PETA Gets Roasted for New PSA Asking People to Stop Using Animal-Related Insults

People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals, better known as PETA, stirred up controversy on social media after they asked people to forgo using animal-related insults. In a Tuesday tweet, the animal rights activist group said calling people names such as “chicken,” “pig,” “sloth,” and other terms was insulting to animals, the message quickly becoming the source of mockery.

In the post, PETA asked social media users to choose to “create a more inclusive world” rather than “perpetuate oppression,” calling on them to “stand up for justice by rejecting supremacist language.” In a nifty graphic, the group offered up some alternatives to what they deemed insults that reinforce “the myth that humans are superior to other animals & justified in violating them.” In order to avoid perpetuating speciesism, PETA suggested replacing “chicken” with “coward,” “rat” with “snitch,” “snake” with “jerk,” “pig” with “repulsive,” and “sloth” with “lazy.”

In the tweet thread, PETA went on to state, “anti-animal slurs degrade animals by applying negative human traits to certain species,” and said “perpetuating the idea that animals are sly, dirty, or heartless desensitizes the public and normalizes violence against other animals.” The group urged “everyone who believes in equality and justice to take a look at their personal beliefs and the language they use, and break free of this outdated mindset that denigrates other animals. Always be kind and consider not using insults at all.”

The post immediately rose eyebrows, and the organization found themselves on the receiving end of plenty of mockery, something PETA isn’t necessarily a stranger to given their provocative statements and campaigns. Many users simply found humor in the post, though others roasted PETA for the suggestion. Scroll down to see what Twitter had to say about PETA’s request.

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Responding to the above tweet, PETA said, “if you believe in equality and justice, it isn’t hard to see how calling someone an animal as an insult can further animal suffering. All the horror inflicted upon animals is rooted in the false idea that they are less than us and not deserving of respect.”

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One person said they “thought thought this was an [The Onion] article at first,” referencing the satirical news sight renowned for its bewildering and completely false headlines. “In fact I’m not sure it still isn’t.”

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After one person suggested people just “don’t use insults,” PETA seemed to agree, writing, “Avoiding insults entirely is the best solution!” The group went on to again note that “if you believe in equality and justice,” it is easy to see how damaging calling someone an animal insult can be.

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In response, one person declared that they are “now a speciesist. I want to end all Bedbugs, and Mosquitos. These bugs serve no purpose and genociding them would make the world a better place. I hope they can feel pain and I really hope it hurts when you smash them.”

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In response to the tweet, one person replied, “come back to me about being less superior than animals when an anteater builds a house.” PETA was quick to respond, writing, “Building houses is a skill humans excel at, yet there are plenty of skills and talents other animals have humans can only dream of – birds can soar through the sky at ease, ants can organize their labor towards a collective goal, and salmon can swim upstream to find their home!”

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Several people pointed out reports that PETA euthanizes “thousands of healthy animals.” The group responded to those claims by directing users to a post on the group’s rescue team and “the animals they help.” PETA said, “Yes, PETA euthanizes. Meet the animals who we’ve given a peaceful end.”

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Not everyone was against the message, though. One person wrote, “PC is usually idiotic. However: chickens are not more cowardly than people. Rats are not more treacherous than people. Pigs are not more disgusting than people…So, not using those comparisons is not a sign of PC. It is being truthful.”