I am not sure to be able to see the relation between whale killing and this billboard. I do not want to alienate anyone. It is important to gather as many voices and as much support as possible; that is clearly evident. The problem may be that w/out a certain shock factor ( which I do not condone in this instance) people do not bother to see/hear or take action to protect animals from abuse.

To claim that I "do not care about people" is rather far-fetched. All I said was that I would leave the details up to those who feel like dealing w/ them. I choose to concentrate my efforts in other ways.

My 6 yr old son was poisoned and his death was made to look like an accidental drowning. The truth came out thanks to astounding coincidences. Maybe you are right and that I feel the need to shelter myself from the cruelty and abuse of people towards people. Maybe I will just try to save innocent creatures.

Once again, no hard feelings.

Keep up the battle to save, protect, and preserve all innocent beings.

I don't follow a lot of non-vegan celebrities on Twitter, pretty much only one... well, two: Tegan & Sara, the band. I had seen Tegan & Sara's anti-fur video for PETA on YouTube... they have a MacBeth vegan shoe design, which I think may be because of their participation in the anti-fur campaign. Anyway, I logged into Twitter today and saw this message:

"theteganandsarafeeling a bit ashamed that we ever supported PETA. They should be ashamed over this." And a link to an article about the "save the whales" ad.

There ya go. PETA just lost two of its celebrity campaign participants, and it's not one bit ashamed. They already responded with the same e-mail they've been sending out for decades.

Stephanie,

Since I admire everything you do, I will take your word for it. I have been a PETA supporter long before any other organizations supporting animals were established. I actually collected for GREENPEACE when I was 11 yrs old and I saw the atrocities committed to whales via the flyer sent out by GreenPeace.

In those days, I had to explain to people like teachers and students what exactly I was doing, who GreenPeace was etc. My parents were also surprised at my concern given that it was virtually unheard of in 1972. So whale outrages just take up my attention more than other human outrages. 

I hope you will not waste time chastising PETA and moreover develop common ground to help them understand that reaching their goal should not alienate but unite.

That would really be admirable. PETA is like a hurt child crying for attention. Give them some education and kindness and that will work wonders.

The time for divide and conquer will only forward the whale-killers' agenda. Time, peace, and unity are essential to saving the whales. We need cohesive projects where everybody can promote animal rights in the best ways possible. Faith.

I disliked PETA back when I ate meat, and I dislike them just as much now that I'm a very committed vegan.

I can appreciate that PETA wants to see an end to animal suffering... and I really do appreciate that Ingird Newkirk takes in a relatively modest salary... but their tactics are just terrible. I find myself, as a vegan, often having to clarify that I'm not "one of those PETA nuts". So much of their outreach is based on shock, wild publicity, and the exploitation of naked (usually female) human bodies. Add to that their curiously eager support of "happy meat" (giving an award to Temple Grandin? Calling for a "more humane" method of slaughter for KFC's chickens?) and their rather questionable methods of running an animal shelter, and I've never wanted anything to do with them.

I can just about guarantee that no apologies will be forthcoming. If anything, I'm sure PETA is just delighted that there's so much buzz and attention going on around this incredibly offensive billboard.

I am a member of Peta.  I strongly disagree with tatic.

Pauline

I think that insulting overweight women is not any way to recruit new advocates who may have otherwise tried vegetarianism for "their health" or for "the animals" or whatever.

PETA just made this a women's issue, nothing about the animals.

My boyfriend almost went to work with PETA, despite our differences of opinion with them in the past. Now I'm so happy he didn't because I probably would have stormed the office using his credentials. Prejudice against overweight individuals is still prejudice, just like prejudice against non-humans is still prejudice. Body weight is governed in part by genetics, making it something many people cannot help. By playing on the prejudice (did most of us even know there was one? There is, let me assure you) PETA is cleaving off from a movement with philosophical ground to stand on (i.e. all sentient beings deserve respect) to what people stereotype all vegans as - crazy people who care only about non-human animals. 

I have a BMI that borders on the low end of healthy. I often find people attribute this to my veganism (No wonder you're so skinny!), but it's just who I am. If you're BMI is on the high end of healthy and you're vegan WHO EFFING CARES. You deserve my kindness and respect just like every other sentient being on this planet does. 

PS WHY ON EARTH is a whale a bad thing to be? Whales rule. 

Great billboard...I don't understand why people wanting change hate on PETA.  Regardless of opinion, at the end of the day PETA gets the job done - that is, getting people to talk about animal rights.  If you support animal rights and not PETA...you're irrational.

Marci, comments here have not been mean-spirited. People have respectfully disagreed with you, but there has certainly been no "pummeling." Disagreement does not equal an attack.

And you misunderstood my point about these kinds of campaigns not leading to discussions of animal rights. An animal advocate trying to steer a conversation about the billboard's offensiveness to a conversation about animal rights generally is not the same thing as the billboard getting people *who aren't yet animal advocates* talking about animal rights. Non-vegan, non-animal-advocate people in the general public who are offended by a billboard that said nothing about animal rights, but that said a lot about PETA's respect and (in)sensitivity for women and for overweight women in particular, *aren't* talking or thinking about animal rights after seeing that billboard. They're talking about how offended and hurt they are.

Rose offered this link to me to further my education  when she says, "I find these comments privileged and condescending. Please see www.derailingfordummies.com" which states:

Just follow this step-by-step guide to Conversing with Marginalised People™ and in no time at all you will have a fool-proof method of derailing every challenging conversation you may get into, thus reaping the full benefits of every privilege that you have.

The best part is, you don't even have to be a white, heterosexual, cisgendered, cissexual, upper-class male to enjoy the full benefits of derailing conversation! Nope, you can utilise the lesser-recognised tactic of Horizontal Hostility to make sure that, despite being a member of a Marginalised Group™ yourself, you can exercise a privilege another Marginalised Group™ doesn't have in order not to heed their experience!

Read on, and learn, and remember… you don’t have to use these in any particular order! In fact, mixing them up can really keep those Marginalised People™ on their toes! After all, they are pretty much used to hearing this stuff, so you don’t want to get too predictable or they’ll get lazy! 

So my education has been furthered thanks to Rose's smug suggestions.

