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You might think carousels featuring inanimate animals would be pretty low on PETA’s list of priorities, but the controversial organization has apparently decided to set its sights on that particular “issue.”
I think most people can agree the ethical treatment of animals is a pretty solid cause in theory. With that said, PETA—which is easily the most visible and influential group attempting to further that mission—has a reputation for being a bit too overzealous when it comes to pursuing its goals.
The animal rights group has a history stretching back to 1980 and deserves credit for the work it’s done to shed light on the cruelness of practices like factory farming and fur harvesting. However, it’s also become a bit of a punchline thanks to its tendency to pick some fairly absurd fights.
In recent years, PETA has been mocked for asking the MLB to abandon the term “bullpen,” criticizing the work of the beloved Steve Irwin, and suggesting we should start calling animals “companions” instead of “pets” as if they have the ability to differentiate between those two terms.
Now, TMZ reports the group has set itself up for ridicule yet again courtesy of the letter it sent to Chance Rides asking the Kansas-based carousel manufacturer to discontinue the use of fake animals on its attractions.
In the letter, PETA president Ingrid Newkirk voiced her displeasure for “animal-themed carousels” while suggesting the company “exclusively produce figures in the shape of vehicles, such as cars, unicycles, tractors, airplanes, rockets, and bulldozers” and offering more alternatives in the form of “whimsical designs like shooting stars, rainbows, or brooms.”
Newkirk asserts the use of decidedly fake “camels, horses, elephants, and dolphins” on carousels is a slap in the face to the real-life counterparts, saying their presence on rides “reinforce the notion that these sentient beings are simply here for our entertainment.”
At this point, it’s kind of hard to be shocked by anything PETA does, but I can’t say I saw this one coming.