Political & Elections

SamuraiLandshark · Guru

RE: Does PETA ad featuring a young, pantsless woman in neckbrace promote veganism, or offend?

NJTheatreMom · Veteran Member

I've long been curious about the reasons for/origins of animal rights extremism...the kind of people who say that it's cruel to ride horses, and who even do things like commit terrorist acts against researchers who use animal subjects.

Apparently this has its roots in the UK, where many people are more rabid about it than here.

In addition, I think that the extreme animal rights stance accrues more to the right hand side of the political spectrum than the left, despite the fact that many people who don't eat much meat are crunchy-granola, NPR listening, liberal leaning folks like myself

I would really be interested to know whether this has been written about, but I wouldn't know where to begin looking.

The thing about the sexy ads is weird. It almost reminds me, in a way, of the "flirty fishing" that religious cult-like organizations had attractive girls do, back in the day.

longprime · Guru

DS took some very cute pics of their baby bunnies. I hope they are the ones that got sold for breeders rather eaten. confuse

I don't understand the PETA's promotion of nakedness. confuse

romanigypsyeyes · Guru

I don't understand cats either. I'm a dog person.

longprime · Guru

SamuraiLandshark wrote:
I have a couple of nieces that are vegans that are anti-PETA, too.
My kitties are treated as nicely as any humans in my family. Spoiled, rotten. I wouldn't have it any other way.
I don't understand what they want. Or what they are trying to promote.

I know your intent. But your post makes it read like you don't understand your cats. evileye

longprime · Guru

I don't find the ads as "sexy" . Not even interesting.

I am just not getting it. But I'm not really trying.

evileye

-- Edited by longprime on Tuesday 14th of February 2012 10:21:52 AM

SamuraiLandshark · Guru

Have you read the book "Eating Animals" by Jonathan Safran Foer? I grew up in a house where meat was served probably 5 nights a week when I was little. That's really all I knew.

By high school, the idea of meat was just gross to me. I was for all intents a vegetarian for almost three years, but in those days it wasn't that I was pro-vegetarian so much as anti-meat. I had some trouble figuring out protein ratios in those days, found myself pretty anemic. It wasn't that common in my peer group to be vegetarian, and eventually re-introduced it into my diet in much smaller amounts than when I was a kid.

I have a friend that gives her daughter far too much soy protein and only chicken breasts - daughter developed early and got her period in grade school, which the doctor was concerned about due to kid's diet.

I do eat meat/chicken/fish a few times a week. If I had to hunt it, I wouldn't be able to do it. My son was talking about having some chickens for eggs - I could deal with the eggs, but I don't think I could eat the hens!

I also respect the hunters that hunt for food.

SamuraiLandshark · Guru

I cannot recall which college had a barbeque fundraister on campus that was sponsored by the campus branch of "PETA" - Only theirs spelled out "People eating tasty animals."

romanigypsyeyes · Guru

Neither do they. I'm convinced that they're secretly a bunch of sport hunters and carnivores out to destroy any credibility that vegetarians, vegans, and those who believe in humane treatment of non-human animals have.

SamuraiLandshark · Guru

I have a couple of nieces that are vegans that are anti-PETA, too.

My kitties are treated as nicely as any humans in my family. Spoiled, rotten. I wouldn't have it any other way.

I don't understand what they want. Or what they are trying to promote.

romanigypsyeyes · Guru

I hate PETA. With a passion. I'm a vegetarian who founded an Animal Rights club at my high school.

The second anyone learns that I'm a vegetarian, a very large chunk of them think I'm going to throw blood at them or something because of the plague that is PETA.

Their campaign does NOTHING but make life harder for vegetarians. Seriously. They also kill more animals each year than many shelters. They also say those who have pets are slave owners (or something along those lines) and that "anyone who cares about animals won't care about a ban on pit bulls". They are terrible, terrible people and I despise everything they stand for.

