Opinion
PETA’s complaints to ice cream company an embarassment
Looking for a print version?
Simply use your browser’s ‘Print’ command and a printer-friendly document will be generated automatically.
Also by Patrick Johnson:
- Sex column acceptable act of free speech (March 24, 2009)
- Parents key to student success (March 2, 2009)
- Cigarette tax hike good for everyone (February 16, 2009)
- Protect American jobs, basic rights (February 12, 2009)
- FIGs offer tasty first-year option (January 16, 2009)
Sharing tools:
E-mail this article:
Ice cream is the quintessential summer treat and the best late-night binge. Smooth, sugary and… made from human breast milk?
Or so People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals urges Ben & Jerry’s.
I don’t think so, PETA. If you’re ready to eat ice cream made from milk of the lactating teats of pregnant women, you can form your own commune to churn your mammary cream and make your idealistic sundaes elsewhere because no one’s going to market frozen breast milk as a dessert here.
The ice cream controversy began with a new PETA campaign that took the form of a letter to Ben & Jerry’s, imploring them to stop using dairy in their ice cream. They cited animal rights and health reasons to support their ridiculous request and drew inspiration from a Swiss restaurant that uses donated breast milk in their soups, stews and sauces.
I’m a vegan myself, and I don’t get it. Sure, the motives are clear, but why not suggest something less… human excrement-filled? Perhaps soy ice cream, which is just as delicious and a whole lot more appetizing than human breast milk, unless you’re under the age of 12 months.
By urging Ben and Jerry’s to switch their ice cream production into a lactation station and processing plant, PETA made their organization look absolutely dimwitted. It’s embarrassing for many vegans to be associated with such dolts and supposed animal rights advocates.
PETA’s version of ice cream simply wouldn’t sell, unless there was some sort of “buy one, get one free” deal for mothers. Ben & Jerry’s knows this, as does PETA. Such a proposal probably wouldn’t even make it past bathroom humor among co-workers. PETA most likely sent their letter as a rhetorical request, whose premise was flawed ad absurdum and ad nauseum. They created an analogy that made drinking another animal’s milk equal in displeasure to the milk of the breasts of a plethora of pregnant women. Most people, however, are too busy laughing in derision at the idea to see any logic in it.
In fairness to them, PETA had several valid reasons for their request, though it was disguised behind a “Fear Factor”-type challenge that involved drinking human excrement.
Their motives were completely right — drinking milk supports a harmful practice. Cows are sucked dry in dairy plants; for cows to be able to produce milk, they are artificially inseminated and their young are deported to be tortured as veal, Holocaust-style, while they produce 10 times the amount of milk that is natural for them. Humans are also the only mammals that drink milk past infancy, which is why some people have lactose intolerance. What makes cow’s milk so covetous? What about horse milk? Or bobcat milk?
But then again PETA is right — what about breast milk? We drank it when we were young. It makes some sense. The reason why the idea of breast milk in normal dessert consumption is so disgusting is just because of our societal eating patterns. People eat gross stuff like hot dogs all the time, but everyone’s used to it.
I think I’ve milked this for what it’s worth, so vegan morality aside, PETA made the wrong move once again. They only furthered their reputation as a radical terrorist group that propagates unrealistic measures for real moral issues. And they do it with a blithe unawareness that makes them look absolutely foolish.
Take, for example, PETA’s 2001 “Eat the Whales” Campaign, which solicited meat-eaters to eat whales instead of conventional animals like chickens or cows. The idea was that one whale could be slaughtered instead of the thousands of smaller animals which were raised in factory farms. In this case, the logic is completely sound: There would be thousands fewer animals in crammed factory farms because the whale can swim the expanse of the ocean, and everyone is fed. What’s irrational about the campaign is that it gives meat-eaters the opportunity to mock animal rights advocates as freaks. And no one likes to eat whale, even if it is a mammal.
PETA just gives being vegan a bad name. The organization itself isn’t inherently evil, but its practices are often out of touch with its motives. The leader of PETA has single-handedly done a great deal for animal rights, but when some vegans get together, being more radical supposedly means they care for the animals more. The organization’s work doesn’t make anyone more sensitive to animal rights because of how detached their requests are from reality. When PETA makes proposals such as this, it distracts the everyday omnivore from any sort of compassion regarding the issue at hand. And because of this detachment, no one is willing to put down a hamburger to hear what PETA says anymore.
Patrick Johnson (prjohnson3@wisc.edu) is a freshman majoring in English and journalism.
25 Comments | Leave a comment
Leave a comment
Herald Blogs
The Beat Goes On
Fans of Waits will not be disappointed
Muckrakers
Report: Barrett to make decision by the end of the week
Extra Points
Top Classified Ads (view all)
SPRING SUBLET: 1 bedroom in 2 bedroom at the Aberdeen. Rent negotiable. Email arkramer@wisc.edu
GENTLE WOMEN...THROUGH the lens of Douglas J. Nesbit, newly released book now available for holiday gifts! www.gentlewomen.us
IP hash: 6b6147d1
boring…and wordy…and boring
IP hash: 3472c84c
As another vegan I agree. Patrick (author) check out abolitionistapproach dot com. Professor Gary Francione has some great criticisms of PETA and HSUS in his archives as well as books on the subject. Also some great mp3 of interviews.
IP hash: f3aac149
You make a good point about PETA being over the top, and then you go and write this: “…their young are deported to be tortured as veal, Holocaust-style….”
It’s not OK when PETA misuses loaded terms about the Holocaust, it’s not OK when Sarah Palin does it, and it’s not OK when you do it.
IP hash: 6871c31b
I love animals, they taste soooo good.
IP hash: 34f51f46
Dude, why don’t you get it? They’re just pointing out that we don’t mind drinking from cows’ nipples, but are disgusted by our own nipple juice.
