It’s not like Greenpeace actually wanted to name the whale Mr. Splashy Pants (which is the best name in the universe, by far). They had stupid names like Shanti (no relation to Beyoncé), Aurora (after the Disney princess, I’m sure), Kaimana, Amal, and Manami (those last three mean “pretentious whale name” in English). Thank goodness the naming process was a vote, as the world that threw Sanjaya Malakar into the spotlight could repeat history for Greenpeace. From late November until Dec. 7, around 120,000 people voted for “Mr. Splashy Pants.” That was more than 78 percent of the votes.

This is the best PR accident to ever happen to Greenpeace. I mean, who cares if Kaimana gets harpooned by a Japanese whaling ship? But Mr. Splashy Pants? Oh, no you didn’t! Nobody touches Mr. Splashy Pants! That whale is going to live forever. Nothing, and I mean nothing, is going to harm Mr. Splashy Pants.

The best part about Mr. Splashy Pants’ name is it has forced Greenpeace to loosen up. Finally. Am I the only one who felt like a seal killer because I forgot to cut the six-pack plastic and occasionally didn’t recycle? Now, because of Mr. Splashy Pants, everything is chill. There ís even an official Greenpeace “Save Mr. Splashy Pants” image with a cartoon whale wearing yellow underpants.

Who can feel bad with a talking whale wearing yellow underpants in this world? It’s interesting how this whole Mr. Splashy Pants phenomenon makes me want to be more environmentally friendly. I care about the environment more because of Mr. Splashy Pants. Isn’t that something Greenpeace should be happy about?

And I think they are. More people than ever are personally invested in the fate of humpback whales. What if more organizations did this, and not just environmental ones? We could see some real progress in humanitarian and environmental affairs. If groups showed a little humor, poked some fun at themselves, loosened up on the guilt-tripping a bit, acted human, I think more people would want to get involved.

Even churches and religious organizations could benefit from this. I’m not asking groups to diverge from their ideals, but I am asking them to show a human side: a side that knows people aren’t perfect, that people make mistakes, that people will wear fur and eat foié gras, but still want to help animals, the environment, and other humans. In that sense, Mr. Splashy Pants isn’t just a coup for Greenpeace, but a chance to get more involved in the state of the world. A chance to forgive and forget. A chance to start over. A chance to see things aren’t perfect, and they never will be, but it’s OK.

Mr. Splashy Pants might not be a serious name, but it’s the best name for times like these.

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