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PETA Chairwoman Ingrid Newkirk announced yesterday at the organization's annual convention that she "was pleased to see that we have been fighting so hard for the proper treatment of animals everywhere." What most don't know is that the animal rights group extends its definition of everywhere to include the fictional realm.
Disney has long been acutely aware of the presence of PETA. A spokesman for the company stated that "we received numerous complaints back when we were in the drawing stages of Bambi and Dumbo back in the early '40s. Everyone else was worried about the war, but they were there protesting against the cruel treatment of fictional deer and an elephant."
With the rise of the Pokemon craze in the early 2000s, PETA began increased efforts to stop the cruel treatment of animated animals from abroad. "In what way is it different from cock fighting? And these animals are stored in little balls, smaller than what you let a hamster run around in!" remarked Drew Trapping. "And to objectify them by saying 'gotta catch 'em all' is plain wrong."
The organization recently continued its foray into the rights of these special animals when one member was watching one of the Harry Potter films. "Have you seen the way they treat Fawkes the Phoenix? They burn the poor creature to ashes! How have so many people let this continue to happen?" exclaimed member Sue Pheelia.
Warner Brothers, the company that produces the Harry Potter films, issued a tongue-in-cheek press release a few days after a PETA protest outside their office saying that "while we appreciate the concern expressed by PETA on behalf of the phoenix used in the filming, we would like to assure them that the phoenix has a remarkable resilience."
Those responsible for the most recent Alvin and the Chipmunks movie have also incurred the wrath of the animal rights group. "Just because they're chipmunks doesn't mean you can get them high on helium to perform for you. Can someone say exploitation?" offered James Greenberg.
The past month has seen PETA embarking upon a "Reindeer Rights" campaign. With the help of one Dr. Dolittle, the group hopes to liberate the reindeer from the North Pole. They cite reasons such as "the permanently red nose of Rudolph is a clear indicator of forcing the reindeer to work while sick, and referring to someone as 'Vixen' in the workplace is blatant sexual harassment."
Another member, Dominic Artide, pointed out that "these animals don't get holidays off and they're forced to work the night shift every Christmas Eve. When a figure as prominent as Santa Clause is involved, it makes it that much more frustrating."
2010 is expected to bring an increased presence of the group in Hollywood. While they have already recruited human stars like Pamela Anderson to the cause, PETA wishes to "break more into the animation scene," according to an official press release. "Once Nemo has matured a little bit, we'd love to have him on board."
