Well finally HBO has decided to tackle PETA - they can show on their uncensored documentary all the disgusting crap PETA likes to show people - while explaining the motives of the organization and more pointedly the motives of Ingrid Newkirk, the founder.
I am an Animal is a detailed look into the life of Ingrid and the crappy organizationn she runs.
The documentary starts with Ingrid reading the days hate mail: * Dear Ingrid, I believe if you hire a vegan doctor to stretch your anus to the size of the front door to your Norfolk, Virginia headquarters and alert people walking through them that they are heading in the right direction…*
The letter reading continues.
I thoughts of PETA after some scrutny and this documentary have not changed. It was humorous to see all the interviews Ingrid has done over the years with the likes of Bill O’Reilly, Barbara Walters, Peter Jennings, Opra etc…etc…all lambasting by these interviewers since the 80’s all stuck into a minute long clip…I loved it.
It did not change my views of PETA, I’d love nothing more than to see them all fester in a pot of pig crap - What it did do was alert me to keep my children away from such filth [when we have kids that is] and to continue denouncing them with the utter verve I have in the past!
I’d like to keep this in the cafe, but if it gets out of hand, the pit would suffice I suppose.
I may have wrote this too soon, I beieve the premier was last night as I was watching it and writing this post. So people may not have seen it just yet…
We caught most of it last night- I think what I got the most of out of it was the interviews with heads of animal welfare groups that talked about how she had made a joke of the AR movement and had marginalized it. She seemed like a person totally disconnected with people and reality. She does have a talent for manufacturing press and getting heard but doesn’t realize that her method is so distasteful and (IMHO) destructive. I was curious if one goes into a fur store and destroys thousands of dollars of fur, doesn’t someone have to pay for that?
I also thought it was telling when one of her employees told her about a tiger refuge- one person- that was really abusing the animals and when faced with a situation she could actually affect, she discarded it in favor of tackling the turkey industry. Why actually work on something that would make a difference to the animals when you can save one turkey? That was the end result of their Butterball investigation- one saved turkey and a short clip of hicks being hicks.
She stated that she is so empathetic to animals because growing up she spent years and years with a pet dog. Jesus Christ, lady, so did 100 million other Americans, and yet none of them are as wacky as you.
I also laughed at her story of when she was an 8 year old girl in India, screaming at a man, and how she might have killed him. Yeah, an 8 year old girl is such a huge physical threat to a grown man. (Did I misunderstand that story? Because it really made me think she is batshit crazy.)
I had no idea Bill Maher was on the board at Peta. His most eye-rolling comment for me was when he said that Peta is the main name associated with animal rights for most people in this country, and that before Peta there was no name people associated with animal rights. I’ll take “What is The Humane Society?” for $100, Alex.
Technically, the SPCA and Humane Society promote animal welfare, not animal rights like PETA. Animal welfare = not treating them in a cruel manner, animal rights = giving them rights equivalent to humans
I agree with Bill Maher more often than not. More importantly, I usually find him a shrewd observer. Which is why I’ve always been baffled by his support of PETA.
I’m watching part of it now. I like when she goes on in her adorable accent about their undercover guy–“if he screws us over, he’s screwing the birds over!” And she used the word “lollygagging” in that same sentence. Totally priceless.