Rose says,"Don't expect people to be tolerant of your intolerance. How you can call for _inclusive_ work for animals when you are belittling other animal advocates?!"Who exactly is the intolerant one?

Rose rants unceasingly.

It was not helpful except to give me insight into Rose's tools of further education.

That is mean-spirited, if not to you then to me, as it was directed to me.

DO take a look at that link for it is sarcastic and derisive.

I will focus all my sincere and honest intentions on AR as we all must eventually do for the enemy of my enemy is my friend - at least until this war of good vs evil is over and for the moment, there is no end for animal ensured rights in sight.

With my deepest respect for all you do.

this is just another of PETA's mistakes, causing more rows and hurt and arguments, the should have thought of a more tactful way.

There is a great blog post (and follow-up comment) on this topic posted here:
http://www.veganideal.org/content/taking-sizeism-and-fatphobia-seriously

Somewhere in the back of my mind... I can't help but wonder... Is PETA really trying to improve the lot of animals... or are they simply trying to command attention and absorb energies (and money) better spent elsewhere?

The simple reality is... there are twice as many animals going to slaughter each day in the US since PETA was founded.

I do not blame PETA for this... but surely, this constitues a remarkable failure to sway public opinion.

The same though can be said for PCRM and many other organizations... No remarkable change in direction has yet occurred... at least as far as the 100 million animals who will needlessly die today are concerned.

Maybe it is time for those of us who realize that animal rights is about animal rights to begin a real talent search... (maybe the talent we need is even reading this blog)

And we could offer the ultimate prize, better than any prize ever offered at any time in any contest (but this won't be a contest since it might require a community of contributors who can ultimately extend their project to include everyone): the real life experience of living on planet earth without any animal being slaughtered due to human cruelty or ignorance.

So here's the challenge... what words, pictures, sounds, etc. can be shared (and will actually get shared and not blocked by censorship) that will convince those who must be convinced to end all support for behaviors that are cruel animals?

I really hope that others are thinking like me...

What really is the answer for the animals and for all the rest of us because animal cruelty affects everyone?

PETA can't do anymore apparently than they already have... but they compiled some good resources and made them available online... can these be used by others to bring about the changes that are so necessary?

What is your best idea for ending the suffering of animals? Can we get it done today? Each day we wait, 100 milion more innocent creatures are brutally slaughtered. Can we get our heads together? Find the answer? And figure out how to effectively share?

One last prize... no end of gratitude will be showered upon the winner(s).

Hi,

Animals are being tortured and violently murdered in billions, overweight people aren't. Women, just as much as men, are compliant in this atrocity. Perhaps PETA could have used an overweight male in the ad but women are more weight-conscious in today's culture. It is important for reducing the number of animals being abused and murdered that people encounter the message that eating animals and animal products is unhealthy and will help make you heavier. Combatting the lies of the meat industry is an enormous task and PETA's ad conveys that message successfully. I don't see anyone else doing it.

The people who keep complaining about PETA's tactics - can you really look at the stuff on their websites and tell me that there is nothing of any substance and worth on animal rights ? Their platform is anti-speciesism and pro-vegan.

I agree that obesity and unhealthy diet is a much more complex issue which the ad does nothing to address. It isn't supposed to, it has one important aim as I described above, to get the truth noticed that eating animals is unhealthy.

I am not against large women. I am a straight male and am attracted to bigger women but being too heavy beyond a certain point is not healthy. I believe that is a fact.

To my mind, capitalism and production for profit is to blame for much of the suffering animals are currently forced to endure. But many vegans and animal rights activists would not agree with me on that. That doesn't mean I'm going to disassociate myself from them and their efforts to reduce animal suffering. What should unite us is our compassion for animals.

I also disagree with the view that PETA's tactics are anti-women because they use semi-naked women in their promotions. Men like seeing naked women, women like seeing men, unless you're gay and that's fine too. PETA presents animal rights and abstinance as fun and normal. Granted, naked women feature more prominently than men, but for huge numbers of men, eating meat is like a religion - you're not masculine unless you tuck into a big plate of tortured dead animal. PETA are trying to connect with mainstream men to promote vegetarianism/veganism and compassion for animals.

The focus needs to be on the critters we have spent so much time bringing the cruel inhumane information to the public. Making jokes is not a very good nor professional way to go about this. I think PETA had the right idea but did it in the wrong fashion and used the wrong Critter, so to speak.  They need to take a closer look, I would not want this silly gesture to slow down all we have put in to the movement is saving our critters, to turn into direct loss of interest for those who were starting to catch on!!!!! PETA PLEASE DON’T SLOW DOWN OUR PROGRESS. We do not need this to turn into an opportunity of loss but an opportunity of GAIN!!!

Lisa, I haven't had the chance to properly look through the site but will continue tomorrow, if you're anti-capitalist, great. I guess I meant that regardless of the variance of opinions held by animal rights activists on the 'bigger picture' (i.e., anti-capitalist or not), making new vegans is the one thing that will reduce animal suffering, even if other political changes don't happen.

But without ending capitalism, sadly it is debatable how far veganism might go as capitalism enforces oppression on all fronts, doesn't it. The meat, food and farming industries have huge resources to brainwash people to keep buying and eating their death food and squash alternatives. I know stuff all about the details and will learn from reading your site. I am a PETA member and have learned a lot from their material. I was vegetarian for 5 years but have now become vegan and getting heavily into animal rights after seeing PETA's video of fur farms.

To be honest I think the ad was unfortunate. They don't need to be insensitive to human suffering to get noticed or promote abstaining from animals. Ingrid Newkirk says that unfortunatelty it is the outrageous stuff that gets reported. I'll send them a message that they should be more careful about offending potential converts to veg and people who are already. I just think the plight of animals is too horrendous in comparison.

I don't agree with branding PETA as animal welfare because they also favour trying to get more humane methods of slaughter. It's a dire situation to say the least, and if animals are going to continue to be killed for food for the forseeable future, how can you ignore trying to reduce their suffering along the way, while keeping abolition as your ultimate goal?

"...that will convince those who must be convinced to end all support for behaviors that are cruel animals?"

The above should read: ...that will convince those who must be convinced to end all support for behaviors that are cruel to animals.

