PETA co-founder Ingrid Newkirk book-signing at Powell’s last night was no amen chorus. About 15 angry women showed up to protest a PETA ad campaign they say oppresses women by depicting them in demeaning roles that exploit their bodies.
A recent PETA ad depicting a heavy-set woman at the beach with the caption: “Save The Whales, Lose the Blubber: Go Vegetarian” sparked the protest, which went on to the street after Powell’s associates asked protesters to leave.
Other ads that have angered some women include a nude Maggie Q lying on a bed of chilies and proclaiming “Spice Up Your Life- Go Vegetarian,” and a lingerie-clad Alicia Meyer telling men that going vegetarian will help them “Get it Up.”
Newkirk — in town to talk about her newest book The PETA Practical Guide to Animal Rights — wasn’t surprised to see the protesters. “There are definitely lots of different types of people in Portland, with lots of different opinions,” she says.
Erin Fairchild, a social worker and one of the protest group’s organizers, says her group consists mostly of vegetarians and vegans. She says they don’t oppose PETA’s animal rights mission. “We want what they want, which is the ethical treatment of animals,” Fairchild says. “We just want the ethical treatment of women, too.”
“We were offended by PETA’s ads, but when we saw this billboard we knew we had to do something,” Fairchild says. “We didn’t even know she was going to be in town until about 5 p.m., and sent out a massive invite on Facebook. We got a lot of responses and put this whole thing together in about an hour.”
Newkirk recognizes that the billboard ads upset some people, but says they aren’t going to change. “Its fine they have their own opinion, but I’m hearing good responses over the ads, too,” she says. “One woman came to me before the book signing and said she didn’t know being a vegetarian would help her lose weight until she saw our ad.”
And according to Newkirk, critics of PETA’s ads have a narrow view of a woman’s portrayal in the media. “Women can do whatever they want with their bodies, and these protests are going back to the times when husbands and boyfriends told us to cover up,” she says. “Now these other women are telling us to cover up, too.”
Fairchild disagrees: “We just want to create a rich and open dialogue about what these PETAs ads are doing,” says Fairchild. “They’re sexist and size-ist, and they need to understand that you don’t have to oppress women in order to liberate animals.”
- PETA Vs. Al Gore!! Coming To Portland!!! Veep, or
- Just When You Might Be Respecting PETA… …th
- PETA: Using Fake Blood to Make You Feel Awkward Since 1980 Members o
- Animal-Rights Demonstrators Going to The Circus. Here’s What They’re Planning.(UPDATED) Parents a
- PETA to Immigrants: If La Migra Doesn’t Get You, America’s Fatty Diet Will The Spanis
Tags: billboards, Burnside, controversy, feminist, Ingrid Newkirk, PETA, Powell's, protest, sexist
I think it’s funny that Ingrid Newkirk thinks we want women to cover up! She has a very outdated view of feminism. Seems like from her billboard she’s the one who wants people to be ashamed of their bodies! If I was there when she said that, I would’ve taken my top off! haha!
I can’t wait for her to call it quits (not that PETA will do a 180 even then, and it may be a long time from now, given her veganism). What terrible logic. What a co-option. Treat others as instruments in order that some might stop treating animals as instruments. Moral bankruptcy.
Thanks for protesting!
I totally agree with Ingrid, women should be able to use their bodies any way they wish, and anyone who is telling them they should put their cloths back on are the sexist ones. If men were posing naked nobody would be protesting. I was not wild about the whale billboard, but the naked ones and sex ones are great.
OMG! Am I the only one completely confused on Newkirkian logic. She’s the one standing up for women doing what they want with their bodies and the protesters are trying to ensure that large women cover up? What the hell kind of twilight zone world did I just enter?
holy crap, michael. you misunderstood the message. the protesters did not want for fat women to cover up. at all. the message was that peta should not use tactics that make fat women (OR ANYBODY) feel ashamed of their bodies in order to get people to be veg. personally, i want for everyone to feel comfortable to be as naked as they want to be.
PETA is still up to their same olddddd tactics, notariety at any cost. They don’t really stand for anythings’ rights other than their own 15 minutes in the news media.
Hey, PETA, whatever happened to “Animal Liberation is Human Liberation” ?
AMAZING action on behalf of women and non-human animals. These protestors are actually compassionate and care about the lives of animals (human and non-human) unlike PETA who constantly runs sexist/sizist ads and kills hundreds of puppies.
The oppression of women will never liberate non-human animals! We must ALL be free.
Whoo-yoo! Pin headed liberals against pin headed liberals. I need a lawn chair & a beer…
Newkirk says “women can do whatever they want with their bodies”. Does that include include wrapping them in fur coats and having a steak dinner? It’s called pro-choise as long as you choose what I believe in.
Oops, that’s choice. Sorry
I’m glad she talked to the reporter but would not talk to us. Next time we will hold our signs naked. Nudity doesn’t bother us. Sizeism and sexism bothers us. Narrow portrayals of women bother us. PETA is so boring.
