I'm not religious at all, so I can't really find these animal rights ads offensive, and I'm not about to make assumptions for how anyone else might feel about them. But here's the thing: ads for animal rights always have to face an uphill battle because they must convey what their creators feel is gross mistreatment, but not go so overboard that their point is ignored. I think this is why you typically don't see many ads for PETA on television, but instead you hear about them not being allowed on television, which often piques one's curiosity so people end up seeking them out online anyway. These particular print ads, which show animals crucified a la Jesus Christ, aren't from PETA, they're from another animal rights group called ZODIAC. I don't believe they work, however, because I'm guessing the kind of people they're trying to reach through these ads would simply find them humorous. I have no definitive stance on animal rights, my point is that these type of ads always walk a fine line, and rarely do they strike just the right note.Animals die for our sins
I'm not religious at all, so I can't really find these animal rights ads offensive, and I'm not about to make assumptions for how anyone else might feel about them. But here's the thing: ads for animal rights always have to face an uphill battle because they must convey what their creators feel is gross mistreatment, but not go so overboard that their point is ignored. I think this is why you typically don't see many ads for PETA on television, but instead you hear about them not being allowed on television, which often piques one's curiosity so people end up seeking them out online anyway. These particular print ads, which show animals crucified a la Jesus Christ, aren't from PETA, they're from another animal rights group called ZODIAC. I don't believe they work, however, because I'm guessing the kind of people they're trying to reach through these ads would simply find them humorous. I have no definitive stance on animal rights, my point is that these type of ads always walk a fine line, and rarely do they strike just the right note.Reader Comments
(Page 1)2. Well said and I completely agree... but ...the modern christian church has done a shoddy job of keeping their sacred elements, well, sacred. The commercialization of Christianity (cds, tshirts, jesus toys) in an attempt to compete with secular culture has diluted the power of these symbols. A good example is a few years ago when Conan O'Brien did a bit with Jesus figurines partaking in different sports (hockey, office basketball). He received hate mail. The funny thing is, he took the idea from a Catholic magazine which was selling Jesus figurines doing the exact same things! As long as the church is willing to sell the power of the cross for $9.95 plus shipping and handling, don't expect anyone to respect it.
Posted at 2:16PM on Aug 9th 2006 by Gimli
1. The ads are offensive and idiotic. The only reason they can be shown at all is because Christians have gotten used to have their religious iconography ridiculed, satyrized, appropriated and misinterpreted. Had the Zodiac folks used Islamic symbolism I'm guessing that they would have had to be more concerned about their own welfare than that of animals.
Posted at 11:14AM on Aug 9th 2006 by jmchez