My choice for a billboard might say:

!!Stop the Bloodshed!!

humans are biological herbivores

Humans derive NO benefit from slaughtering the innocent. And  the human health, environmental and social costs are enormous.

(maybe we could sign it, Change.org)

_________

On the billboard would also appear a picture. Maybe a pregnant cow headed for the slaughterhouse would be compelling.

We do not have to wait for PETA to make our choices. We could begin a collection to present another billboard that conveys a less confusing message.

One thing missing in all of this is the fact that there are millions of "skinny" people who eat meat three times a day.  But the billboard doesn't attack them.  It attacks fat women, vegan or not.  PETA needs to be ashamed of themselves for this insulting campaign and I for one have withdrawn my support of them today.  They're not about finding ways to help animals but finding ways to attract media attention to solicit more funds.  I am done with PETA.

I admire everyone's comments for they show extreme intellect in the AR community, no surprise there.

I worked for PETA for a very long time, though I don't now. It was often hard, as a staffer, to deal with the incoming assault that a campaign billboard such as this one would bring forth. In all the comments I read above, I'd find myself nodding ... yes, I know how you feel, I know what you mean, and to be "inside" was a very difficult thing at times. But overall, the work PETA does for animals is astounding. At the end of the day, I'd always remind myself of that.

As for this particular billboard, I agree with comments that it offends and alienates. I also agree with comments that PETA is still worth supporting. (And I will continue to support them no matter how I feel about this billboard.)

What I don't agree with is that it doesn't get people talking. Well... I do and don't agree, let me explain. It obviously gets AR people talking, they don't want to be associated with PETA, they're mad, it's divisive ... I get it, I've been there, believe me, I get it. But the billboard isn't meant for or against AR people, it's meant to reach *mostly* women who are concerned about their weight and likely meat-eaters and after seeing or hearing the news about this billboard, no matter how angry it makes them, they will never forget the message that going veg could help them.

One final however :) I also agree with the other commenter that a person going veg to lose weight will likely backslide back into eating meat. Because what I truly believe is that one's health is not the way to veganism. You can only get there with your heart. And, unfortunately, this billboard doesn't have that.

I with you on this one Jade G. Nothing will stop me from donating to Peta. All the overweight woman must be very touchy if they think that this advert is purely directed at them. See the BIGGER picture please. Peta do more good than harm at the edn of the day & we sure do need them.  

The ad was in very bad taste and it didn't improve PETA's public relations image which was already tarnished. However, I support PETA in all the good they have done to help animals and educate people about cruelty. I will continue to support PETA. I hope they apologize and redirect their tactics as it makes animal rights activists appear like misanthropic fanatics; nothing could be further from the truth. We respect all life!

Disjointed indeed

“We don't all have to agree on everything and we don't all have to be doing the same thing, but we each have to be doing SOMETHING.” ~ my friend Antoine.

So more complaining about PETA, questioning what good they have done for animals. Spending time and energy attacking others in AR does nothing to help animals and discredits the movement. I know “activists” that now spend all their time attacking PETA and HSUS. What does PETA do for animals? Jesus Christ, I am not even gonna dignify that with an answer. Vegetarianism is growing in strength. There is no doubt in my mind that PETA is behind this trend. Corpse eating is also on the rise-- the result of increasing world population and increasing wealth in (relatively) poor nations. I did tabling yesterday at BunFest in Mississauga and got the word out on animal rights to many people. I would have found that very difficult without the load of PETA fliers and dvd's (and yes, I had my fav Vegan Outreach booklets). 151 MIL land animals were killed today for food. Am I gonna worry about that billboard? I am not. I rather liked it. Eating animal corpses does (along with other factors) make you fat. If the general public equates PETA with AR, then that is both proof of their success, but also the failure of others in the movement. People would be talking about “those crazies at MfA” or “those freakin wingnuts at COK” if they even know of those org's. I talked to one lady in the UK recently who said the people of SHAC are a bunch of lunatics cuz “they want us all to be vegan”. You are entirely delusional if you think people will welcome AR with open arms, if not for those evil PETA people. If you do not want to be part of PETA, then fine. I suggest you get busy showing me how to solve our current sorry state of affairs; please dazzle me with your skillfully crafted plan to turn the entire world vegan in a week. Otherwise you are just long on criticism and short on solutions. The more I see PETA attacked, the more I am committed to supporting them.

"What I meant is, why wouldn't you think that vegans wouldn't see that capitalism fuels the food industry?  Or works as a big obstacle toward promoting veganism?"

I was referring more to what I expected of some members of PETA who were my first port of call after a friend emailed me their fur farm video. I've spent 20 years involved with an outfit that believes capitalism can't be reformed and discourages involvement with special interest groups, believing that production for profit and wealth inequality is at the core of most current evils. But when I saw the fur video, I just felt like it was too awful to ignore, and also regarding the suffering in factory farms, that promoting veg could have a realistic effect on reducing numbers being abused and killed. So in contacting PETA, I was prepared to be mixing it with people who weren't necessarily that politically inclined in a staunch anti-capitlism sense if you like. Although I'm sure many people involved must have clicked to the unfair influence of industries who can manipulate mass consumer eating behaviours through their wealth and power and keep the torture and murder of animals going.

"So here's the challenge... what words, pictures, sounds, etc. can be shared (and will actually get shared and not blocked by censorship) that will convince those who must be convinced to end all support for behaviors that are cruel to animals?"

PETA asks new members to sign up to youtube and post their videos of slaughterhouses, fur farms, animal torture, etc all over youtube. I am going to do this in a couple of days. Has anyone else done this? Do it if you can. Is it effective ? 

I am presently making a couple of t-shirts and I would really appreciate feedback from anyone on change.org as to what they think.

1. Photo of two slaughtered pigs, slightly cut open with some blood, hanging in slaughterhouse, with the caption - "GET CIVILISED - Go Veg"

2. Photo of slaughtered fish with caption - "FISHING - Sport of Sadistic Sickos"

My concern is, do AR people think this sort of stuff is too alienating or insulting ? It may have a thought-provoking effect on some people, but just anger others. I like that kind of confrontational approach, but the thing is - if it's detrimental to the cause and animals, I don't want to do it. The first idea I really like, the second one may be just too angry and pointless?  Please let me know if you approve or disapprove and why, also any improvememnt to the text, or better ideas.