I think if beautiful women can use their bodies for a good cause to raise public awareness, more power to them!!! It’s much better than to use their beauty for less noble purposes, no? The meat-eating habit is hard to change (although it is not even addictive as cigarettes or illicit drugs), so we need all the help we can get. Open your mind and see that at the core of the issue is the cruelty and callousness of the human hearts. What other women want to do with their beauty is their business. They are adults and know what they are doing. If we’re all vegetarian, I’m sure PETA will be glad to retire! It’s hard work, and they’re doing it for selfless love. Give them a break! Our planet is dying, mostly due to the livestock industry (read the United Nations 2006 report). If we don’t stop consuming meat and waste the Earth’s resources, we won’t even have a planet to live in to argue about this.
[...] Hypocrisy Alert! Published August 20, 2009 Uncategorized Leave a Comment Oh, I love this story. [...]
PETA and Ingrid are disgusting! How dare they shame fat women!
I follow a vegan diet and honestly I’ve gained weight since I started a vegan diet. I lost a lot of weight following an omnivore diet but have been maintaining/trying to reach my previous weight following a vegan diet.
There are better ways to encourage vegetarianism then trying to shame women.
Bravo to the protesters!
I am a Pacific Islander. There is nothing I can do to become “skinny” or “fit”. My doctor tells me I’m the healthiest large guy he knows. I was even learning to cook Vegan and was considering a switch but if this is the way I’ll be treated by my colleagues, then forget it.
I’ll just start a group that throws cooked meat at peta demos while eating meat. See how they like it.
You know, I’ve never heard of a vegan or vegetarian athletes and low animal protein isn’t none. Sorry. There are no such things as Vegan or Vegetarian bodybuilders. Aren’t they healthy?
Peta has turned me away much like religion did. If I see people being insensitive of others, I don’t want any part of it.
I applaud the protesters
Tahko,
Please don’t think PETA represents vegans or vegetarians, they do not. I know I hesitated for YEARS to even consider vegetarianism due to the antics of PETA. I have to say being vegan is one of the best thing I’ve ever done.
Also there are plenty of vegan athletes and body builders. Off the top of my head – Brendan Brazier is an Ironman champion, Carl Lewis is a champion runner and I’ve heard of at least one professional football player and a few body builders. Bob Harper (Biggest Loser) is now vegetarian (possibly vegan?).
There are plenty of welcoming vegans, just avoid and ignore PETA.
Hi, all! Thanks for the responses-
In speaking with Newkirk, she said: “those who eat no meat and still gain weight or eat meat and lose weight are considered “extreme” cases.” She wholly believes that cutting meat from one’s diet will help them lose weight.
And her opinion is that a woman who decides to use her body as a political tool IS liberating herself (for the sake of liberating animals).
Anvi,
So the fact that I lost 160 lbs while eating meat is an extreme case? And the fact that I gained back 20 of those lbs while being vegan is extreme?
I know many others who have gained weight following a vegan diet. I have known many lifetime vegetarians that were overweight if not obese.
Ingrid Newkirk is so out of touch with the common women, it is unbelievable. I have been trying to explain to my non-vegan friends for the past few days why PETA is so f’d up and trying to explain that most vegans don’t support PETA.
I also maintain that PETA is the reason that I and others have been reluctant to go near vegetarianism/veganism for such a long time. The only reason I did is I was able to find accepting, loving and supportive vegans. As a result, I’ve also been able to help 2 others follow a vegan diet and have helped others reduce their animal product consumption.
*Just thought you all might want to stay updated with what she says in response to your posts*
It’s about time we women protested this sexist cult that continuously exploits young women for a buck. Their ads are soft-porn and most young woman wouldn’t do such work for Playboy but think they’re helping animals. Wrong. The whole PETA philosophy — that “animals are equal to humans” — is offensive. PETA compares circus elephants to black males, dairy cattle to women, the list goes on and on. Human beings, all of us, should be insulted by their tactics. PETA sees no difference between a human being and a dog, cat, rat or mouse and is working to remove all domesticated animals from the planet which is a goal no animal lover should help support in any way. PETA is a tofu cult, not a serious policy group. Send your cash to your local animal shelter and your favorite wildlife biologist, not the PETA tofu cult in Virginia!
PETA fighting animal abuse is a TOTAL lie. PETA kills over 95% of the animals they take in. They want the annihilation of all domesticated animals and every person a vegan. That’s PETA’s goal. Don’t fall in their so called passionate about the animals crap. It’s a lie.
If you are interested at all and care about your constitutional rights to eat what you want and have the pets you want then the REAL truth about PETA will set you free! Do some homework. Donate to and volunteer at your local shelter. Stop funding these radical terrorists who do not care about you or any of the animals. Check out the links below just to start there are 100’s. Know the truth about PETA..
http://www.petakillsanimals.com
http://www.activistcash.com/organization_overview.cfm/oid/21
Protect your children from PETA Go to this link
http://www.consumerfreedom.com/article_detail.cfm/article/156
At least not everyone is joining PETA on its stupid campaign to force its rediculous animal rights philosephies on us all this INGRID NEWKIRK should be sent back to where she came from and PETA should be totaly eradicated
I love meat AND women.