PETA PR
PETA has been in the news a lot lately. They created a softcore veggie porn commercial which delivers a simple message: eat your greens and hot chicks will bone you. If it works anything like beer commercials, America will soon be awash in militant vegans.
Then there's the inflammatory comparisons of the American Kennel Club to the KKK. This is based on the AKC being a bunch of rich assholes who cringe at the thought of buying shelter dogs and are obsessed with expensive pure breeds that make them feel superior to us commoners. You know, an obvious comparison to a terrorist group that strung up black people from tree limbs.
Hey, whatever works. But does it? These campaigns seem more obnoxious and juvenile than anything people will take seriously.
posted by Matt Bors at
12:01 AM
11 Comments:
The documentary about the head crazy lady, (Ingrid Newkirk, I think) was fascinating.
The whole thing is worth it just for the part where they get a hotel room for a rescued factory farmed turkey.
The Sarah Palin turkey had a better fate.
I know what you mean; as a vegetarian and an animal lover I find myself cringing at many of PETA's stunts. However, they are the only high-profile national group that addresses the Big Picture of animal abuse and exploitation, and despite their excesses they do make a positive difference. So until something better comes along, I'll continue to support them.
Brian, I watched it on YouTube last night. Real interesting.
John, Yeah, they've forced some changes from people who don't want bloody activists in front of their stores so I guess results matter. Most people roll their eyes at them though.
Matt: Did you ever see the Penn and Teller "Bullshit" episode blasting PETA's tactics? I'd highly recommend it.
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=Penn+Teller+PETA&emb=0#
Like johnbpt, I don't really agree with their tabloid tactics. Being a vegan, I am wrongly associated with them by non-vegans all the time, and I don't donate money to them (even though they ask all the time). There are plenty of other animal rights related orgs that are worth giving your money to.
And PETA does offer less-sensational marketing, but it usually goes unnoticed among everything else. The stuff aimed the younger folks is pretty harmless.
And I doubt they ever intended that Super Bowl (can I say that, or do I need to call the NFL for permission?) ad to air. They knew it wouldn't be accepted and thus, instant media coverage for PETA.
I guess they see it as people already think they are crazy, so might as well do crazy things to keep them in the public eye. If someone complains, they just abandon that tactic for another wacky one.
They also want fish re-named as "sea kittens," which isn't in the same vein as the inflammatory and offensive campaigns you mentioned, but falls more into the category of "just plain stupid."
I'm a vegetarian as well, and I guess results matter, but when you're offending and annoying people who are predisposed to be allies, are you really going to get the best results possible?
Also PETA sent a letter to Yasser Arafat a while back protesting about him tying explosives to donkeys.
They didn't say anything about human suicide bombers. Just don't hurt the precious donkeys.
I think this is your best work. Nice touch with the black guy dropping his jaws and breaking the panel border. I'm a sucker for those kinds of side-gags.
Josh-Yes, I did see that. Very good show.
Tony- I feel your pain. I think PETA gives a lot of good ethical questions a bad name.
Erin- To me, a sea kitten sounds like a nautical beast that must be slain with harpoons to make the waters safe for seafaring.
Brubaker- Donkeys have discovered more vaccines than humans. I say we keep em.
"hot chicks will bone you"
Well then, the interesting question about "veggie love" becomes whether the strap-ons are carrot shaped, turnip like, or in an assortment of root vegetable and tuber shapes?
The PETA males could just eat some meat and re-acquire their ability to sport wood I suppose, except then they'd be like Hitler. Who was a sexually dysfunctional vegetarian.
Oh. Before anyone complains about the fact that Hitler was a vegetarian*, PETA've already done the Auschwitz analogy in real life. Of course.
* at least according to Hitler, but he was something of a lying arsehole so who knows.
Regarding the KKK video... wow. What an epic fail. I'm surprised this didn't get more media play, or if it did I didn't hear about it until now...
As a child of multiethnic background (Black/Asian) I was curious to see if the subject of parody in this strip was something based on fact.
I followed the links and WOW, Is all I could say. I am surprised I hadn't heard of this when it originally came out. I haven't really been fond of PETA and some of their extreme tactics (i was always being bombarded by fliers and rhetoric on my way to class back in San Francisco). But this just takes the cake!
To be compared to dogs is an insult as much as I love animals and to have the African American experience of slavery being compared and equated to what the AKC does is just crazy and ridiculous. I see what they were trying to say . . .
but c'mon??? Really?
really?
*shakes head*
Folks of this world...
Definitely an "Oh no, they didn't!" moment.
Good Strip Matt, I've been a fan for awhile.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home