But these animal rights activists don't seem to care much for the ethical treatment of other humans.
PETA is all for the welfare of animals but what about women? This advertisement above is a blatant attack on women. Basically, they are insulting any woman who isn't a vegetarian by calling them a whale. Making women feel guilty is not a healthy way to promote weight loss, rather, it IS a great way to promote eating disorders.
PETA's advertising has shifted from promoting awareness of the unethical treatment of animals working with the sympathy of the public to forcing people to feel guilty and ashamed. This particular advertisement is perpetuating female stereotypes. According to PETA, consuming meat is a horrible offense and should be ashamed of. However, the marketing tactics PETA is using is also causing women to feel ashamed of their appearance. This billboard is telling women to "lose the blubber" by becoming a vegetarian; basically saying, if you eat meat you are fat and therefore are comparable to a whale. PETA, I would assume, would consider whales to be beautiful creatures who deserve a safe place to live. Why then are they using whales as a negative comparison to women? Essentially, with this ad, PETA has not only gotten women to question their morals but they are attacking their physical insecurities. They want people to give whales a safe environment to live in but in doing so, with this ad, they are harming the mental safety of women.
Most of the celebrity endorsers for PETA are proud to participate in their advertising campaigns but how does PETA treat their celebrities based on gender? Most of the celebrity endorsements I found on the internet feature an outstanding number of naked women quoted as rather doing anything naked than wearing fur. But these women are slim, young, white, sexy women. The male celebrities are usually found cuddling with their pets, fully clothed. Not only is this evidence of a gender bias but also a racial bias. PETA should be trying to appeal to everyone but it seems they are using the slim, young, white, sexy women in their marketing campaigns and a large portion of their members and fellow protesters are also slim, young, white, sexy women. According to Gloria Steinem in her article, Sex, Lies & Advertising, "the ad world often creates black and Hispanic ads only for black and Hispanic media" and PETA is playing right into Steinam's theory by mostly using the slim, young, white, sexy women in their mass audience campaigns.
Recently, PETA has announced that they will launch a porn website. According to The Huffington Post, PETA has said, "the aim of the site is to promote the organization's animal rights and vegan diet message, and reach a broader audience."
Sex sells. I get it. Advertisers have been using sex appeal in marketing for generations. In her article, Sexualized Images in Advertising, Jane Tallim says, "advertising often pushes the boundaries of good taste because of competition for 'eyeballs.' Any image that entices a reader to linger over an ad - whether tasteful or not - causes that person to remember the particular brand advertised. Even controversy can be effective in getting a brand or name into the public eye." But PETA is an organization that is supposed to promote a positive change in the minds of the public. Ethically, morally, the thoughts and actions of the public should be the target of their audience but they have instead decided to take revenge on people by objectifying them the same way animals have been objectified. The effects of PETA's marketing strategies are not aiming to show the public that animals are living creatures with feelings and emotions and raising animals up to a human level, instead, they are degrading people, particularly women, to an animal level.
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