Comments on: PETA Continues Their Sharp Decline

By: Plain(s)feminist

Plain(s)feminist — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 18:38:03 +0000

I read an interview of Ingrid Newkirk (is that her name?) in The New Yorker several years ago, and it explained a lot. She basically said she would do whatever it takes to get people to stop eating meat, wearing fur, etc. I think this was a few years after the ad that pictured a woman in a bikini with “fur” all along her bikini line and a tag that said something like, “Why wear fur?” Her comment above was in response to a question about ads like this. Anyway, Ingrid has a single-issue approach. The thing is, I doubt that feminists are going to start supporting animal-testing or stop being vegetarians because the ads are sexist. We’ll just not support PETA. Meanwhile, I wonder if the sexist ads will reach their targets…which is not me saying that the ads are ok, but I am curious.

By: msladydeborah

msladydeborah — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 06:40:49 +0000

Me thinks that PETA needs to get their frickin’ heads screwed on straight.

How is it that animals are treated with so much passionate concerned. Yet a woman is treated like a animal in heat? This is truly a triffling way to promote a vegan lifestyle.

By: coffee

coffee — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 06:07:58 +0000

PETA’s ad inspired me to go out do a barley grass shot

By: Stentor

Stentor — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 03:45:10 +0000

Cool, I didn’t know you were a vegetarian. (I actually *did* become a vegetarian because of my girlfriend, but then after she dumped me I stuck with it, and later started dating a meat eater, who I am gradually converting.)

By: Kevin

Kevin — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:38:22 +0000

@niemaodpowiedzi: Wait a minute here. You actually had a conversation with someone that thought it a good idea to advance gay rights through lesbian softcore porn? *sigh*

Frankly, I don’t think anyone who advocates showing T&A “for the cause” is worthy of any of your respect.

@Renee: Exactly! That’s my point. If they devoted as much ad space to naked dudes, I might consider taking their claims seriously, but as it stands, their ads are no different than beer or car ads.

By: Renee

Renee — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 06:08:34 +0000

I have to say that I was thrilled to learn that this ad has been banned. I am sick and tired of this approach by PETA. It is demeaning to all concerned.
They claim it is the only way to get attention but their ads just fade into the background because everything uses sex to sell. If they wanted to stand out they should try respecting women.

The other thing that gets me about this is the way that it only targets men. Do they think that women are natural peace loving, vegetarians. I am female and a meat eater and if anything these ads push me in the opposite direction.

By: niemaodpowiedzi

niemaodpowiedzi — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 03:01:39 +0000

I’m pretty tired of PETA’s advertising skillz. As a vegetarian (transitioning to vegan) woman, I’m pretty fucking tired of my body being appropriated for the heterosexual male gaze in PETA’s version of animal liberation. I fail to see how stupefying women (Unicorns versus dolphins in a pillow-fight? Really, that’s how much respect for veg*n women PETA has? Well, shit, sign me up!) draws any attention to the animal rights that PETA holds so dear. See, I’m a vegetarian partly because I don’t support oppression of animals. I believe humans are animals. I believe women are humans. Therefore, oppressing women to get your oh-so-important message across? Is, as the internet would phrase it, an epic fail.

It reminds me of a conversation I had just after Prop 8 passed in November. I got into a heated discussion when the man I was talking to thought it would be a brilliant idea to use lesbian softcore porn to convince the audience that gay marriage is a good idea. The sad part is, I don’t think I managed to get through to him why that was a bad idea, beyond further objectification of women. It breaks my heart that self-professed liberals don’t view advertisement of this sort as wrong-headed or cruel, that something so fucking clear to me as immoral can be seen as an overreaction on my part by people I otherwise respect.