Personally, I think whatever it takes to get people off meat is fair game. Obviously, people will get offended, but taking aim at people's weight-something that, in many cases-people will do ANYTHING to lose-will obviously turn people to our cause.

Also, I'm no fan of blowing up pet stores, but many of PETA's tatics to get people to go veg seem fine to me =].

"It is necessary to reach a nerve in these people. Anger is a response that will jump-start thought. Thought may lead to progress."

Thanks, really appreciate that. I'm off to try and post PETA cruelty videos on youtube. Do the same if you can. I don't care about all the fuss over PETA - everything on their site is great. Someone else made a good comment when they said we don't all have to be doing the same thing but we should all be doing something.

"Most people react to anger by further entrenching themselves in their beliefs. I think this board is pleanty of proof of that."

I would say many people, while they know it's dead animals (and having been brought up as speciesists, they're ok with that), they don't know the extent of the abuse and cruelty. Or if they have heard it once or twice, it's too horrible to think about so they put it out of their mind. Anyway, they buy the milk with the smiling cartoon cow on the packet, believing it must be all 'humane'. I told some people at work last week about common slaughterhouse atrocities I had read of and there was an small outcry - "Oh no, that doesn't happen!" Then I showed them some of the quotes from inspectors and veterinarians. I think these are the people who could be shifted by having reality shoved in their faces, not the hardcore hunter, redneck types, they're probably beyond reform, just have to wait for them to die.

I just got PETA's Sea Kitten Amnesty Day (Sept 26) pamphlet and my first reaction was to cringe at what hardcore speciesists would say about the term 'sea kittens'! But it's not meant for them, it's meant for kids - looking to the future. Sadly, fishing is probably going to remain with us for some time - but I'm going to print out loads of them, send them to all the schools in my city, and suggest it gets used as class discussion. Do the same if you can, if you like the pamphlet.

I am a PETA supporter and i find this opinion piece to be offensive. why waste time attacking animal rights groups if you are a vegan? there are better things to do with your time, such as helping animals. if you don't like PETA then don't support PETA. I like the billboard and so do many others and i appreciate PETA's bold challenging controversial style. Somebody has to push the envelope with creative ideas, and that somebody is the worlds most effective animal rights group.

PETA is focusing its energy on the wrong end of the argument. As an organization that ostensibly stands for Ethical treatment, insisting on the promotion of selfish benefits to the people that conform to their ideal is silly.

Animal advocates approach the matter in this way: "If I change my lifestyle, any difficulties I encounter will be worth it, because it saves another being from unnecessary suffering."

The PETA approach seems to be to convince people to change their lifestyles, but only so they'll look better in a bikini. It avoids the relevant ethics discussion, in fact, encouraging the same selfish motivations that animal advocates find to be the root-cause of willful ignorance and continued violence.

This ad shows that PETA is giving in to the mainstream, not continuing to subvert and challenge it.

Screw PETA, with all their holier than thou bullshit and skin-deep ethics.

"The PETA approach seems to be to convince people to change their lifestyles, but only so they'll look better in a bikini. It avoids the relevant ethics discussion, in fact, encouraging the same selfish motivations that animal advocates find to be the root-cause of willful ignorance and continued violence."

That has got to be the most wildly inaccurate thing I've read on here so far. Far from focusing on only one narrow part of the argument - that which appeals to selfish motivations - all that I've seen of PETA's material shows they certainly do focus on every part of the argument. The impression I get is they seem to be going out of their way to force some kind of movement in every possible way, almost to the point of doing too much! The material that I get focuses equally on environmental impact; the ethical discussion on the torture and abuse of animals in farming and everything else; and the effect of eating animals and animal products on your health and, yes, how you look if mentioning that doesn't cause too much distress. Of course appealing to people on the positive benefits to their self image should be used! People's health is a selfish interest too isn't it?, perhaps we shouldn't mention that either!

There also seems to be a contradiction - you seem convinced most people are ultimately too selfish to have any compassion for animals, so how will you ever see your goals achieved? The truth is people are capable of both selfishness and altruism. If people can be persuaded to see how their personal self-interest (how they feel and look) as well as their wider community interest (having a planet they can still live on) can coincide with a greater compassion and respect for other animals, there may be some hope of seeing animal rights goals achieved. Maybe I'm crazy in the head but that's exactly what I've seen in PETA material since I joined. I'd like to attach some docs or post a link, but I have right in front of me :

a great pamphlet - ANIMALS ARE NOT OURS TO...   It goes on to state and explain in paragraphs - Animals Are Not Ours To...  Eat;    Wear;    Experiment On;    Use For Entertainment.  It's not a 50 page essay but perfectly pitched for the average person.

Then there is CHEW ON THIS - REASONS TO GO VEGETARIAN - yes I know a touchy issue for many and rightly so - but vegan is a scary word for many people so who can say they're wrong to try and get people in stages. Is it not better than a straight no to an appeal to veganism? Anyway this pamphlet is just brilliant -it covers every angle in short and punchy facts-based paragraphs - environment, health and animal torture and murder. I print my own and deliver a hundred most nights I can.

Then there is the Fish pamphlet for kids. An extract -

"Just because they look different from other animals many people don't realise that fish are a lot like kittens and puppies."

"...Sea Kittens feel pain just as much as other animals do. And getting hooked, thrown, crushed or cut open with a knife while they are still alive really hurts them! The same way that you can't breath underwater, they can't breathe when they're out of water. When they flop around they are fighting for air because they are DYING."

"Sea Kittens are just as cool as other animals. Did you know that they used tools, build nests and hiding places, and work together to try not to get caught in nets? Scientists have found that sea kittens can remember things even better than dogs can. They make friends and love spending time with their 'schoolmates', and they don't want to be eaten any more than you do."

You wouldn't even think about eating a kitten or a puppy, so why eat a sea kitten? Don't eat any animal.... Animals are friends not food."

I wonder if you know much about what they do at all - you just hate the billboard. Get a grip on yourself. I'm a PETA member and my ethics are anything but 'skin-deep' thanks.

