any other activity their heart may desire. (tank with firing turret coming soon).”
Ox Hunting Ranch Is Now Giving Away Toilet Paper
The day after posting the video, Ox Hunting Ranch posted an update on Facebook.
They wrote:
We burned a lot of empty toilet paper boxes yesterday, and as a result, we received death threats, a message from a sheriff that they were coming to visit us, and thousands of negative comments! The purpose of this toilet paper from day one was to give it away free, and that’s what we’re going to do!
If you need a few rolls or know anyone that does, please email info@oxhuntingranch.com with your name, address, and a few words about why you need it. We’ll be giving it away to those who need it most until all 450+ rolls are given away.
The said the toilet paper was purchased on February 26 before the shortage and they burned about $24 worth in the video.
I’d estimate that we burned $24 worth of toilet paper, which is about 5% of the total we are giving away. We planned on donating an additional $100 per roll that we burned, but instead have decided to increase this number significantly and donate $10,000 locally to our first responders and medical facilities.
I’ve included a few images below to prove this was our entire toilet paper order, order dates, and that the boxes were, in fact, empty!
Their website says they have 18,000 acres for Texas Hill Country hunting.