Pamela Anderson Drawn, Quartered & Banned In Her (And My) Native Canada
August 28, 2010
by Susan Macaulay
|Susan is the Founder of the blog Amazing Women Rock, where the following article was originally posted. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author, and not necessarily those of The New Agenda.
The woman who was butchered and meat-hooked using photoshop for the ad featured in my last blog post may or may not have known how the image of her body would be used by advertisers.
But Canadian-born actress Pamela Anderson, whose boob-jobbed breasts famously drew millions of viewers to the infamously bouncing-down-the-beach TV series Baywatch, volunteered to be drawn and quartered by anti-fur lobbyists PETA for this protest piece, which was recently banned in Canada:
The Best Of Intentions…?
Pamela and PETA may very well have noble intentions (I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt here), but their continued used of the female form (almost always revealingly and tantalizingly unclothed), as an attention-getting strategy is, in my humble opinion, distasteful.
On its website, PETA proudly displays its growing list of overtly sexual, and possibly-designed-to-be-banned-and-so perhaps-not-surprisingly-banned advertising including the two below, both reportedly not accepted to be run during recent Superbowls. The banned ads can be found on the PETA site in a section disturbingly called “The Peta Files.”
Exhibit 1 is soft porn with vegetables:
A Tenuous Link At Best
Despite being vibrantly sensuous, sexy, and attractive (as well as a vegetarian), I find the link between mostly naked women (“making it” with pumpkins, brocolli and asparagus), and the anti-fur lobby, to be tenuous at best.
And, while I’ve become increasingly inured, and simultaneously incensed, at the sight of naked women attached to everything from machine guns to motorcycles, I draw the line at our objectification to ostensibly save the pelts and flesh of our furry little friends. Puh-lease PETA, give me a break!
As Rachel from Glasgow, Scotland, commented on the mailonline story which featured the Anderson ad:
“I think it’s really hypocritical of an animal rights group to fight against the degradation of animals, yet they degrade humans in the process.”
Don’t get me wrong. I’m as much an animal lover as the next gal; my Mom’s cat Pia Roma is the latest in a string of pets whom I and my whole family have dearly loved for more years than I care to count.
Likewise, as I’ve already said, I’m a vegetarian.
Nevertheless, I don’t think flaunting flesh with veg is the most effective way to get the anti-fur, anti-meat message widely accepted. Principles PETA, prinicples. Ya’ gotta’ stick to ‘em! And that goes for you too Pamela Anderson. Keeping more of your clothes ON increases your credibility, not vice versa.
Titillating Tactics: Do They REALLY Work?
Exhibit 2 is a third-rate take-off of third-rate soft porn; it advocates the substituion of zuchinni for sausage (!):
There’s something to be said for the argument that ANY exposure is good exposure.
Clearly PETA’S titillating tactics increase the likelihood of its message being viewed, along with the ample, and undoubtedly airbrushed ass-ets of Ms Anderson (compare the ‘All Animals Have The Same Parts’ cartoon with the real-life pic that accompanies the article and tell me what you think….).
Ironically, this blog post is a prime (no pun intended) example of just how effective the “sex sells” strategy can be. You’re reading it after all, aren’t you?
But: does more seeing more human skin prevent people from purchasing less animal skin?
And: does seeing more human flesh encourage people to eat less animal flesh?
Ummm… I’m not convinced PETA. Nope. I’m not convinced at all…
Thanks for sharing my ‘Pamela & PETA’ piece on The New Agenda.
It generated LOTS of comments when I posted it on my Facebook page.
Interestingly (given the recent TNA conversation here http://thenewagenda.net/2010/0.....more-22240), the first one read:
“putting aside why she is doing it… I think she is a ‘ho.’”
Hmmmm…. For the record: I have never, nor will I ever, call anyone a “ho” or any other variation thereof.
this is disgusting. PETA rather skins females than eating meat. needs more response than a polite discussion.
thinking of mass organized calling, emails, setting them up for ridicule. their disrespect for women is outragious.
Because this ad features a highly-sexualized image under the slogan “all animals have the same parts”… is PETA encouraging zoophilia?
Is PETA predominantly run by men? If so, then they need to be reprimanded for even thinking up this kind of ad which, IMO, is more focused on degrading women, than helping animals. Really! How many men who view this ad are going to think about the plight of animals?
If PETA is run by women, then shame on them and they should be called on the carpet too, big time.
When an organization like PETA uses women in this way to get out their message, you know we have a long, long way to go in ever reaching parity/equality with men. Until women respect each other (as men do with each other) and demand it by our actions of not accepting any degradation of women under any circumstances, then we can never expect men to respect us.
This kind of blatant disrespect for how women are exploited is the core reason for society’s dismissive attitude towards women at all levels.
I am past being fed up with PETAs self righteous sexism. When ever one of their ads is in my face I make a point of fixing and serving a large slab of meat. Here is an easy recipe I got from Taste of Home incase you all want to join me.
Slow Cooker Barbecue Beef
* 1 beef sirloin tip roast (3 to 5 pounds), cut into large chunks
* 3 celery ribs, chopped
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 1 medium green pepper, chopped
* 1 cup ketchup
* 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
* 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/4 cup cider vinegar
* 3 tablespoon chili powder
* 2 tablespoons lemon juice
* 2 tablespoons molasses
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
* 1 teaspoon ground mustard
* 8 to 10 sandwich rolls, split
Directions
* Place beef in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Add the celery, onion and green pepper. In a bowl, combine the ketchup, tomato paste, brown sugar, vinegar, chili powder, lemon juice, molasses, salt, Worcestershire sauce and mustard. Pour over beef mixture. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until meat is tender.
* Skim fat from cooking juices if necessary. Shred beef. Toast rolls if desired. Use a slotted spoon to serve beef on rolls. Yield: 8-10 servings.
Take that PETA!
Kathleen, the head of PETA is Ingrid Newkirk, a female.
Personally I respond to these ads by buying another round of steak for my family. PETA should keep this in mind when trying to attract that young male audience they so desperately seek. They don’t buy meals for their families; women like me do. They’ll have to persuade four dudes just to make up for the meat I buy when I am pissed off over one of these ads. And they have lost all hope of ever persuading me to their cause. I hope those young dudes are worth it, and are actually being persuaded. Somehow, I doubt it.
LMAO, Bes! Great minds and all…
ROFL Bes & Anna Belle.
However, as a vegetarian, I would respectfully request that you take vent your anger at PETA’s misbehaviour at PETA and not at some poor innocent animal that has nothing to go with it
Kathleen re: “How many men who view this ad are going to think about the plight of animals?”
EXACTLY my point!
2nd note to self: stop using smileys in TNA comments as they SNAFU the format… a tongue-in-cheek-smiley would have gone here… LOL
Sorry Susan: I am not a vegetarian although I often eat meatless meals. In my opinion domestic animals would never have lived at all if they weren’t bred for human consumption. If PETA and other vegetarians don’t like the way I and others respond to self righteous sexism in advertising then they should make sure PETA changes their behavior. We were going to have meatless baked mac and cheese tonight but instead had hamburgers, three pounds of them. The PETA ad made me remember to cook meat. In fact this is such a stupid and ineffective ad campaign I have often wondered if it is financed by the beef producers.
Bes re: “In fact this is such a stupid and ineffective ad campaign I have often wondered if it is financed by the beef producers.”
May be ! LOL
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