Not Just Skin Deep (PETA’s “Save The Whales” Billboard)
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I’m confused.
On August 7th, PETA Files posted that they were doing a billboard that said, “Save The Whales. Lose the blubber: Go vegetarian.” The billboard had a cartoon drawing of the back of a large woman wearing a bikini on a beach. No whales were shown in the image.
It’s true that the average vegan or vegetarian weighs less than the average non-veg person. It’s also true that vegans and vegetarians are less likely to be obese or morbidly obese than non-veg people.
But that’s just an average. Vegans come in all shapes and sizes, including overweight, obese, and morbidly obese.
Here’s the real issue: eating large amounts of animal products is bad for your health. It’s likely a primary factor in the development of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. It’s not the excess fat on your body that is most likely to kill you, it’s what that fat often represents: an unhealthy diet and/or a lack of exercise.
But make no mistake, there are plenty of skinny people who live sedentary lives and/or eat unhealthy food. I used to date one of those people – a guy who ate nothing but frozen peperoni pizzas and candy, but had a super-fast metabolism and stayed stick-skinny. That, or he had a tapeworm. And I know countless people who eat unhealthy food and just work it all off at the gym. There are even plenty of skinny people whose thinness represents extremely poor health, for example: crack addicts, anorexics, and AIDS patients.
The point is: You can’t tell how healthy someone is just by looking at them.
For the record, on August 7th, I commented this when I read the post at PETA Files:
I think this billboard is mean-spirited.
Let’s just do some math here, OK? If someone is 250 pounds and they slim down to 200 by going vegan, they’re probably still technically over-weight and they’ll still receive prejudice, verbal attacks, and fat-shaming from fat-phobic, mean-spirited people. That billboard is part of that problem.
Please focus on health, not on size.
I chose those numbers because they’re a practical way too demonstrate PETA’s claim that “vegetarians are 20 to 30 percent leaner than meat-eaters”. For the record, Atkins weighed 258 pounds when he died.
I wasn’t alone in my criticism. Many others chimed in to comment there and across the blogosphere.
While I definitely think that that there’s a BIG difference between:
- people who respect and protect whales yet call large people “whales” (PETA)
versus - people who don’t care the least about whales (or any other animal) and who call large people “whales” (the general public)
there’s still the huge problem that calling large people “whales” is derogatory, insulting, and ultimately just plain MEAN.
But here’s where I’m confused:
The billboard was originally announced August 7th.
Why all the outrage about it nearly two weeks later?
Could it be that the critics don’t pay attention to anything PETA does until it hits the big time? Could it be that the anti-PETA critics just don’t really know what PETA does? Or do they really, truly ignore all the good stuff PETA does and only chime in when it’s something bad?
Seriously, what gives?
—
UPDATE: Looks like anti-PETA bloggers and protesters were played. PETA updated the billboard after complaints aired:
Could it be that the critics don’t pay attention to anything PETA does until it hits the big time? Could it be that the anti-PETA critics just don’t really know what PETA does? Or do they really, truly ignore all the good stuff PETA does and only chime in when it’s something bad?
I think that’s probably true of some people – especially people outside the AR/AW movement – but on the flip side, PETA runs so many campaigns and actions at once, that it’s impossible to keep up with them all (which is why I mostly focus on their print ads).
I learned of this particular billboard from the PETA Files (where my polite but critical comment was *not* approved), and have been meaning to blog about it since. Problem is, I just haven’t had the time. Consequently, my commentary probably won’t hit the internets until almost a month later.
I think I’m especially angry about this one, not because it’s the most offensive thing PETA’s ever done, but because I learned of *three* offensive campaigns within a few days of one another (“Save the Whales”; “Breasts, Not Animal Tests,” which may or may not be new – I stumbled upon a tank sporting the slogan by accident; and the PETA/Bob Barker anti-bear pit campaign Royce recently wrote about on VOC…to be fair, though, what most offends me here is Beverly Young’s flippant Guantanamo comment). I’ve also had it with 1) speciesists’ willingness to use PETA’s flaps to demean *all* animal advocates, as well as non-human animals; and 2) PETA supporters’ unwillingness to engage in any sort of self-reflection and criticism. The idol worship has got to stop – how else are we to grow and evolve?
