PETA released probably the most hilarious commercial ever done about turkey suffering this week. A video which NBC flat out refused to air. The commercial is simple and effective and presents a cogent argument about an interesting topic. Which is why it got banned. Brad Moses, general manager of Raleigh’s WNCN, an NBC affiliate, said he decided to ban the ad because it’s “not appropriate for the spirit of the parade [during which the commercial would be running].” Which is ridiculous because the name of the parade he was referring to was, “The Honesty About The Violent And Often Dangerous Factory Farming Process Parade.”
The PETA ad doesn’t suggest that there’s anything wrong with Thanksgiving, as many news outlets and blogs seem to be suggesting. It simply suggests that one think about where one’s food comes from before they decide to consume it. Which is a terrible idea for anyone who has ever loved Doritos. For those who don’t know, the main ingredient in Doritos is the juice that collects at the bottom of piles at garbage dumps.
It seems PETA’s war is less a war on Thanksgiving than it is a war on intentionally staying ignorant, which is valid. Not everything PETA does is something I approve of. I am a signed and sealed meat eater, and I do not agree with the necessity of veganism. I do however think it is important to be aware of what you are consuming. If we don’t attempt to learn where the things we buy come from in a world increasingly controlled by the corporations that make said things, our Wiis are going to end up being made out of dolphin meat, our shoes will be produced in sweatshops where children are whipped for crying while they are being whipped, and our turkeys are going to be punched to death by underpaid Mexican immigrants because that costs Farmer John less than buying machines to do it.
In contrast to the simple, honest and effective ad that PETA tried to get on NBC, this is a commercial that never got banned by anyone.
Comments
jev
November 26th, 2009 - 5:19:37 PM
I agree 100%. I have no idea why this ad was banned. I thought it was ingenious and really well-made. Last year, PETA actually released an undercover investigation at a turkey farm right before Thanksgiving showing pissed off workers sexually abusing turkeys, kicking them around, and stomping on their heads. It definitely made me want to skip the turkey that year.
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Jason
December 21st, 2009 - 9:14:33 PM
Sexually abused turkeys are the most tender turkeys.
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