I will no longer support PETA financially nor hand out their pamphlets on my college campus. I have three daughters (who are not overweight) but just thinking about all the hurt feelings of any and all women who saw this makes me ill. My daughter actually said (in a knee jerk reaction, "fine I'll go out and eat more meat now"...) I tried to talk her down, but she announced to me that she and her dad went out and bought a lot of meat over the weekend when she showed him the ad.  Suffice to say, this ad hurt PETA's standing in 2 seperate households. Which makes me sad, but at least i can find a different non-discriminatory agency to volunteer for.

Cheryl.........I sure don't know any skinny woman who eats meat 3 times A DAY !!!!!

PETA UPDATE:

A recent post by Darrell Spurlock posed the question, "Are you fat? Do you admit it?" Obesity is a sensitive issue, and many overweight people don't like to be faced with such questions. Thin people tend to tiptoe around the subject so as not to offend or embarrass anyone. But the obesity epidemic isn't going to go away if just pretend it doesn’t exist. 

Every day, people are bombarded with fast-food advertisements and commercials for cheap multi-course restaurant meals laden with meat and cheese. Then they see ads for dangerous diet pills and largely ineffective weight loss plans and read conventional advice articles encouraging them to eat less and exercise more.

Clearly, many people are paying more attention to the fast-food ads than to the tired weight loss tips. Some blame a lack of willpower and some simply downplay the problem. It often takes more "shocking" tactics to wake people up and force them to think about what they eat. That's why PETA recently erected a "Save the Whales" billboard--which encouraged people to shed their blubber by eating a healthy vegetarian diet--in Jacksonville, Fla.

Not surprisingly, the eye-catching billboard generated a lot of controversy. The  ad, while certainly not meant to be hurtful, was intended to be provocative--to attrack attention in a society fueled by shocking scandals, sensational celebrity stories, and constant controversies. It was designed to make people take notice and consider adopting healthier eating habits. Suffering from heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and other obesity-related diseases is no day at the beach, after all.

PETA received many positive comments about the billboard, but since some people were upset by it, PETA pulled it and replaced it with a much less controversial billboard that reads, “GONE: Just like all the pounds lost by people who go vegetarian.”

It's a lot easier to shed pounds on a vegetarian diet than a meat-based one because plant-based foods tend to be low in saturated fat and calories. The American Dietetic Association has even pointed out that “vegetarians, especially vegans, often have weights that are closer to desirable weights than do nonvegetarians.”

There are overweight vegans and skinny meat-eaters, of course, but, on average, vegans are 10 to 20 pounds lighter than meat-eaters.  Obviously, no one will lose much weight if they sit around eating Oreos, French fries, potato chips, and Goldberg peanut chews all day. They're all vegan, but that doesn’t mean they’re low in calories—or nutritious. 

However, you will likely lose weight if you eat fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and other plant-based foods rather than meat, eggs, and dairy products.

Plant-based foods are not only low in fat and calories, they’re high in fiber and healthy complex carbohydrates, so they fill us up and help us slim down. A gram of carbohydrate has only four calories; a gram of fat has nine. The human body will burn 23 percent of the calories from a carbohydrate, but only 3 percent of the calories in fat. Carbohydrate-rich foods also help boost our metabolism, so we burn calories quicker.

It's worked for me. I’ve lost about 30 pounds—and reached my healthy weight—since I stopped eating meat, eggs, and dairy products and started eating wholesome plant-based foods.

It’s no secret that PETA promotes a vegan diet for ethical, as well as health, reasons. PETA's goal is to end suffering, and a vegetarian diet helps save lives—both animal and human. The "Save the Whales" billboard, while up only a short time, reached countless people, and several individuals, including Ali Bond-Smith, a mother of six, informed PETA that she's going to take its 30-day Veg Pledge.  

If you also want to try a vegan diet, please sign up for the pledge veg or order PETA's free "Vegetarian Starter Kit."  Or, if you'd rather, you can sign up for PCRM's 21-day Vegan Kickstart program.

Read more: vegan, vegetarian, weight loss, health policy, healthy diet

quick pollthanks for voting!

Were You Offended By PETA's Save the Whales Billboard?

77%no!4%leaning no5%leaning yes14%

Peta succeeded in getting attention and that is what they do.  They changed the sign that was no more obnoxious than the Jenny Craig and Nutra system commecials we are bombarded with 24/7.  There point is that it is healthier to cut out animal fats and to try being a vegetarian. 

Firstly, Jade Golden/Marcie, thank you for your comments! I agree with you on so many of them (and see that others do as well) and find them encouraging as you seem to genuinely care about AR! I think you should be recruited to write for this site! Maybe you could actually post an unbiased article about this billboard (and other topics) and feel confident enough to just allow the people to speak their minds whether in agreement or otherwise with out constant condescending, patronizing, rebuttals. How about just a photo of the billboard, and a simple question like, what do you think? Stephanie claims that there hasnt been "one" discussion on on AR brought about by this billboard. Ironic, huh? Maybe it's because most (that I have found) have a clear opinion on it that directs the attention to whats wrong with the campaign rather that whats RIGHT with it and even more importantly, what can stem from it and therefore how to attack the larger issue at hand...AR.

On the same note, I think some may want to step off their proud, egotistical pedestals and take a hard look at how their own words and actions may be "alienating," the very word that I see/hear the protesters of this billboard throwing around over and over. 

I think its quite selfish of people to look at this billboard and respond that they will not support Peta, and even have the audacity to protest PETA and waste precious time demanding (half ass? YEAH!) apologies and removals because you feel offended when the fact is that even if one person saw the billboard and decided to give the vegan diet a try, even if temporarily, could have the potential of saving animals from cruelty. Especially when there are thousand of campaigns at this very moment that are far more degrading that are using women to sell their products that DO NOT have the agenda/potential of AR at the core!!!

PETA was one of the first animal rights' organizations to really take a stand and not care if it caused controversy. Sometimes, a little controversy can help if it raises public awareness.