PETA is not vegan anyways. Animal welfare, while it is an admirable cause to champion for the misinformed, is not the solution. Animal rights, or more appropriately the animal right, is simple: Animals, non-human or human, have a right not to be property.
Treating “ethical” killing as a victory is counterproductive to the cause as it strengthens the complacency of meat-eaters. It makes them believe they are doing good by eating “happy meat.” But we all know the labels free range, organic and happy are malapropisms at best, and outright lies at worst. We must advocate veganism, and only veganism. There are three possible outcomes—well, really more, but three important ones—that could occur when advocating veganism to a person: The person keeps eating animal products. He or she cuts out flesh feeling the case for veganism is not strong enough, but the killing is still wrong. Or the person goes vegan.
Once we convert enough people, the paradigm will shift and everyone will see veganism for what it is: the logically ethical choice.
“been meaning to blog about it since. Problem is, I just haven’t had the time. Consequently, my commentary probably won’t hit the internets until almost a month later.”
Yeah, I get that. I completely understand
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
Hey, thanks for the link, Brandon. I hadn’t realized that The Vegan Ideal was back up @ another domain.
I’m a little confused. Here you say the problem with PETA’s tactic for this advertisement is that it is “derogatory, insulting, and ultimately just plain MEAN.” Yet, in several other posts you have asserted that being mean is appropriate in some circumstances because some people only come around if they are rudely smacked in the face with reality.
For example, in the blog “Behaving Respectfully In The Face Of Disrespect” you say: “Ask ten vegans how they went vegan and you’ll get ten different answers. Some people needed gentle nudging in the form of ‘calm and polite dialogue’ and others needed a rude wake-up call or reality check.”
Another example, in the blog “Do It Anyway” you say one of the major problems with vegan education is that “No matter how you do it – whether you’re nice, calm, and reasonable or if you’re aggressive, angry, and volatile – you will receive criticism. And that criticism will be all along the same lines: accusing you of being judgmental, mean, or violent without any real evidence. They’ll say that you’re “obnoxious,” “ineffective,” “shrill,” “preachy,” “divisive,” “counterproductive,” et cetera, et cetera, et cetera… What they really mean is: “be quiet,” “stop reminding me of animal abuse and exploitation,” “stop making me feel guilty,” “let me have my delusions,” “stop compelling me to change my exploitive habits,” et cetera, et cetera, et cetera…most people just don’t want to hear it, no matter how nice you say it. They will react poorly, not because of how you say it, rather simply because you said it. This is why vocal animal advocates need supporters. The criticism is overwhelming. The criticism silences most advocates.”
So, I am wondering, now that you are criticizing PETA for being mean and insulting, have you simply changed your mind about things?
For Matt’s clarification:
a) My point in “Behaving Respectfully” was that if anyone wants to argue efficacy (rather than ethics) to prefer certain advocacy methods over others, AND they intend to actually convince people who have a different opinion, they need to appeal to the people they wish to convince by offering reliable proof that their preferred methods are more effective than the alternatives. Personal anecdotes won’t cut it.
b) My point in “Do It Anyway” was that no matter what method you choose, some people will complain. My point wasn’t that you ought to ignore valid criticism; my point was that you can’t let mere criticism stop you. If you advocate for animals, speak up! Don’t let anyone silence you.
c) My point in the post above is that PETA’s anti-fat billboard is mean-spirited because it focuses on fat as the negative quality in people, not on poor health or animal-eating. However, I won’t take a stand on whether or not I think it’s effective or whether or not the net benefit is worth the harm. And I’m not sure whether the end justifies the means. I’m not going to make that call here and now. I will say: I’d prefer PETA to use different methods than fat-shaming.
Sorry if that’s too much nuance and not enough of a hard-line, easy-to-understand stance, but that’s where I stand… in the gray areas.
PS – This isn’t the first time I’ve criticized PETA: http://www.vegansoapbox.com/peta-please-no-klansmen/
And I doubt it will be the last. But that won’t prevent me from recognizing and supporting the good things they do.
I think since most of the people in America are obese most of america is mad. I was once obese and I went vegan which totally changed my life so I dont think what PETA did was wrong. I think everyone needs to stop being babied. Since most people dont agree with PETA on this I know I may seem harsh but thats how I feel on the situation.
