If the world of nonprofits were a high school, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals would be the kid who started a fire in the supply closet and got everybody a day out of class. PETA is known for, among other things, flinging blood onto celebrities, mocking cancer patients, funding terrorism, and “naked spokespeople.” Also, not liking fur. They’ve offended plenty of both the high and the mighty with their exploits, and the latest ad campaign, “Fur-Free and Fabulous,” is no exception. So when I walked into the DC Metro and saw Michelle Obama life-size in a PETA ad, I had to stop and say, “surely not….” The ad was a grainy composite of several celebrities superimposed with Mrs. Obama’s official White House photograph (in the elegant and sleeveless black sheath that caused “arms-gate”). I guessed she wasn’t really hawking for PETA. And I guessed right.
Mrs. Obama is fur-free. But other than deputy press secretary Semonti Stephens’ confirmation in June of last year, she’s quiet about her choice, unlike French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, who wrote a letter condemning fur to PETA staffer Dan Matthews (after PETA thoughtfully leaked criticism of her to the press). Though President Obama has openly advocated animal rights in the past, saying, “I think how we treat our animals reflects how we treat each other, and it’s very important that we have a president who is mindful of the cruelty that is perpetrated on animals,” Mrs. Obama has been largely mute. She did not consent to become part of PETA’s, ad campaign, nor is she pleased by her status as an involuntary promoter. But try telling that to PETA.
PETA claims to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves, and that seems to include captive first ladies, whom the organization pointed out couldn’t endorse them in an official capacity, so they didn’t bother to ask. But they’re mind readers; they just know Mrs. O loves them.
So much so in fact, that Mrs. O herself couldn’t at first convince them to take down the ads. PETA president Ingrid Newkirk explained her unusual thinking to the Washington Post: “we got a call from the White House counsel’s office… we said to them, we’re not selling a coat, only an idea that glamorous beautiful women who you look up to don’t wear fur…. We’re honoring her. Lawyers are lawyers, but PETA is honoring her fashion sense.” It’s tough to argue with the unimpeachable logic that lawyers are, generally, lawyers, but it’s more difficult to see how completely disrespecting someone’s wishes honors them. But chalk one up to Mrs. O and those attorneys: PETA is now pulling the ads.
As an unwilling PETA advocate, Michelle Obama is in good company. None of the other three women in the ad gave their consent either, although Oprah (no last name necessary), Carrie Underwood, and Tyra Banks have all participated with PETA in some capacity in the past. And unconventional (unauthorized) celebrity endorsements or willful misrepresentation are simply modus operandi for PETA. Princess Diana was once a victim, as was the Dali Lama. PETA routinely ropes people into promoting them, fencing them into situations with little room to maneuver, and force-feeding their ideas to the public. Just don’t treat animals that way.
In fact, PETA relies entirely on shock tactics, manipulation, and shaky logic to promote its agenda (such as in a recent ad featured on Hulu.com, where a young man explains that his aversion to eating meat originated with the fact that his dog looked kind of like a pig. And well, he wouldn’t want to eat his dog). While sensitivity to animals is in, the feelings of homo sapiens get short shrift: in the last year alone, the organization that once packaged people as human meat lost a battle in Germany to place ads comparing Holocaust victims to animals in factory farms, called “Holocaust on Your Plate.” Germany’s high court ruled that the ads were “an offense against human dignity.” PETA countered by claiming they were merely making the point that meat is murder, because the suffering of humans and animals is equal. For them, Auschwitz is just another bacon factory. Or as Ingrid Newkirk put it, “six million Jews died in concentration camps, but six billion broiler chickens will die this year in slaughterhouses.”
In reality, humans are far kinder to animals than nature, as anyone watching Animal Planet knows. What PETA unwittingly demands of its supporters is that they behave like the rest of us: treat animals better than animals treat each other, and acknowledge that humans are different than animals in their capacity to act in reason and kindness, rather than instinct. Respect for the dignity of humanity is thus not merely essential, but central to their message. It’s time for PETA to acknowledge that fact, and support the ethical treatment of people. Including first ladies.
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Skyla Freeman (skylafreeman.com) is a former writer for President George W. Bush. She blogs about style and culture at Sanity Fair online (sfair.blogspot.com).
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