Who exactly is raising our children?

What are the consequences of children learning to mimic sexuality before they’ve even hit puberty? Is it all harmless fun, or a symptom of something deeper and more damaging?

What does this mean to you?

A conversation about beauty, ego, and the flip-side of flattery…

From the Sundance Channel short documentary series, “The Art of Seduction”.

For years, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has used actresses, reality TV stars, even porn stars to promote awareness of animal rights. They’ve been stripped down and sexed up for a variety of advertisements, including the “I’d rather go naked than wear fur” campaign.

And for years, it’s been somewhat difficult to criticize the activist group, because after all – they’re selling sex to save lives, right?

Well, sort of. Some argue that the borderline-irrelevant relationship between sex and activism has now ventured into ridiculous territory.The latest PETA promotional teaser? An online link via Facebook that merely says, “Like Boobies?”

After clicking the link, you are redirected to a game called “Breasts, Not Animal Tests”, where the goal is to click on as many cartoon breasts as possible before your time runs up. While some view the  game as a witty way to raise awareness about animal testing in breast cancer research, others find it to be a farce of exploiting the female form in the name of an animal rights agenda.

Since sex always grabs attention – though generally not in a respectable or reputable fashion – was this brand of activism born out of laziness?

This mode of marketing rests on triggering the bottom-feeding base level human sex drive, without first attempting to stimulate a higher form of communication and education. Of course, it begs the question – if the campaigns work, do the ends justify the means?

PETA’S HISTORY of EXPLOITATION IN THE NAME OF ACTIVISM

While animal rights activism is a noble cause, PETA’s slogan might as well be “Exploiting Animals, Bad. Exploiting Women, Good.” Thanks for the sentiment, but let’s not advance one group at the expense of another.

Sources:

Thanks to StilettoREVOLT reader Elizabeth Dellner for the “Breasts, Not Animal Tests” link!

“PETA Disgusts Americans With Adolescent Advertising” (Intern Katy). Jezebel Online News. January 28, 2009

“Breasts, Not Animal Tests” Peta2 Interactive Online Game

“Too Hot for TV: PETA’s Banned Ads” // PetaTV.com Official Site