PETA thought it was appropriate to launch an ad campaign on the heels of the Donald Trump controversy, where he boasted of his celebrity and his ability to grope women with impunity. In the new PETA ad, the announcement encourages cat adoption by invoking the infamous phrase, “grab a pu**y.” This sparked outrage, with PETA being blasted for taking inspiration from such a controversial figure like Trump.
PETA defended itself against the backlash, saying that the sensationalism of this election cycle has made other important issues invisible. PETA might’ve been pointing at the election overshadowing issues pertaining to animal rights, animal cruelty, and vegetarianism. The organization also remarked that they have an obligation to draw as much attention to their cause as possible, with the fact that there are cats that are being abandoned and dying in shelters.
PETA Has Used Controversy To Spearhead Their Message
PETA is no stranger to controversy, using the power of contention to bring light to issues that they deem important. Their ads have been banned in in-flight magazines, have been accused of deriving inspiration from people like Adolf Hitler, and have even been banned from certain cities. One of their more viral stunts was when they created a mock boutique shop filled with handbags and clutches. When the purses were opened, shoppers were met with animal intestines and innards – all fake, of course. This was to spotlight the cruelty in the fur trade to create luxury goods.
Even though the satirical ad didn’t go well with social media users, do you think it was appropriate for PETA to catapult this ad from Trump’s controversies?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7Ju1sDVA8U
Featured Image by Kathleen Bladen via Flickr under a CC BY-ND 2.0 license
