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PETA'S NEW AD

Thu, 2008-08-07 19:33.
Bri Cook
AUGUST 5, 2008

Tell me how you feel about this.

I, along with the rest of the country, felt sick to my stomach when I heard about Tim McLean, the young man who was stabbed and decapitated on a Greyhound bus by another passenger. I hurt deeply for his loved ones and I was saddened by an innocent life viciously cut short. And I knew that if I had a hard time believing something that seemed straight out of the movie "SAW" could happen in real life...I couldn't even imagine how his family would deal with knowing this happened to their Tim.

So then, much to my horror, I came across this ad from PETA today... Check it out:

peta ad

I know PETA's main advertising goal has always been shock value, but I would call that exploitive, tasteless, and disrespectful. Do you also feel it's crossing the line or am I overreacting?

I just need to say that I am all for the ethical treatment of animals. I love animals and I have a dog who I love more than anything... And although I am not a vegetarian, I do support them and fully respect their lifestyle. But Tim McLean was a human being with many people who loved him. You can NOT compare his life to a cow or chicken's life.

What do you think about PETA's new ad? (The ad has been unsuccessful in being published so far.)  Leave your comments here.

Thank you.

xx ~ Bri

peta ad

Mon, 2008-10-27 23:07
Bri Cook
Jackie, thanks for your comment and I see your point. I have unfortunately seen what can be done to animals, the cruelty and the torture. It breaks my heart. But even in nature poor helpless animals are hunted, chased, and killed by bigger, faster, animals solely to eat them. But we should know better as humans not to do that to EACH OTHER. And to handle the killing of livestock properly. There are a lot of people out there who raise farm animals for product with respect and dignity. There are methods and laws slowly being put in place in order to eliminate horrible and unnecessary torturous treatment of animals. Why it's not illegal yet? I don't know... but hopefully we are on the right path to 100% ethical treatment of animals. And I know that's the message PETA wanted to put forth in this ad but it says a lot when nobody will publish it. I just think it was the wrong way to get the message across but it doesn't change the fact that yes, animals do suffer. Like I said in my blog post, I'm all for the ethical treatment of animals. I love my dog, I love animals, my Grandparents had a farm I frequently visited growing up... And don't even get me started on puppy mills! But I think this particular ad was tasteless and crossed the line on a personal level. If Tim were in my family I would be horrified that they were exploiting his death the way they did. There are some things you just can't compare even if they are both in fact wrong. - Bri Cook

peta add

Thu, 2008-10-23 18:36
Jackie M.
it could been seen as tasteless, or it could bee seen as totally relatable to what is happening to animals these days for our benefit. somehow that disgusting murder was seen as beneficial to that (not worth my time naming) other passenger at the time. the disgusting things that happen to innocent animals is seen as beneficial to too many people in this world. Peta is not comparing Tim's life to an animal, they are comparing what is done to animals and what was done to Tim. I am not an animal rights activist, I do eat meat, and I do not wear fur. I am for PROPER CARE AND KILLING of animals. Animals, like humans, can feel scared, threatened, and physical pain. Stop the torture. Don't know what I'm talking about? Google it, look it up on youtube. See what's done for your food and fur. Both incidents repulsive at the least.

PETA & TMZ

Sun, 2008-08-10 22:46
Laura
Hi Bri, I saw PETA's disgusting ad on TMZ's website earlier this week, and I have to say that TMZ's headline and commentary are even more disturbing than the actual ad. They have actually tried to make it into a joke!! I don't have the stomach to repeat it, but you can check it out yourself if you like. (I won't even print the link because it includes the headline.) For me, both PETA and TMZ have sunk to an unbelievable low and I will never support either one of them in any way. It's so unbelievably sad that that this atrocious crime occurred on our usually peaceful Canadian prairies, but even sadder that we live in a world where organizations like these will attempt to capitalize on it for their own gain. I would also like to comment that throughout the 'respectable' media's reporting of this story, I couldn't help but feel that they were providing way too many grisly details; much more information than was needed to report the story and convey the horror of it. And as we've seen, its those details that have given sleazy organizations like TMZ and PETA the material they've used to exploit this young man's death. I also think that kind of reporting can fuel the fantasies of the other crazies that are out there. This story received a lot of press and even international coverage. I read on the news only a few days after Tim McLean's murder, that a man beheaded his girlfriend in Santorini, and then paraded her head through the streets of Greece. Coincidence? Thank you for posing the question in your blog, and giving me a chance to get this off my chest.

PETA Ad

Fri, 2008-08-08 13:02
Sarah
This is waaaay over the line. To make this poor young man an example like this is disgusting. I cannot imagine how horrified his family and friends would be to see this. PETA is equating a human life to that of an animal raised for food. Was this man's life not worth anything... PETA needs to realize that shock value does not make people change their habits. For me it has only changed my opinion of their organization, and not in a good way. I am not surprised that publications have chosen not to run this ad, if one decides to I imagine they will lose many readers. The family of Tim McLean needs to know that people support them, that the whole country was horrified, and we all feel like a part of something has been lost. They do not need some organization, in essence, making fun of how their child died.

PETA

Thu, 2008-08-07 20:46
Andrea
Hello Bri, Thank you for commenting on this. It is crazy to think an organization like that would use a horrible tragic event like this for their own personal gain. I really wonder how those members would feel if we in turn made an advertisement that underminded their life and used it for our personal gain when one of their staff, family or friends died. Marketing is meant to be used to draw positive attention to influence people to use your service, buy your product or support your cause. I am sure that this shocking ad has actually done the complete opposite. I will never in any form support PETA again. Some one that decided to disrespect the family and friends of a young man who didn't deserve this and comparing this to the food chain... WOW. That is my opinion. NO LONGER SUPPORT PETA!!