“Battle not with monsters lest ye become a monster,” said Friedrich Nietzsche, and it’s a lesson PETA, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals organization could stand to learn. In its effort to shock and shame citizens into doing the right thing, they may have gone a bit too far with their latest campaign.
A large billboard in Jacksonville, Florida proclaims “Save the whales. Lose the blubber: go vegetarian,” with an included picture of an overweight woman in a bikini next to the legend.
Now, first of all, we get what they’re doing here. They’re trying to make overweight people feel bad about themselves, which, hey, that’s always the best way to make people change, don’t you think? Also, throwing up an insult by calling overweight people “whales” really displays a sense of maturity on PETA’s part.
Second of all, going vegetarian won’t necessarily make you lose weight; not by itself. I know lots of fitness buffs and gym-goers who haven’t cut meat out of their diets and they look friggin’ amazing. There’s much more to losing weight than just diet, and this simplistic assertion does no one any favors.
Third of all, way to stick to an outmoded concept of beauty, PETA! If being overweight makes you less attractive, then being rail-thin and anorexic must be the very height of comeliness! And what are you saying about whales themselves, hmm? I’m sorry, but this constant in-your-face attitude is really turning a lot of people off, PETA. Zealotry straight-up doesn’t work with rational humans. Reason with us and maybe we’ll take you seriously. Until then, we’ll wait for you to jump the shark — unless that would be cruel, of course.
I am a Pacific Islander. There is nothing I can do to become “skinny” or “fit”. My doctor tells me I’m the healthiest large guy he knows. I was even learning to cook Vegan and was considering a switch but if this is the way I’ll be treated by my colleagues, then forget it.
I’ll just start a group that throws cooked meat at peta demos while eating meat. See how they like it.
You know, I’ve never heard of a vegan or vegetarian athletes and low animal protein isn’t none. Sorry. There are no such things as Vegan or Vegetarian bodybuilders. Aren’t they healthy?
Peta has turned me away much like religion did. If I see people being insensitive of others, I don’t want any part of it.