Too many people use PETA as an excuse for not being involved in animal activism. They cite PETA as being too radical, too in-your-face. Well, fine. If you don't like them, don't support them financially, but don't diss the work they do with regards to saving animals. Don't let their ways keep you from working with other organizations. If you stop trying to help animals because you disagree with PETA, then you weren't too committed in helping them in the first place. I don't believe the save the whales billboard was a deliberate slam against heavier women. Makes no sense. Heavy women aren't more abusive towards animals, nor do they cause more suffering than the rest of us when it comes to diets. Many heavier individuals eat far less than their slim counterparts but gain weight much easier and have more troubles losing it. I don't know quite what they were aiming to achieve, but I don't think it was what some think. Do you think that every woman that works for PETA is skinny? People in our society today are far too easily offended. We all have been insulted in our lives in one way or another. Grow a thicker skin. Just think how animals are being treated and maybe you will stop concentrating on how YOU feel and concentrate more on how the innocent animals feel and are treated. Get over this already.

Gosh, that's really a shame - I wouldn't even think about going onto other sites to discredit the people on here. 

Do they not think PETA supporters who have read the comments against the billboard will have given some thought to the issue? Good on them for raisng it and expressing concern, but it seems the aim is to do more - to stop people from making their own decision as to who is the organisation they want to get behind and utilise to help animals. We have not asserted that they must work through PETA. I have spent much of the evening on stuff that directly promotes animal rights and veg, not on some other site running down others' efforts just because they don't share my identical attitude on some issues.

I totally agree with you Chris, it is a shame. And the aim to do more is a great one to have...until it becomes so hypocritical.

Folks,  if we took all this energy from here and instead used it to actually save a whale.....     well, wouldn't that be good....

I'm overweight and I've been a vegetarian for 9 years as of June of 2009, and I was hurt and extremely disappointed in Peta when I first saw this ad. They may apologize, but I doubt I would have it in me to accept because I, like many others, have dealt with bullying and name-calling for being overweight for most of their lives. This kind of act, in my opinion, is unforgivable.

On the surface it has been most interesting to witness the internecine cat fight between vegetarians.

Although I appreciate the power of the gonzo, in-your-face tactics of PETA, it is an inane billboard for an inane organization.  Billboards are a visual blight. It has nothing to do with saving whales; just a word play at the espense of overweight individuals.  It would garner an 'F' from any design school for its terrible graphics.

The mentality that concieves and executes such propaganda is misanthropic. The billboard reinforces my original impressions of PETA as misanthropic; PETA board and membership has apparently made a conscious and emotional Value Judgment that puts animal welfare ahead of human welfare.  

There are many personal reasons for going vegetarian/vegan or choosing exact inclusions and exclusions in diet, including genetics and body type.  So what superficially seemed to be internecine is not really because there are distinct groups here; mainline vegetarians who hold humanistic values and the food fascist PETA's who are anti-choice.  This anti-choice cross-reference is not my oversight, but intentional.  There is a valid comparison, I feel, between fascist totalitarian politics like that of the USA Department of State and its enablement of the war profiteers and corporatists, and PETA ethics.

News from that most famous of vegetarian animal lovers:

http://www.geocities.com/hitlerwasavegetarian/

Question:
Could anyone soft-hearted enough to love animals be hard-hearted enough to authorize the slaughter of millions of innocent humans?

Answer:
Animal lovers are acutely sensitive to the horrific suffering that humankind routinely inflicts on animals. Therefore, it is only logical that some animal lovers would develop an extremely hard-hearted attitude toward humans. In their minds, any suffering imposed on humankind might be seen as appropriate karmic payback on behalf of animals. For example, in order to justify his persecution of the Jews, Hitler used graphic films of how Jews slaughter animals.* 

* [The Jewish tradition of "kosher" slaughter requires that animals be kept fully conscious as their necks are slit and they are bled to death. It is an unsightly practice which appears demonically cruel even to most meat eaters. It had been declared illegal by Hitler's 1934 animal protection laws.]
Source: ANIMALS IN THE THIRD REICH. Boria Sax. 2000. Continuum Publishing, New York.

Beware of anyone who would tell you what is moral to eat.  Beware of anyone who loves animals more than humans, even the dehumanized minorities depicted on billboards.

Imagine if the effect of such energy if their billboard were anti-war, anti-escalation of Afghanistan war  Its not just 'our boys' and terrorists who are being killed and maimed in the developing countries; there are pets, domestic and wild animals there also, being irradiated with U-238, drone bombed and collaterally damaged.

Why should diet be more deserving of our attention than Obama's continuation of Bush corporatist policies.

PETA  can save animals from the ravages and suffering of war by spending their energy ethically.

Thanks for recognizing the intent to expose the pettiness of infighting.  But please comment on the larger political issue and the relative disregard of PETA (and other dieticians) for human welfare.  What about animal welfare in war torn by our own USA military?  Are these not larger issues that deserve to be attacked in creative ways?  The 'Hitler, vegetarian defender of animals' is quite ironic, don't you think, and succinctly illustrates my questions about the modern AR priority?

OK, you are an animals first guy.  But combatants have animals ad there are wild animals in every conflict theater. Uranium 238 has a half life of 55,000 years; that is the armor piercing and bunker busting spent nuclear energy waste that finds its way into scrap metal piles around battlefields and is recycled into metals all over the world.  Battlefield syndromes such as happened in the Gulf War have poisoned all residents, including civilians and their pets, meat and wild animals.  Irradiation poisoning is going on right now in Bosnia, Afghanistan, Iraq.  These arms are being disseminated all over the world as a matter of the policy of hegemony and intervention to guarantee the American ideal of McDonald's, KFC, Burger King, etc. along with their bankers as a matter of fascist corporatism and its world dominance.  

So, sharpen your mathematical pencil a tad because the animals that are exposed to slow irradiation death, mutations, birth defects by living in these battlefields, and unknowable outside battlefields of the future, times 250,000 years is the beginning benchmark of your "drop in the bucket".

What do you and PETA say about the animals that were vaporized or died slow deaths along with innocent children in the largest war atrocities in history in Dresden, Hiroshima and Nagasaki?  Can we please at least associate children and pets.

I don't know what marginalized country you are from in this globalized world, but anti-war activists have lost the 'war' here in US and hope upon hope for revolt among the nations dominated by the Anglo-American Empire.  War is bad for animals; war is bad for children; war is bad for the future of all life.  The soothsayer says Mr. Nevaro can see the future by walking down the street in his city to have a helping of McNuggets, gratis of American ingenuity and enterprise and damn well appreciate the wonderful export gift of American Culture.

