“We have no intention of changing our tactics until every last animal on the planet is given more respect than women.”
-PETA
…Okay, not really. This is a quote from The Onion, but satire often shows truth in absurd ways. For those of you who are lucky enough not to know, PETA is a “controversial”, and unfortunately the most well-known, animal rights organization. PETA stands for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, and apparently it also stands for making a complete joke out of animal rights, making all vegans look like arrogant holier-than-thou jerks, being hypocritical and having no shame in objectifying women.
Most vegans I know who are past their “OMG BUT BABY CHICKENS ARE SOOOO CUTE~*~” phase (not to say they aren’t cute, but come on…that isn’t a valid and mature argument…can ugly animals be eaten, then?) greatly dislike PETA and even more, they dislike how whenever someone mentions veganism, PETA almost always comes up in the discussion. It really is a shame, because there are so many other excellent animal rights organizations that actually make a difference without being offensive, whereas PETA tends to focus more on publicity and getting celebrities to pose nude for them.
Okay, I know what you’re going to say. But PETA has brought animal rights to the mainstream! Made huge differences in convincing some organizations to stop animal testing! Goes to campuses (USF included) to pass out flyers! Is most people’s first introduction to veg*nism and that by being controversial they get people’s attention and spread awareness! And so on.
I know all of this, and for so long I have been really torn about my feelings towards PETA. I won’t deny that they have helped a lot of people decide to become vegetarian/vegan. However, as a feminist, and someone who is severely anti-nonsense, the pros don’t quite outweigh the cons.
PETA treats women like objects
I remember when these started showing up here in Florida towards the end of summer in 2009. Thank you PETA for fat shaming. Going vegetarian does not necessarily help you lose weight – in fact, it definitely will not help you lose weight unless you pair your diet with exercise. Shock! You can do that and eat meat, too. Not that it matters though; if your weight isn’t hindering your health there is no reason to lose weight. Ignore the shaming, all bodies are beautiful.
Be proud, but only if we’re thin? Oh. Okay then. Google image search “peta ads”. Need I say more on this topic? I just really don’t think I need to post more pictures of thin women tied up and in cages to prove a point about PETA’s advertisements.
PETA treats men like total idiots
In the world we live in, male vegetarians and vegans are constantly criticized. “Meat is manly! Go hunting! Eat more burgers! etc.,” the media tells us over and over. Most men are intelligent and secure enough in their masculinity to not buy into such nonsense (for an extra-stereotypical “manly” example, vegan bodybuilding is becoming more and more popular. There are too many examples to list, just google “vegan bodybuilding”!). FYI: there is no such thing as “chick food”; food is food, and your peen isn’t going to shrivel up if you eat some vegetables. Let’s take a look at some of the ways advertisers try to shame men by threatening their masculinity, shall we?
(Honestly, what? It sounds ridiculous but subtle jabs at anyone’s dietary choices make big impacts on one’s mentality, especially on impressionable young men.)
So, what does PETA do? Do they challenge this notion of food being gendered and shed light on the absurdity of “man-food”? Nope, they replace meat with women. If we show hot women with vegetables on them, maybe it’s okay and still manly to be veg*n, right? Oh…okay…yeah, we’re all that stupid. Truth is, you’re still a man (unless that’s not how you identify, of course) whether you eat meat or not, whether you hunt or not and whether you wear leather shoes or not. Another shock!
PETA turns people off to the idea of being veg*n by terrorizing everyone and being as annoying as religious extremists.
Let’s face it, no one wants to be “converted” by someone who thinks they’re amazing and better than everyone else. No one wants to be judged, and doing so is hardly a way to share a “compassionate” lifestyle that veganism claims to be. Let’s be kind to animals AND humans, okay?
People Eating Tasty Animals is not a real organization (to the best of my knowledge…?), but it’s an understandable reaction to PETA’s shaming and judging tactics. Robert Smith of The Cure gives the best example: “If Morrissey says not to eat meat, then I’ll eat meat; that’s how much I hate Morrissey.” (disclaimer: I love Morrissey, but I also love Robert Smith. Even moreso, I love their silly feuds.)
Lol, PETA. Really?
I just had to add this in because it made me laugh. The football is made of leather. A+ PETA! Can we just throw them on some remote island? Please? I mean, do they even think?
Just a note, this is one of the very few male nude PETA ads. Most ads contain young, white, thin women.
Bottom line: please ignore PETA and question every advertisement you see, food related and not. Eat how you want to eat, love and feel confident in the body you have, and don’t let self-righteous idiots get to you. I’m asking this as a vegan, a feminist, and as someone who values all lives – animal and human.
***One last disclaimer before I get hate mail from other veg*ns: I understand that PETA has done some good things. Their cruelty-free image is something I often look for when purchasing makeup, and I appreciate the positive work they have done. However, Vegan Action has a Vegan-Certified label as well, and they manage to do so without being idiots otherwise. Veganism and vegetarianism is becoming more common – people know what it is. Do we need to shock people any longer? Can’t we come up with more intelligent and less irritating ways to shed light on veganism? It’s time to change the movement around.