Alongside controversial music videos, debates, mishaps, and actions, I think we tend to forget about those attention-grabbing PETA advertisements and campaigns. PETA (People for the ethical treatment of animals)-founded by Ingrid Newkirk and Alex Pacheco- is an animal rights organization that stands up against the mistreatment and killing of animals. PETA boldly snatches 1st place for receiving attention, causing various reactions and emotions, and dauntlessly protesting their position on animal cruelty. In other words, PETA creates some of the most controversial, crowd moving, eyebrow raising, fist-balling, lip-smacking, tear jerking reactions through their advertisements! Although PETA is acknowledged for the good intentions made towards improving the treatment of animals, it is also acknowledged for being offensive and demonstrating various actions including: the devaluing of humans, exploitation, assault, and according to a Huffington Post entry by Nathan J. Winograd shared below, lying. I understand the disagreements and protests made towards any form of animal cruelty, but I do not agree with offensive statements and images made towards individuals through these protests. I searched for some of PETA's billboard advertisements to share with you all, and I found one I'd taken an interest in for some time. I've been aware of PETA and their controversial ads since my college years. My minor, Women's and Gender Studies, allowed me to study some of PETA's ads and connect them to the aspects and conflicts within gender (which is totally possible by the way). Below, is one of PETA's very own billboard ads from about five years ago...and below that is my explanation as to why this image is offensive.
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Perhaps some individuals are able to get a giggle out of this image: the backside of a curvy woman in a bathing suit situated next to a caption that reads "Save the Whales" in a large font with an 'encouraging' "Lose the blubber: Go vegetarian" caption underneath the image of the figure. Sure, this ad totally focuses on the relevance of being vegetarian and saving animals...not so much. This ad actually displays and reiterates the relevance of the physical structure of the body and what society has deemed as "ideal" and "healthy" for decades: the "thinner"or "slimmer" figure and person. "Thinner" individuals have been the preference in society. This ad does not signify or provide any reasons for or health benefits of being a vegetarian. Instead, it connects the woman's shape to the term "whale" while suggesting her size is a result of her eating meat. My issue, again, with this advertisement, is the presence of the continuous body-judging and body-shaming trend that goes on in our world. I question if we have forgotten that our shapes do not always deal with our meal intake. So basically, it is, in fact, extremely possible that an individual with a "curvier" frame can be a vegetarian, and we have just excluded the possibilities of traits and heredity. It's also possible than an individual with a "thinner" frame may not be a vegetarian. Big surprise. The ad also deepens this issue because the frame of the character in the advertisement is designed to belong to a woman who (out of the other sexes and genders) endures the most judgement and conflicts in reference to 'ideal' shapes and figures in this society. This ad also encourages self-hatred in reference to body image. It suggests that we can only embrace ourselves if our figures are slim which disrespects the reality of the beauties that exists in all of our various shapes and sizes. It can also display a negative image for vegetarians and the mindset and attitude they may have towards other individuals, their meal preferences, and their shapes...which then formulates a generalization for vegetarians that creates more confusion and lack of understanding between people and their meal choices. Besides what society would perceive the woman in the ad as, was there anything educational displayed in this advertisement that we can identify? I'll sit here and wait. Okay, done waiting. I'd actually be interested in learning about the vegetarian life, but this advertisement would definitely cause me to rethink my interest due to disrespect to the figure in the ad. From a business perspective, it could be argued as clever solely for the ability to grasp attention, but I believe this ad led to more defeats than victories. Go on ahead and take this "L" PETA.
...Alongside the possibility of these euthanization and animal cruelty accusations possessing validity (which is horrific and totally hypocritical), image bashing of other individuals is not okay. Although you can look up some of PETA's ads on the 'net, here are two more ads from PETA:
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With Realness,
B. Elae
6/29/14
�� there is no integrity behind ads like these and what their mission should mean theyr strayed away and became just mean!
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