No, its not that fast food is the only dead meat; its just that the fast food production model best depersonalizes responsibility. Like Anglo-American national socialist patriotism best depersonalizes responsibility.  The unanswered question is still, "..can there be a valid unity of socio-political hope and purpose that avoids the internecine battles over who is mostest right?  That's the point of what I wrote, not to deny suffering of animals.  Or will we continue to miss the conundrum of the Hitler disassociation paradox?  Excuse me but, it can be said that we are caught in a borderline schizophrenia as a divided activist movement because of our inability to meaningfully converse with one another.  Where are the poets who can unify the resistance?  Hitler won the War after all?  Please get the central point and synergize in a positive way.

Lon, you have raised issues that some may feel are getting away from the core issue of animal rights activism. I feel compelled to comment further so apologies to anyone who feels that is the case.

My personal view is that war in the modern world is just an extension of ordinary everyday competition between business rivals. As long as people continue to accept production for profit as the best way to run the world, war and the devastation you describe to humans, other animals and the planet is assured. You say that anti-war activists have lost the battle in the US. Why have they lost? Because protesting and appealing to leaders for policy change is largely futile. No matter how well-intentioned they may appear when elected, all leaders soon become puppets who must conform to the economic rules of the madhouse of capitalism they're charged with running (in fact they don't really run it, it runs them). That means defending the economic interests of their ruling class, finding new resources to exploit and protecting the ones they currently control against aggression from rival states. This imperative results in war and the terrible facts you describe.

Much of what you say in your last message I agree with. But do tell me what you are doing to try to stop war and all the misery it brings to humans and other animals and I will tell you whether or not I think it is worthwhile. Apologies if that sounds condescending, but I am interested.

'Hoping for revolt from other nations' ? Why? So that in a hundred years another state or group of states can take over as the evil monster? It's not really about the US, they're just playing the part at the moment.

If you're questioning the validity of moralising on any issue, in the face of a destructive system that encourages people to carry out evermore callous acts (humans on humans as well as on other animals), I tend to agree. But I still think pronouncing respect and equality of treatment between sexes, ethnic groups, animals and other groups is important, and inevitable really. That's why I think promoting a non-animal diet is still worthwhile. I use PETA's information to help me align my eating habits with my conscience. Knowing that I'm doing as much as I can in the way I run my own life to avoid contributing to other animals' suffering gives me peace of mind and sets an example to others. Unfortunately though, wherever animals are, capital will try to exploit them. Even if people become more receptive to the principles of rights for animals, big corporations for whom animals represent profits will continue to use their wealth to persuade people to keep eating animals, by lying about health, concealing the bloodshed, associating it with masculinity, positioning a fast food joint in the right part of town and squashing alternatives. But that doesn't mean they will win. Even without fundamental political change, I don't think it's a futile struggle - I'm saving some animals from suffering by the simple choice of what I eat, and have even had some big recent success in influencing friends.

Great response.  If you and I both agree about fundamental issues of AR, then we express hope, a hope that can be extended to the whole picture that you just summarized.  In this wholistic (I like the 'w') context alternative movements will be able to coalesce and work better together, and avoid sniping at one another, to allow greater efficiency.

FYI, because you asked before, my ag background is in organic agriculture movement as co-founder of two non-profit  certification agencies and organic herb production since 1974.  I am now expatriated in Russia working on conservation of endangered big cats; Amur tigers (450 remaining) and Amur leopards (only 40 left in a small area crossing the China, North Korea and Russian borders).  So, yes we al make value judgments about how to express our insights that are all valid.  None more righteous and holy than the other.  Politics of confrontation are important but I had chosen to focus on creating alternatives many years ago.  

Thanks Lon. yes I'm learning a lot of things from sites like this. I'm big on theory but don't know too much about the details of what is going on. I've spent many years involved in my wider political cause but am new to animal rights activism. Your work with Russian cats sounds extremely interesting. Good talking with you.

@Chris Noaro, I too am going to copy PETA's video's for my page on YouTube Thanks for spreading the word.  Now I am done with this thread.  Have a good one all

I remember many years ago I worked for a time share where I would handle audits, mail and all other customer concerns. One day I was real bored and started looking at some of the post cards a European family asked me to mail for them. The picture was of 3 morbidly obese women sitting on the beach from the angle of their back side. The post card said "welcome to Florida" and on the other side they wrote "this is no joke! this is what it really looks like over here! We couldnt believe our eyes! They serve the whole cow on the plate in the restaurants here too!"

This made me chuckle a bit then realize its because of these peoples neglegence and lack of will that my health care is sky rocketing. Most diseases are created from a clogged colon and clogged colons is what all obese people have. Our children are now getting second hand medical because of this.

So lets all be for real and not ask for an apology but offer a SOLUTION! For anyone who is offended and wants an apology should only get one when they can provide a better solution. At least someone is out there making a difference or trying.

And for the record I have a thyroid that is almost SHOT but I eat well and exercise and look and feel great. I too was obese and made a change to feel better about myself. The offended over weight people should try focusing their energy on that instead of on who to point a finger at.

To Sarah K.

I became vegetarian just to lose weight. I started with a raw food vegan diet for a whole miserable year then went down to cooked vegan then vegetarian and now I will treat myself to meat every once in a blue moon. I know many people who have done this and PETA realized that the over abundance of meat in our diets will cause weight gain. Diets like Adkins and south beach work because the other foods are all veggies and light foods that wont clog up the system.

The angle they took was a bit harsh and because of it "counter productive" as said earlier but I think PETA is on the right track by letting people know that bad health and weight gain can be a result of too much meat in our diet. Hopefully they come up with a more gentle way of delivering this message so it is heard by the right individuals.

I think a sign that would calculate all the undigested meat we die with in our systems to the amount of animals that could be alive would be eye opening, interesting, and less offensive.

I don't think the campaign needs a more gentle approach. I think the approach should be honest, direct, accurate and uncompromising. Is exploiting animals cruel and uncivilised? Yes. So challenge people on their outdated ethics and passive acceptance of what really is completely barbaric behaviour, and show them the images as proof every opportunity you get (upload to youtube, tell people you know, whatever).

