January 23, 2020; KSNV-TV (Las Vegas, NV)
The trick with truly appreciating the brilliance of PETA, in my humble opinion, is to distance oneself—frankly, because so many of their campaigns are provocative in a deep-seated absurdist way that’s now part of the organization’s brand. But PETA, in acting out of the organization’s belief that many of our societal norms with regard to animal treatment are deeply objectionable, knows how to use the most far-flung circumstances to make a point.
Here are some of our personal favorites, in terms of being weird but thought-provoking:
Sign up for our free newsletters
Subscribe to NPQ's newsletters to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.
By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from NPQ and our partners.
- More Monkey Business: Appellate Court Rules on PETA Animal Selfie
- PETA May Buy “Silence of the Lambs” House—But That’s Not the Worst of It
- The Poultry Wars: PETA Gets in on the Chick-fil-A Fight
- PETA and Pamela Anderson Laud Sheriff Arpaio for Making Prisoners Eat Meatless
I don’t feel that way about their newest ongoing campaign, which is far more straightforward, but it’s still an arresting strategy, which is to challenge Starbucks on its pricing policy that leads it to charging more for plant-based creamer than dairy based. This week, animal rights advocates have taken to Starbucks locations nationwide to protest this practice.
“Soy and nut milk shouldn’t cost a cent more than their dairy counterparts, which are cruel to cows, contribute to climate change, and are indigestible to many humans,” said Tracy Reiman, an executive vice president for the nonprofit. “PETA is upping the pressure on Starbucks to wake up and smell the coffee: It’s time for the unfair surcharge to end.”
Starbucks has already responded, offering some concessions which include lowering but not eliminating the surcharge.—Ruth McCambridge
