# PETA = Idiots **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 5, 2000, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-idiots/35814 "2000-10-05T18:14:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kellibelli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e480ec/32.png) [@kellibelli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kellibelli)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2000, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-idiots/35814/21 "2000-10-06T10:33:16Z")
We would have to plow up the rain forests for farmland too. A balance of carnivores and herbivores is necessary in any ecosystem. Am I supposed to stop feeding my pet meat based pet food too? I dont think he will be healthy on tofu. ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2000, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-idiots/35814/22 "2000-10-06T13:22:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by divemaster \* > \*\ ***Anthracite** , don’t you think PETA’s apology would have gone over better if they had taken it upon themselves to re-evaluate and retract the ad on their own accord? It loses a little something when the apology comes on the heels of a threatened lawsuit. \*\* My short take on that is that the threat of the lawsuit provided little impetus. The mayor is, after all, a public figure, and rules regarding the use of the images and names of public figures are a lot more broad than those for private individuals. It could also be argued that the mayor himself made his cancer fodder for public discussion by announcing it to the press. Finally, the ad was in fact a parody of the “Got Milk?” ads, and parodies enjoy extremely broad 1st Amendment protecion. No, I think the fact that not only the press and the general public, but plenty of PETA members and supporters complained about the campaign led to the apology. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2000, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-idiots/35814/23 "2000-10-06T13:42:57Z")
If everyone became vegetarian, we wouldn’t have an overpopulation of animals. The only reason we do _now_ is becasue they are raised in a controlled environment and obviously they want as many as possible to sell to meat eaters. ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2000, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-idiots/35814/24 "2000-10-06T13:52:57Z")
Yeah, **pldennison** , I thought about that, too. In fact, in my original draft I had “public outcry and a hammering by the press” as well as the “threatened lawsuit.” I decided to go with just the legal angle because PETA does not strike me as a group that would back down under public outcry. In fact, they seem to thrive on it. So, my take was that it would have to be something with the gravity of being sued (regardless of probable outcome) to provide the impetus for retraction of the ad. It’s just an impression. Either way, it’s an interesting point. ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2000, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-idiots/35814/25 "2000-10-06T15:24:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cleosia \* > \*\* However, I highly doubt that people are going to give up hamburgers, grilled cheese, etc. because they said we shouldn’t eat them. \*\* Cheese is not an animal. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2000, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-idiots/35814/26 "2000-10-06T15:25:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dogzilla \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by cleosia \* > > \*\* However, I highly doubt that people are going to give up hamburgers, grilled cheese, etc. because they said we shouldn’t eat them. \*\* > > Cheese is not an animal. \*\* But cheese is an animal product, like eggs and milk and honey. ---
**Author:** ![alibey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@alibey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alibey)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2000, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-idiots/35814/27 "2000-10-06T15:41:20Z")
why do they think that the eating habits of some guy who got killed for his views so long ago will make me change my eating habits. has anyone heard how peta claim that milk is racists? how do they make that claim? they have all these great ideas, but no doable plans. if they really want to help, they should be spreading the word about contraceptives and abstanice to help reduce the human population so their precious animals will have a place to play ---
**Author:** ![bagel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/49beb7/32.png) [@bagel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bagel)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2000, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-idiots/35814/28 "2000-10-06T16:26:21Z")
vanilla…i don’t understand how not eating meat would reduce animal population…we have a lot of raccoons,beavers,muskrats,skunks,…right here where I live now…I don’t know anyone in the area that is eating these critters… ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2000, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-idiots/35814/29 "2000-10-06T18:39:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dogzilla \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by cleosia \* > > \*\* However, I highly doubt that people are going to give up hamburgers, grilled cheese, etc. because they said we shouldn’t eat them. \*\* > > Cheese is not an animal. \*\* Cheese is too an animal! The giant cheesebeasts roam the Serengeti plain, their beautiful, orangey tusks glistening in the sunshine. As they romp and play, they shed cheese dust which feeds the desert rats and other members of the ecosystem. But in recent years, the cheesebeasts have been pushed to the brink of extinction by poachers who sell the hides to unscrupulous fondue companies. Soon, the only cheesebeasts will be the ones in zoos. You can help. Support the Save the Cheesebeast foundation. Headed up by the late Marlon Perkins, Save the Cheesebeast send workers to monitor the few remaining animals in hopes that their numbers can be restored. Please – save a cheesebeast. Otherwise, what are we going to eat on our pizzas? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2000, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-idiots/35814/30 "2000-10-06T23:09:47Z")
Milk is supposedly racist because a high portion of African Americans are supposed to be lactose intolerant, ACCORDING TO PETA. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2000, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-idiots/35814/31 "2000-10-06T23:18:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guinastasia \* > \*\*Milk is supposedly racist because a high portion of African Americans are supposed to be lactose intolerant, ACCORDING TO PETA. > :rolleyes: > \*\* I thought it was Asians who were lactose intolerant. Either way, why does that make milk racist? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![pricciar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@pricciar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pricciar)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2000, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-idiots/35814/32 "2000-10-06T23:24:09Z")
