Words can create a more inclusive world, or perpetuate oppression.
— PETA (@peta) January 26, 2021
Calling someone an animal as an insult reinforces the myth that humans are superior to other animals & justified in violating them.
Stand up for justice by rejecting supremacist language. pic.twitter.com/HFmMWDcc5A
This is animal advocate abuse.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals demanded this week that people stop using “speciesist” terms such as “chicken,” “pig” or “rat” as insults for humans — and promptly got ripped as dodos for the stunt.
The PETA tweet was so widely mocked online that it soon boasted an embarrassing ratio of almost 11,000 comments to just over 3,000 likes as of Thursday morning.
“Calling someone an animal as an insult reinforces the myth that humans are superior to other animals & justified in violating them,” the animal-rights advocacy group said in its earnest call to action. “Stand up for justice by rejecting supremacist language.”
PETA social-media reps also included a chart detailing the human “supremacist” terminology and suggesting alternative language such as using “coward” instead of “chicken,” “snitch” in lieu of “rat,” “jerk” rather than “snake,” “repulsive” rather than “pig” and “lazy” to cast aspersions onto someone with sloth-like tendencies.
Needless to say, the majority of commenters deemed the directive a bit cuckoo.
“Congratulations on the stupidest tweet of 2021 and it’s only been 4 weeks,” scoffed one detractor of the batty tweet. “A true achievement.”
“I can’t tell if this is real or you guys are making fun of yourselves,” wrote another.
One catty commenter posted a graphic that read, “Instead of ‘PETA’ say ‘trash.’ ”
Even staunch vegans found PETA’s tweet difficult to digest.
“This is my 7th year of being vegan and I am begging u to never tweet again,” wrote one aghast herbivore.
Another correctly pointed out that sloths were named after the term for laziness and not the other way around.
In response to the onslaught of mockery, PETA President Ingrid Newkirk told The Post, “The kneejerk dismissals are a reflection of the times we want to put behind us, and after ridicule comes discussion and then acceptance, as we’ve seen with our campaigns to end the use of fur and to point out how inhumane and unhealthy cow’s milk is, among others.”
She added that “it shouldn’t be controversial to assert that the words we use have the power to create a more inclusive world or to perpetuate oppression, and PETA is simply asking everyone to think before they speak — or type.”
PETA also argued in a follow-up Tweet that “speciesist” language was also “inaccurate” as animals possess surprisingly human-like attributes.
“Pigs, for instance, are intelligent, lead complex social lives, and show empathy for other pigs in distress,” they wrote. “Snakes are clever, have family relationships, and prefer to associate with their relatives.”
“Come back to me about being less superior than animals when an anteater builds a house,” read one retort.
This isn’t the first time PETA has caused its critics to have a cow. This past summer, the animal-rights organization ruffled online feathers after blaming the COVID pandemic on meat consumption.
Speciesist language isn’t just harmful, but it is also inaccurate.
— PETA (@peta) January 26, 2021
Pigs, for instance, are intelligent, lead complex social lives, and show empathy for other pigs in distress. Snakes are clever, have family relationships, and prefer to associate with their relatives.
THANKS SO MUCH,, IT MEANS THE WORLD TO US IN THESE DIFFICULT TIMESֱ
2 comments:
Who do they think they are ?? PETA's self-appointed mission is certainly not about restricting people's freedom, never mind freedom of speech.
And 2020 has brought to us enough occasions to prove that being this kind of progressive-terrorist is by far much worse than calling someone 'pig' or 'chicken' or 'animal'.
So PETA... just watch over your own looters, please. Thank you.
Can I take animals to court now for damages to my lawn?
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