Double standards

PETA advertisement condemning fur.

Ontario Milk Marketing Board advertisement promoting human consumption of cow's milk.

Image from a milk fetish porn site.

by Rosemary Amey
March 30, 2002

Over the past year, the subject of PETA's use of sexy images in their campaigns has come up on an animal rights mailing list I participate in. A number of animal rights activists have alleged that such images are oppressive to women (though they have been mostly silent on PETA's sexy images of men...)

I would argue that these campaigns are of questionable efficacy--I doubt people are suddenly moved to care about animal suffering by looking at sexy pictures. But no one has been able to explain to me why such images are sexist and oppressive to women.

Recently, I brought up the Dairy Farmer's of Ontario "Milk Gives" ad campaign on the list. The ads feature sexy pictures of naked people being splashed with milk. Why, I asked, was there so much uproar about PETA's ads and not the milk ads? (All members of the list are pro animal rights.)

Personally, I think that the main stream media are happy to criticize animal activists in any way they can, but the milk industry is a sacred cow unlikely to be attacked (especially when they provide lots of ad money). But why should the animal rights community follow the mainstream media's lead, instead of pointing out their double standards?

To my amazement, the response from other activists on the list was that the milk images were not offensive, but the PETA ones are, because they "commodify" and "exploit" women! (And the milk ads don't?)

So here are the PETA and Milk Gives ads, along with an image from a milk fetish porn site for comparison.

Which ones (if any) are offensive, and why?

PeTA: Where Only Women Are Treated Like Meat Extremely critical of PETA's use of naked women in campaigns, but no mention of their use of naked men. Includes a response from PETA (bottom right of page).

PETA and a Pornographic Culture, I by Cathleen and Colleen McGuire, Feminists for Animal Rights.

PETA and a Pornographic Culture, II by Carol Adams, Feminists for Animal Rights.

Interview with Ingrid Newkirk. Includes her thoughts on the controversy over the PETA's use of nudity in campaigns.

Get rid of these ads!