When I say uncompromising, I don't mean that accepting some may need to change gradually is necesarily a wrong tactic, if that is all some are prepared to do in the short term.

On vegan being hard, what is so hard about using soy milk, egg replacements and rejecting leather? Your sign idea at the end could be a good idea.

I never comment on juicy discussions, so here goes...

Is not causing a raucous, angering, offending, and turning people off, all part of PETA's plan?  I mean, they are the front runners of the animal rights movement, if you'd like to admit or not.

Look at how much discussion it got from the AR world, IMAGINE how many meat eaters are talking about it.  A small few of those that get triggered will think about their lifestyle and change it.  Getting people roused and enraged makes people think.  Through those trying to disprove that PETA is amiss about claiming that vegetarianism (eating healthfully, not junk-food vegetarianism) helps weight loss, they could inadvertantly educate themselves about the benefits and some could cut back on meat or even totally cut meat out of their diet.

There will never be an organization, obnoxious or not, that can change the way the beliefs of the majority (in such a short time).  But, there are those that resonate in some minds, and PETA is one of them.  Do not get me wrong, all the other "peaceful" AR groups do wonders for animals, but PETA stirs the pot and get heavy discussions started, just like this one. I myself prefer the peaceful types of organizations, but I am wholeheartedly grateful that PETA has exposed to the masses so much cruelty and horror in the animal enslavement industry.  I do not think they can get their point across any other way than how they do it.

I am sorry that there are those hurt by the billboard, but asking PETA to apologize will put all animal rights in a weak spot against those meat-eating, no regard for non-human life people to say, "HA!  THEY WERE IN THE WRONG", and unfortunately, they will be referring to more than just the whale sign. 

now, let me have it  :)

Well it would appear that love them or hate them PETA have got your attention! That surely is the name of the game whilst their choice of tack is questionable from a relative comparitive lets see who this is insulting kind of perspective someone once all publicity is good publicity. Comments have ranged from obese stereotyping to animal rights and a whole lot more in between. What would political parties and big iol pay for this kind of ad exposure and interest especially as virtually every poster is extracting their own quarter from it for or against. Meat eaters, veggies and vegans pushing the same boat in the same direction you just could not do this with anything less crude. And therin lies the problem getting a message of such enormity (pardon the pun) requires guile and guts and this is a superb example of the discraseful facililitating the impossible. A virtual combining of usually opposed and disparate viewpoints under one umbrella it has to be pure magic even if it's not PC. Just take five to read the differing but essential similar responses. Animal rights and human wrongs are iextricably linked even if you reverse the wording to human rights and animals wrongs. The vision to see beyond the crude imagery and extrcate ourselves from gut reactions and assumptions that "they" are agin us. Animal or human abuse in any form is not nice however if a rather naff poster gets all this attention then the campaigners have acheived a greater part of their objective. It should alo be born in mind that the anti PETA, anti US Healthcare and anti global warming websites enjoy the sponsorship of those that seek to gain most by vilifying the targets of those sites with smears, lies and sedition quite a lot of which has obviuosly filtered through to some of the posts on here! Personally I would think twice before repeating some of the more incredible lies that have been posted elsewhere!

Well it would appear that love them or hate them PETA have got your attention! That surely is the name of the game whilst their choice of tack is questionable from a relative comparitive lets see who this is insulting kind of perspective someone once all publicity is good publicity. Comments have ranged from obese stereotyping to animal rights and a whole lot more in between. What would political parties and big iol pay for this kind of ad exposure and interest especially as virtually every poster is extracting their own quarter from it for or against. Meat eaters, veggies and vegans pushing the same boat in the same direction you just could not do this with anything less crude. And therin lies the problem getting a message of such enormity (pardon the pun) requires guile and guts and this is a superb example of the discraseful facililitating the impossible. A virtual combining of usually opposed and disparate viewpoints under one umbrella it has to be pure magic even if it's not PC. Just take five to read the differing but essential similar responses. Animal rights and human wrongs are iextricably linked even if you reverse the wording to human rights and animals wrongs. The vision to see beyond the crude imagery and extrcate ourselves from gut reactions and assumptions that "they" are agin us. Animal or human abuse in any form is not nice however if a rather naff poster gets all this attention then the campaigners have acheived a greater part of their objective. It should alo be born in mind that the anti PETA, anti US Healthcare and anti global warming websites enjoy the sponsorship of those that seek to gain most by vilifying the targets of those sites with smears, lies and sedition quite a lot of which has obviuosly filtered through to some of the posts on here! Personally I would think twice before repeating some of the more incredible lies that have been posted elsewhere!

I don't think that this is very offensive.

The truth is that 3 out of every 4 Americans are overwieght or obese. The main reason for that is because we're all very spoiled and don't care about what we eat. The worst truth of all is that there are more obese people that starving people on this planet.

PETA is simply trying to state that whales need to be saved, and that Americans can loose weight, help world hunger, and be healthier if they take up a Vegan diet.

Why is everyone over reacting?

Hope is a fat vegan?  Isn't that an oxymoron?  R U sure you know what vegans eat Hope?     

Surprise!  To all you PETA bashers:  PETA isn't in it for a popularity contest win.  PETA is in it to help the (non-human)animals in whatever way it takes and works!  

 A proud long time PETA MEMBER/SUPPORTER.

An invite from PETA received today 11/09 helping to explain their rationale behind their ad campaigns:

Hello!

Join us on Sunday, November 15, from 2 to 4 p.m. as PETA Senior Vice President of Communications Lisa Lange discusses the "method behind the madness" of PETA's most provocative campaigns. 

You'll learn about how tactics such as going naked, throwing pies, and creating ads that push the envelope (and sometimes the boundaries of good taste) help animals when more traditional strategies don't work. You'll also have a chance to ask questions and get tips on how to respond to people who try to "shoot the messenger." 

Please RSVP to Jaci Kassmeier at 510-763-7382, extension 33, or PETABayArea@peta.org. Directions to our office will be provided upon receipt of your RSVP. And please, bring a friend! 

Hope to see you on the 15th! 

Sincerely, 


Scott Anderson
Senior Vice President for Development
The PETA Foundation

Thanks Jade, wish I could attend. Let us know if you get a report on what they talk about. I never got an email about it.