The PETA Super Bowl Ad the NFL Doesn’t Want You to See:

Lou

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The PETA Super Bowl Ad the NFL Apparently Doesn’t Want You to See: ‘Don’t Stand for Injustice’

Take a look at PETA’s Colin Kaepernick-inspired ad that the NFL apparently made an effort to keep off the airwaves. PETA's new patriotic Super Bowl ad reminds us that all individuals—regardless of any real or perceived differences—have the right to live free from bullying, domination, and injustice. Speciesism is a human-supremacist worldview that, like other forms of discrimination, causes humans to treat other living, feeling beings like objects, even though they share our capacity for pain, fear, love, joy, and loneliness and have as much interest in freedom and staying alive as we do. Why does PETA’s ad upset the NFL? Learn more here:​

I thought this was so good. Lets spread this around. F#ck Fox.
 
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Lou said:
I guess the Blaze is a conservative media outlet.
What are your thoughts on this article or on the ad?

www.theblaze.com

PETA's Kaepernick-inspired commercial backfires spectacularly

The animal rights group is being dragged by the exact political groups they sought to charm
www.theblaze.com www.theblaze.com
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When I watched the commercial, I immediately noticed the problematic comparison of black people's marginalization in American to speciesism. I thought it was audacious of PETA to use Kaepernick's movement to further reinforce and normalize that marginalization. (assuming they used it without his blessing and I really hope they did because I like him) It was tone deaf to the imbalance our society has regarding race and the hurts that linger. Since I'm white, I try to keep my mouth shut and let the people affected react, but as a human, I can't think of a worse PR move for promoting species equality.

It was obvious why the NFL didn't want to revisit that issue on their big money day. I read The Root so I anticipated that reaction from them as well. All that said, I don't advocate censorship. I think the ad should've ran and people should be talking and thinking about racial injustice as well as animal exploitation. And I think PETA may owe some people an apology for appropriating a movement.
 
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MoreGreens said:
When I watched the commercial, I immediately noticed the problematic comparison of black people's marginalization in American to speciesism.
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That never even occurred to me. It reminds me of the same arguments people had about when Issac Singer called it a pig holocaust. You don't have to make black rights smaller to promote animal rights. Actually, I think it's all related. By promoting the rights of the beleaguered group you show respect for all groups. Or something like that. I bet there is a philosopher who says it better.
“It takes nothing away from a human to be kind to an animal.” -Joaquin Phoenix

Just because Animal Lives Matter doesn't mean that Black Lives Matter less. I've wondered about this before and I'm pretty sure compassion is not a finite resource. We don't have to ration it.


MoreGreens said:
I thought it was audacious of PETA to use Kaepernick's movement to further reinforce and normalize that marginalization. (assuming they used it without his blessing and I really hope they did because I like him)
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They did get Kaepernick's approval. I can't find what he said about it but PETA says it was positive
 
Lou said:
That never even occurred to me. It reminds me of the same arguments people had about when Issac Singer called it a pig holocaust. You don't have to make black rights smaller to promote animal rights. Actually, I think it's all related. By promoting the rights of the beleaguered group you show respect for all groups. Or something like that. I bet there is a philosopher who says it better.
“It takes nothing away from a human to be kind to an animal.” -Joaquin Phoenix

Just because Animal Lives Matter doesn't mean that Black Lives Matter less. I've wondered about this before and I'm pretty sure compassion is not a finite resource. We don't have to ration it.




They did get Kaepernick's approval. I can't find what he said about it but PETA says it was positive
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I'm pleased they discussed it with him and I'm intrigued that he didn't anticipate backlash from other BLM leaders... but that's between him and them. Perhaps he believes in uniform compassion as well and/or thought any attention brought to the movement was good for it.

And I agree btw compassion like love doesn't come portioned. I just don't think people who aren't animal activists, meaning most of the people PETA was trying to enlighten, are going to see beyond the more familiar issue. The idea that all species are equal isn't going to go down well with the average American, because it would upend their worldview if it were true; therefore, it can't be true. Especially, as many people have mixed feelings about trusting PETA or outright loathe them, because they're often associated with controversy. (And, I mean not only by some of their actions but also how the media reports on them. I'm not dismissing the good they do. Aside from resenting that they sold my address many, many moons ago, I'm indifferent to PETA these days.)
 
My first reaction was along those lines...that they were appropriating symbolism from the racial justice movement for their own purposes. And they are, I think that's pretty indisputable.

But it's a far cry from the "all lives matter" or "blue lives matter" style of appropriation, issued as a kind of rebuttal to the original message. The spirit of this ad is clearly in solidarity with the racial justice movement.

PETA intentionally courts controversy to get people, even their detractors, to help spread their message. I think it's a pretty good strategy.
 
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Sax said:
My first reaction was along those lines...that they were appropriating symbolism from the racial justice movement for their own purposes. And they are, I think that's pretty indisputable.

But it's a far cry from the "all lives matter" or "blue lives matter" style of appropriation, issued as a kind of rebuttal to the original message. The spirit of this ad is clearly in solidarity with the racial justice movement.

PETA intentionally courts controversy to get people, even their detractors, to help spread their message. I think it's a pretty good strategy.
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I agree. It was a polite and respectful appropriation of BLM. As a white person, it didn't offend me, but as a long-term civil rights advocate, I cringed.

PETA's strategy is effective. What I don't like about that sort of deliberately sown discord is that it causes people who usually agree as well as those who usually disagree to all argue. The idealist in me wishes animal advocates could always take the high road, but the realist in me knows boundaries have to be pushed or they turn into fences.
 
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Whenever I think of PETA, what comes to my mind is "Can they get even more horrible?".

And yes, it seems they can.

There are so many good arguments to make for animal rights, that we really do not need to compare what happens to animals to the Holocaust, to the enslavement of black people, or to the horrible racism that Black Lives Matter is protesting. So many people are telling this, but some "animal advocates" prefer not to listen.

And no, I do not think that willfully creating controversies about stuff like this is good advertisement.
 
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