IP hash: f848bb3f
I care about animals. I care that they were cooked properly before going into my belly.
I think I should start my own group: PGDVVCWN. People for the Grinding Down of Vegetarians’ and Vegans’ Canines Without Novacaine. If you don’t need ‘em, why should you keep ‘em!?
IP hash: c1302636
Why do you call breast milk “excrement”? I’m pretty sure excrement is fecal matter. Breast milk is not a waste product and it is that kind of talk that discourages women from breast feeding their children. Breast fed children have higher IQs, lower disease rates, and make more money later in life (on average). Breast feeding is good for society so it would be nice if you wouldn’t call it “excrement” which makes it sound like shit.
IP hash: 15fbf1af
Patrick, I thoroughly enjoyed your article. Very humorous.
IP hash: 188ce11a
PETA = People Eating Tasty Animals.
Yum!!!
IP hash: d59c084e
Imagine a dairy farm - but with women. Would milking be done with machines? paid staff? or volunteers?
Where are the feminists on this?
IP hash: 03a0cc4f
Actually, they haven’t done shit for animal rights. They kill most of the animals they get and they do shit against animal research which saves lives.
Get a clue, PETArd.
IP hash: d319cd81
I think your taking peta a little too seriously… Do you think they REALLY mean that or is it a PR move to bring attention to milk production cruelty?
IP hash: 1e19ffb1
Although I’m happy Mr. Johnson seems to have seen the overlying message behind PETA’s breast milk stunt, I’m not sure if he realizes why PETA is the number one animal rights organization in the world. With over 2 million members, they must be doing something right. Mr. Johnson consider this: Recently, PETA also did an undercover investigation at a pig farm in Iowa, a supplier for Hormel. Which story do you think got more coverage? The Ben & Jerry’s stunt is still being talked about, where as the pig farm investigation is long forgotten. Sure, no one’s going to stop drinking milk or eating ice cream over night, but not all people sat and laughed at this campaign either. PETA has done more for the animal rights movement in the past 25 years than any other organization and I’m grateful for them.
IP hash: e819aebd
Breast milk = “Human excrement”? Are you high, or just neurotic?
IP hash: 3412785f
Well, what is “vegan morality?”
PETA is acting as they have to act given their moral views. They hold that animals have rights. If this is true then PETA is correct; we should not be exploiting animals for our own use. If animals have a right to their lives, then what right do we have to eat them? PETA’s actions are the logical application of their moral ideals.
PETA should be denounced because of their moral views, not despite them. Their idea that animals have rights is what needs to be rejected.
IP hash: 1e19ffb1
A radical terrorist group? How? Do they shove breast milk ice cream down peoples’ throats? Come on, that is a ridiculous claim.
IP hash: 2f3a4737
I want you to go down to the Bronx, and get me breast milk from a Cambodian immigrant.
I only drink tha finest breast milks.
Breast milk… you make my day-e-yay.
-P. Diddy
IP hash: f5316bce
“Excrement-filled?” Are you a moron, or do you just like the attention?
IP hash: 8d96d0a6
There are only three things in the world more ridiculous than PETA: Sarah Palin, the notion that anyone finds Sacha Baron Cohen funny, and this article.
IP hash: b5cf4b5b
Sounds like Alan Abel is in town. alanabel.com
IP hash: 2b0cf1cb
Breast milk ice cream? Gross! And just how many lactating women would it take to make a gallon of ice cream?
IP hash: 7b9adeb0
DUH. PETA isn’t serious about these things. They are using these tactics to get people to see that the flesh and milk and ovulatory eggs of animals is just as ridiculous as eating a whale or eating human mothers milk ice cream.
As a whole we are so desensitized to the animals that people do eat and drink from so what they are trying to do is get people to see that all animals are worthy of living. There really is no difference between eating a cow or an elephant or your family pet- it’s simply a person’s thought process and they choose to think that their dog is more worthy than a cow or a pig (even though mentalit they are just as smart).
I think PETA is smart with this tactic because someone has got to start making connections for people. PETA has chosen to be an organization that makes wild advertising if you want more soft spoken and kind and so not in your face then go to www.veganoutreach.org. They will tell you the exact same things but in a nicer language so people won’t feel so guilty.
IP hash: b7b0e833
Don’t bad mouth PETA-the-Great. In this case, it would be good for you to have a sense of humor. This request for ice cream w/ human milk is mostly to bring attention to the atrocities of factory farming, milk industry and veal atrocities. Go PETA go! for all animals, they are the best!
IP hash: 90e123a8
First of all, anonymous responders, stop bringing up sarah palin. what the hell does sarah palin have to do with this article? nothing. it just shows that you’re all stupid and complain too much and don’t do anything about it. and that sarah palin is the only comparison you have to stupidity because it’s all over the news. we’re all aware shes dumb, find something new to bitch about.
“I think I should start my own group: PGDVVCWN. People for the Grinding Down of Vegetarians’ and Vegans’ Canines Without Novacaine. If you don’t need ‘em, why should you keep ‘em!” -You’re not worthy of speaking, please shut up and keep your incompetent comments to yourself.
“Imagine a dairy farm - but with women. Would milking be done with machines? paid staff? or volunteers? Where are the feminists on this?”
-you’re actually funny.
“Dude, why don’t you get it? They’re just pointing out that we don’t mind drinking from cows’ nipples, but are disgusted by our own nipple juice. ”
-look “Dude,” i’m pretty sure he does get it. Read the whole article.
This article is great. It shows PETA IS over the top, and comes from a vegan who doesn’t want to be associated with them. and yes, soy ice cream is good.
IP hash: 2f6b8a7e
“I only drink the finest Breast Milks”
-P. Diddy