And a response to nathan: I hear many vegans tell others that we should put ourselves in the animals place and think of the suffering they go through. Well if you were in the animals position any little bit would help on a factory farm. Nothing is ideal but each step is still a step forward.
First of all I’d like to say how refreshing it is to see an online debate about Peta that has a mature approach sharing diverse opinions without name calling or foul language
I think this billboard has had a lot of press for the bad reasons, and has painted Peta as a fat hating organisation. I admit that if you were obese, you may find this offensive though can’t help but think; are people only offended by truth? In western society we are taught to avoid the truth to be “polite”. For example, we wouldn’t tell an overweight friend they looked awful in their new dress.
Though if we take this avoidance too far, I believe some people may live in denial about their weight, just as some thin though unfit people may ignore their health problems. I think although harsh, people of all shapes and sizes need to be more self aware of their diet and lifestyle.
I find the main problem is when trying to promote Vegetarian/Veganism is that it carries a lot of myths that I’m sure you have had to correct people on. When reading another blog about this particular billboard, the blog author wrote a blog on how unhealthy Vegetarian foods were(?!)He then proceeded to list food such as fries, Haagen Daaz, onion rings and in reading this was incredulous! I had to then point out that these foods were not vegeatarian, though they could be chosen to be eaten by veggies.
Not only this, but people’s eyes open wide, saying,” but what DO you eat as a Vegan??” imagining every supper a carrot on toast! If people were educated about the health risks as well as the moral factors of animal products from school age, it would be easier to integrate this lifestyle choice more prominently into society.
Unfortunately I feel though it is far from reach here in the UK as the government makes a fat profit from the farming industry that they would never agree to supporting such a cause. I just hope that with this movement continuing to grow, we can see more changes for the good.
Holly,
I’m not obese but I take offense. Here’s why I take offense:
- Calling someone a “whale” is not “the truth;” it’s a mean-spirited, anti-fat slur.
- The image shows a woman, not a man. Women already receive most of the fat-shaming in our society, yet women’s bodies aren’t as easily damaged by excess fat as men’s bodies. It clearly comes across as anti-fat, not pro-health.
- I’m not obese, but I’m not a rail either. (my BMI is 24.4 right now) I won’t wear a swimsuit in front of strangers anymore. I’m too self-conscious. That’s directly related to how often I’ve been called fat or ugly. I might be a little more sensitive than other women, but I’m pretty sure my feelings are common.
- Because the billboard is focused on weight, not health, it triggers weight-loss reactions, not health-improvement reactions. That is, instead of promoting vegetarianism, for many people it promotes diet pills, anorexia, etc.
- Vegetarians are generally 10-20 pounds lighter than non-veg people. For someone who is obese, 10-20 pounds isn’t all that much. They might get healthier on a veg diet and lose some weight, but vegetarianism is not a panacea. They’re still going to get called anti-fat slurs by mean people who think it’s OK to call people “whales.”
Eccentric Vegan,
As I said before, this is a very harsh way to nudge people in the right direction with their health, and it isn’t only heavier people who need to take that message on board. I am not as thin as I’d like to be, though I am happy to say that when I cut animal products out of my diet, losing weight became a lot easier. Though diet is only a part of a healthy lifestyle, exercise plays a very important role.
As for it’s portrayal of a woman, I didn’t really think of that perspective though perhaps this may be because women generally are more self concious of their bodies especially when it comes to the beach.
I hardly think to be frank that someone obese is going to become anorexic because of this ad, though I appreciate obese people may have other emotional issues and could lead them to feeling depressed. This is obviously a very sensitive issue and I wholeheartedly agree that it’s derogratory. My views were more to do do with meat eaters (on other sites) giving Vegetarianism/ Veganism a bad press and that if they gave it a try they would see health benefits.
My comment was what I was hoping to be a positive response, and when I mentioned the “truth” I meant the state of health of a person, not about the fact that Peta called people whales.
i know several very fat vegans. vegan cupcakes, vegan pizza…it’s all about overeating.
Gee, I’m a fat vegan. It must be because I have vegan pizza once a month, or maybe every other month. Can’t remember the last time I had cupcakes, but I did get cake at my birthday! Educate yourself, amyvegan.