Saturday, February 24, 2007

PETA MISSES THE POINT

I bet those pics above got your attention--probably even if you're a straight woman or a gay guy. They're [http://www.furisdead.com/feat-joannakrupa.asp?c=fidJKrpblgad|the latest ad campaign] from PETA--the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. They believe that wearing fur is bad and exploits animals. I totally agree with this. The thing is, I think PETA is missing the point here. They're running around protesting unethical treatment of animals yet in their ads they exploit the human animal. First: They exploit and objectify women by using their naked bodies to get our attention. Personally, I enjoy this. However, just because I enjoy something doesn't mean it's good for me. I've always heard that illegal drugs can be quite enjoyable, yet we all know that can be bad for your physical and mental health. Second: The objectification thing is not a big deal to me, since I simply wish men would be objectified in the same way. This second issue is much larger to me. In those ads, did you notice that the model is not entirely nude? You don't have to have seen Leonard DiCaprio's latest film to know that the diamond industry has been exploiting greed for a very, very long time. A very large number of people have died and have been horribly maimed because of the quest for diamonds and at least one country has been enslaved because of it. PETA, by glamorizing this woman, dressing her in nothing but diamonds just serves to reinforce the belief that diamonds are cool and beautiful and make a woman more beautiful. This encourages us all to avert our gaze when presented with the idea that people have died to provide us with the diamonds we or our significant others wear. So, which is worse? The exploitation of animals or the exploitation of the human animal? Seems pretty hypocritical to me to discourage one while obliviously encouraging the other. And really--does she need to be wearing those diamonds to get our attention? I'm all for stopping the exploitation of animals--but I think we should include ALL animals in the equation, not just the ones we call "lesser" animals.

Orignal From: PETA MISSES THE POINT

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