Yesterday during a spirited interview with Montel Williams about PETA’s pictured Jacksonville, FL billboard–which equated meat-eating with obesity, and compared people who have less than model-like figures with whales–PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk apologized for hurting anyone’s feelings. This is the first time in PETA history that Newkirk has ever apologized for PETA’s often controversial ads.
After harsh nationwide criticism, PETA is removing the woman-as-whale billboard erected outside Jacksonville, Florida. (See earlier post). In its place, they’re putting up a new ad about losing weight via vegetarianism. The new ad reads:
GONE ARE ALL THE POUNDS LOST FROM ADOPTING A VEGETARIAN LIFESTYLE.
PETA campaign coordinator Lindsay Rajt defended their campaigns which often feature women in skimpy bikinis and naked women in cages. We believe that people should have the choice to use their bodies to make a political statement. A provocative campaign will get attention and we’ve received numerous phone calls from people who saw the Save the Whales billboard and are going to try out vegetarianism because of it.
Rajt went on to say it certainly wasn’t our intent to offend anybody. At the same time, people need to realize that if they’re choosing to eat meat and eggs, they’re putting themselves at risk for things like high cholesterol. We take obesity seriously. What would really be cruel would be to not tell people about the health benefits of going vegetarian. I would personally rather be offended by the ad and have it save my life because it changed my behavior than not have noticed it at all.
ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? Why can’t you relay your real message about the perceived benefits of adopting a vegetarian diet without calling overweight women whales?
I’m delighted that PETA is taking down the offensive ad after they received thousands of letters of protests from people like myself who were outraged by the cruelty of the ad.
Do I think PETA gets it why so many of us were outraged? Hell no.
Do I think PETA cares more about the shock value of their controversial ads than relaying a message that toned down would appeal more to the mainstream? Yes
PETA claims to have 8 million members. PETA driven by Ingrid Newkirk has gone so far off the original intent of treating animals in an ethical fashion that the organization is unrecognizable.
PETA isn’t taking the billboard down because they realized they had crossed the line into cruelty and bad taste. PETA took the billboard down because it was so controversial that members were threatening to pull their support.
In Rajt’s own words “PETA isn’t a wealthy corporation, we have to rely on media coverage for our campaigns. The facts alone are not interesting enough for the majority of the public.
I will continue to boycott PETA and give my money to organizations that actually do care about animals and keep that message forefront in all they do. Support your local shelters with your donations. Just say no to PETA.