Controversial “Save the Whales” Campaign by PETA

(Bandi, 2009)

Controversial “Save the Whales” Campaign by PETA
The ad that was chosen to research was from the “Save the Whales” billboard that was erected in Jacksonville, FL back in 2009. It depicts a woman with “blubber” spilling out of her swimsuit, and says Save the Whales, lose the blubber: go vegetarian. “Our goal is help overweight Jacksonville residents – the best way to do that is to go vegetarian. We’re not trying to insult anyone,” (Wright, 2009) Ashley Byrne, a senior campaigner for PETA told Huffington Post. This is what PETA has been known for with their attention-grabbing antics such as the ad that was on Capitol Hill of scantily clad-women for a veggie dog eat-in that involved playboy playmates wearing only lettuce bikinis. When asked specifically if the billboard shamed overweight people, Byrne stated, “If the billboard is shocking, hopefully it will get people’s attention, and help them improved quality of life for themselves and their families….. “It’s designed to help people.” (Wright, 2009) This ad is a very controversial because of the fact that PETA used those that are struggling with their weight as part of their campaign stating that anyone can lose weight by simply becoming a vegetarian and not be overweight.
PETA is no stranger to using shock tactics because, as of late, it has discovered the best way to get media attention is to utilize these shock tactics. The organization will not admit to resorting to using the shock factor to be heard, saying instead it likes to speak the truth no matter how hurtful that it might be. Those within the organization say that they are not at all concerned about the billboard, let alone about the controversy that it has generated in the media. They are standing by their initial statement: meat-eaters are fatter than vegetarians. They also say that if overweight people are bothered by the ad, then so be it, maybe now they will have enough motivation to get started with a healthier lifestyle.
This is not PETA’s first whale-themed campaign, back in 2001 they aimed to encourage people to stop eating chicken, beef and pork and instead substitute whale meat (Bandi, 2009). Originally the campaign was called “Eat the Whales”, in which they were encouraging those that could not do without meat to limit to eating really, really large animals to limit the number that had to die for their flesh addiction. When PETA launched this campaign it was outside of the International Whaling Convention by distributing Eat the Whales leaflets. PETA has always been a very controversial organization and typically do not care if they respect women if they will continuously place ads like this one out and up on billboards. It is like they have more respect for animals then they do for their own kind. They are raising a lot of eyebrows and ire within women and health groups alike with this current campaign and billboard that has been erected.
There are a lot of critics that are saying that they are not sure how anyone can really be offended by this billboard, well they must not have ever had to struggle with their own weight or had anyone in their family that has had that struggle. For those that have had family struggling with a weight problem surely are going to take a very offensive stand when it comes to this particular billboard.