Last week we reported on PETA’s Florida billboard, which told viewers to “lose the blubber” by going vegetarian. After a huge public outcry, PETA has announced that they’re replacing the billboard with this:
Same message, different method. Those that never saw the original billboard still get the idea (as well as have their fat-shame triggered), but those that saw what it’s replacing can rest assured knowing that the new billboard isn’t so bad…comparitively.
I get that this message is based on fact – studies show that vegetarians are, on average, 10-20 pounds lighter than their meat-eating counterparts - but to me, it reads like a tantrum-throwing teenager who is thumbing his nose at mommy.
“Ugh, I don’t get what your problem is, but whatever, I’ll take it down if you need me to. See? It’s gone, so now you can’t be mad at me.”
But it’s not gone. The new ad references the old one – in that whiney, self-satisfied tone – and still doesn’t own up to the hard work and lengthy process that a vegetarian lifestyle takes. Instead, it presents the option just like fad diets do: a quick fix to your fat problem.
And that, PETA, is my problem: this ad still ignores the idea of healthy living, and uses negative stereotypes to shame people into your product (vegetarianism). You may have done better with this one, but your choice to “follow the rules” of common decency while thumbing your nose at them is something I abhore just as much as your previous choice to blatently shame an entire community.
Your moms should have taught you better than that.
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As someone who has been vegetarian for 18 years and is only 24 years old, I feel very strongly about animal rights (and about fashion/body issues) and Peta still makes me nuts about 90% of the time. They seem to have an adbusters kind of approach to the way they tackle their issues that, while it gets them press, makes me embarrassed. It replaces the reasons I’ve always been vegetarian – harm reduction & compassion – with something based on stereotypes and antagonism.
I feel like as a vegetarian I’m supposed to be behind Peta because their work (albeit not this side of it) can help animals that are living in horrifying conditions. But I don’t think that vegetarianism is actually the full answer to this question of compassionate care for animals- I think regulation & lobbying industry is the answer.
I certainly don’t think that tying vegetarianism to a specific body type is constructive, I think it perpetuates the skinny bitch ideology and is actually harmful for people who are vegetarian. When I say I don’t eat meat, I don’t want people thinking it’s some kind of permanent weight loss plan I’ve imposed on myself, but campaigns like this pull the focus of vegetarianism away from issues of compassion and put the focus on my body instead, something I disagree with completely.
.-= Kyla Roma´s last blog ..Friday is for… =-.
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Jennifer Nicole Reply:
August 24th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
That is *exactly* how I feel, Kyla. My body doesn’t do well with a vegetarian diet, but I do try to be conscious of where my meat comes from.
I think PETA is one of the largest contributors to the “vegetarians are snobby elitists” mindset we see permeating many meat-eaters’ minds. The thing is, most vegetarians are like you – focused on harm reduction, compassion and finding encompassing answers to abusive practices in the meat industry – but PETA would have us believe that you’re all celebrities and skinny bitches. Their focus is on sensationalism, when in this day and age, it should be about facts and common sense.
Talk about counterproductive!
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Posted by Kyla Roma | August 24, 2009, 2:03 pmI think this ad is much better, but after the old ad, I’m still not going. Perhaps if this was the original ad that they put up, I’d have a more positive reaction, but I just feel like the nasty tone of the first ad still remains. It’s not about being healthy and living better so much as it is to “shaming” women into getting rid of their “thunder thighs” and “belly fat” by going vegetarian. And vanity is what bothers me the most.
.-= Sheena´s last blog ..Chicago Style: MidWasteland Interview =-.
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Posted by Sheena | August 25, 2009, 11:39 amWell I guess this one’s a little less insulting to people..
I’m a vegetarian (just the last few years), and have not noticed any change in my weight except for when I exercise. Hang on… Oh my gosh!!! Am I doing something wrong?!?!?
Bah! peta bugs me. They’re not actually convincing people to care about animals either, just making them think more about body image, which we all do enough of already.
.-= Florrie´s last blog ..Fashion Loveage =-.
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Posted by Florrie | August 27, 2009, 10:57 amNot only is PETA being hurtful, they are being irresponsible.
At The Center for Eating Disorders, we were very concerned about the possibility that PETA’s billboard could potentially sway many people, especially adolescents, into unnecessary or unsupervised attempts at becoming vegetarians based on faulty information that it is an effective way to lose weight. As a result, our team of registered dietitians put together some more factual information about vegetarianism for our readers. We’d love to hear your thoughts! http://eatingdisorder.org/blog/2009/08/24/bogus-billboard-a-response-to-petas-vegetarian-ad-campaign-in-jacksonville/
.-= Center For Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt´s last blog ..Won’t YOU Come Chat With Us? =-.
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Posted by Center For Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt | September 1, 2009, 10:18 amAlthough I’m glad they removed the original billboard, you’re totally right. They way they handled it is immature and terribly ridiculous. Again, I don’t see how they think they’re gaining any fans for their cause when they handle themselves this way.
If anything, I can only see it continuing to push anyone away from what they seem to be trying to “trick” people into doing.
They are completely ridiculous, and really? I have very little respect for anything they do from here on out. Which is sad, because I’m sure they do some great things. Unfortunately, this whole thing will always tarnish my view of them.
(Not exactly thinking that was the effect they were going for.)
.-= wishcake´s last blog ..on being a potato and other delightful things… =-.
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Posted by wishcake | September 6, 2009, 10:13 pmAnd “amen” to everything Kyla said up there. She is pretty much amazing!
.-= wishcake´s last blog ..on being a potato and other delightful things… =-.
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Posted by wishcake | September 6, 2009, 10:15 pmexactly what about the “vegetarian lifestyle” equates to “hard work”, and what is this “lengthy process”? also, what about the “vegetarian diet” is unnecessary or could possibly require “supervision”?
it’s really irritating that avoiding animal products in food (and nonfood, if that’s your thing) is portrayed as this arduous, life-threatening journey.
equally irritating are the lack of personal responsibility and this attitude that if it’s offensive, it must be wrong (psst… it’s called “hyperbole”)! a few quotes from eleanor roosevelt come to mind:
“no one can make you feel inferior without your consent” and “do what you feel in your heart to be right – for you’ll be criticized anyway”.
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Posted by josh | September 12, 2009, 2:32 pm