You cannot treat non-human animals with respect without treating human animals with respect. You do not win over people with scare tactics.

UGH. I cannot begin to articulate my disgust with them using words alone. They are vile, vile, vile.

SamuraiLandshark · Guru

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/cutline/does-peta-ad-featuring-young-pantsless-woman-neckbrace-222920818.html

I didn't see this one coming. Be warned, it's a bit racy and not good to watch at work. I am at a loss for words on this ad.

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is known for its provocative ads--many of them featuring women in various states of undress--that aim to draw attention (however indirectly) to animal rights. But their latest ad, a Valentine's Day video that warns women about the "dangers" of their boyfriends' burgeoning veganism, may have crossed a line.

The ad, released online Monday, shows a limping, pantsless woman sporting a neckbrace, struggling to carry a bag of vegetables home from the store. (Unsurprisingly, we'll warn that this ad, embedded below, may be a bit too racy for the eyes of younger viewers.)

"This is Jessica," the narrator, Kevin Nealon, says. "She suffers from 'BWVAKTBOOM,' 'Boyfriend Went Vegan and Knocked the Bottom Out of Me,' a painful condition that occurs when boyfriends go vegan and can suddenly bring it like a tantric porn star."

Jessica's boyfriend is then shown fixing a hole in their bedroom wall. "Oh, you're feeling better?" he asks as she disrobes.

A call to PETA revealed that the campaign was slated to be launched on Valentine's Day; the accompanying BWVAKTBOOM.com website, launched Monday, includes "tips on how to have sex safely with vegans—such as mounting all TVs and mirrors securely to the wall." (Released on the day after the Grammy Awards, when some criticized the show's producers for allowing a performance by singer Rihanna's ex-boyfriend—and domestic abuser—Chris Brown, you have to wonder if PETA is striking the right tone.)

A representative for PETA was not immediately available for comment.

Last week, the group executed a pre-Valentine's Day stunt in Shreveport, La., placing a live couple making out in a bed downtown to promote the vegan lifestyle. A sign on the headboard read: "Vegans Make Better Lovers."

Prior to the Super Bowl, PETA released a "Girls Gone Wild"-style anti-milk ad that it said was banned from the broadcast.

romanigypsyeyes · Guru

Unfortunately, that's what PETA drives people to do. Can't say I blame them.

Being a vegetarian and vegan is NOT about making meat eaters feel bad. It's about making a personal choice. You can inform people about why YOU are a vegetarian and answer questions that they have, but you're not going to "convert" anyone by making them feel like crap. Heck, many of my friends reduced the amount of meat they eat just because they hang out with me so often, mooch off my vegetarian food, and just generally don't order meat around me. Just out of habit and convenience, not because I made them feel bad. My mother was never much of a meat eater so she enjoys having someone to share vegetarian meals with and my dad has switched over to mostly free range/organic meat because he, like I, doesn't agree with slaughter practices that many major companies use but isn't prepared to give up meat. (That and for some reason he watched Food, Inc. completely by his own choice and didn't want to eat anything than what was grown in our own garden for about a week... he's gotten over some of the shock, but has changed his habits considerably). THAT is how you bring around people to your "side". Not by throwing blood at them. Hell, I want to eat a hamburger around PETA people (and I haven't eaten one in probably 8 years).

Edit: I also have no problem with people eating meat. I know that naturally, it's what we're supposed to do. I am a vegetarian for moral AND health reasons, but I'm not going to claim its natural. I also don't think the meat that many people eat is natural either though. I, unlike many vegetarians, have no problem with people who hunt to eat. I have a MAJOR problem with sport hunters (and many hunters who hunt to eat do, too). I would much rather people hunt (not trap) their own food as one, it makes them not want to waste meat as much, and two, it's usually far more humane. I think it's a good idea to understand where your food comes from as it makes you far less likely to waste it (and thus, the animal died for no purpose).

-- Edited by romanigypsyeyes on Monday 13th of February 2012 09:31:00 PM