No it isn’t **just** according to PETA. From the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse web site. [Lactose Intolerance](http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/digest/pubs/lactose/lactose.htm) > [@](#): > > ``` > Between 30 and 50 million Americans are lactose intolerant. Certain > ethnic and racial populations are more widely affected than others. As > many as 75 percent of all African-Americans and Native Americans > and 90 percent of Asian-Americans are lactose intolerant. The > condition is least common among persons of northern European > descent. > > ``` I am not saying that this makes milk “racist”, nor do I know if PETA has ever said that. This shows that there a large percentage of the African-American population is lactose intolerant. To go off on another point, I have a question for the PETA members. It is obvious that campaigns such as the “Got Prostate Cancer” and “Got Beer” put your organization in a bad light. Do you feel that the bad press that is created by the campaigns is worth it? As long as they spell our names right kind of thing. Do you disagree with the press arm of your organization and wish they would go forward with more of a maintstream campaign that won’t bring up people’s ire. Perhaps, that is impossible, the mere mention of vegetarianism brings out the worst in many meat eaters. But, it seems to me the having these ad campaigns which are cutesy and perhaps funny, but very in your face and liable to tick off a large majority of people might tend to marginalize PETA’s message. I know they have to be radical and out there to get people to consider a viewpoint that is vastly different than what they currently hold, but I feel being so abrasive just causes people on the opposite side just to hold on to their opinion that much more strongly. Any opinions? I am not attempting to flame, just wondering. pat ---
**Author:** ![KJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b2d939/32.png) [@KJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KJ)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2000, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-idiots/35814/33 "2000-10-06T23:42:40Z")
Damn Thailand and their peanut sauce. Don’t they know that most Americans would find Thai food spicier than they do in Thailand? Spicy food can cause some pretty weird problems in people; watery eyes, feeling like your mouth is hot, etc. _Boycott Thailand! They’re racist anti-American bastards!_ And what about India? They’ve got some pretty spicy foods there too. _Boycott India!_ ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2000, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-idiots/35814/34 "2000-10-07T00:44:45Z")
And dont’ forget-a LOT of people are allergic to peanuts! So that’s doubly racist! ---
**Author:** ![oldscratch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ed655f/32.png) [@oldscratch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oldscratch)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2000, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-idiots/35814/35 "2000-10-07T01:14:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by particlewill \* > \*\*I doubt any Vegan-peta heads are going to read this, but…If we really did give up using any meat, be it chickens, cows, turkeys, etc, what would we do with them all? Would we release them into the wild? That would realy be humane and ethical, Eh? \*\* Well this is a stupid comment. Do yu really think the PETA people are morons (ok, scratch that). Animals that we breed for meat are in captivitiy. That means that we control when they breed. Two things would happen if PETA got their way. 1) Meat use would slowly decline, we would stop breeding as many animals, eventually, we would do away with it all together. 2) Meat eating stop immediately. We stop breeding animals, we allow the remaining animals to live a comfortable existence until they pass away from old age. ---
**Author:** ![Danielinthewolvesden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Danielinthewolvesden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danielinthewolvesden)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2000, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-idiots/35814/36 "2000-10-07T02:48:16Z")
A serious query, here. Vegans eat no animal products, BUT AFAIK, they DO eat a lot of honey, which IS an “animal” product, as kinsey pointed out. Umm, WTF? ---
**Author:** ![KJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b2d939/32.png) [@KJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KJ)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2000, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-idiots/35814/37 "2000-10-07T05:18:21Z")
As a few people have pointed out in other threads, PETA could also be called PETOQA: People for the Ethical Treatment of Only Cute Animals. I heard a factoid (possibly just a rumor/urban legend) about what PETA said regarding the show “Survivor”; apparently they got all fired up about the fact that the contestants were eating rats, but the contestants also ate live beetles and PETA didn’t say a word. (I can’t confirm/deny this, as I have never actually watched the show Survivor.) So drinking milk is evil because they keep cows in cages, and they seem to think cows are cute, but eating honey is not evil because they keep bees in cages and bees are not cute. It’s probably not much of a statement coming from me, but if I was a vegetarian, I’d be ashamed to be associated with these people. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2000, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-idiots/35814/38 "2000-10-07T05:43:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Danielinthewolvesden \* > \*\*A serious query, here. Vegans eat no animal products, BUT AFAIK, they DO eat a lot of honey, which IS an “animal” product, as kinsey pointed out. Umm, WTF? \*\* The vegans I know DON’T eat honey, precisely because it is an animal product. ---
**Author:** ![alibey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@alibey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alibey)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2000, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-idiots/35814/39 "2000-10-07T08:55:52Z")
ok, so they think milk is racist because a larger prtion of americans of african and asian decent are lactose intolerant, but they are pushing beer even though a larger percentage of native americans have a harder time metabolising alcohol then others. wtf. if they want to stop eating animal products, then fine, just don’t get between me and my steak and chocolate milkshake. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2000, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-idiots/35814/40 "2000-10-07T18:20:28Z")
Last night on 20/20, John Stossel had his “Give Me A Break” segment on PETA. The woman (I think she was the president) compared chicken farms to Holocaust concentration camps. I can’t believe she would compare a chicken farm to something like that! Now they’re gonna piss off the Jewish community. Danielinthewolvesden, strict vegans will not eat honey because the bees are treated cruelly by the beekeepers. There was a link in one of these threads to website that explained how mean the beekeepers are to the poor little bees, but I can’t remember which one I saw it in. I guess we should use sugar as a sweetener instead of honey, because of course we all know how wonderfully the migrant farm workers are treated… _:::goes off to get her own steak and chocolate milkshake and sits down with alibey:::_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-idiots/35814.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-idiots/35814.md?page=3)