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Che Guevara's Granddaughter Shows Skin For PETA Campaign

YumSugar — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:35:58 -0700

PETA is targeting South America as the market for its latest campaign. The organization's spokesperson? None other than Lydia Guevara, granddaughter of Marxist leader Ernesto "Che" Guevara. In the organization's first-ever South American campaign for vegetarianism, the scantily clad Lydia, a vegetarian, wears nothing but bandoliers of baby carrots and a red beret, in a reference to her grandfather, a revolutionary who contributed to Fidel Castro's rise to leadership in Cuba.

"It very much evokes the tagline of the ad, which is 'Join the vegetarian revolution," said PETA representative Michael McGraw. "It's an homage of sorts to her late grandfather." What do you think of the campaign? Does it get your attention in the right way, or it is too racy and politically charged?

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Oprah Stirs the Pot With Free KFC Offer

YumSugar — Thu, 07 May 2009 09:00:57 -0700

Two days ago, Oprah offered her viewers a free coupon for KFC's new grilled chicken - complete with sides and biscuit. The promotion took off, and by the next day, Oprah's KFC coupons were the fifth most popular search on Google. But rather than getting recognition for offering her viewers bargain bites, Oprah's fallen under fire for the move.

Last year, the talk show guru was named PETA's Person of the Year for exposing the cruelty of the factory farm industry. But KFC buys its meat from Tyson, a company that has come under attack for supporting CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations). This conflict of interest has sent environmental media outlets into outrage; sustainable food blog Civil Eats called the free KFC offer "Oprah's most hypocritical move yet."

Moreover, the free KFC coupons have caused upheaval in stores. The demand for free chicken has overwhelmed many KFC franchisees: one manager at a midtown Manhattan outpost told customers the promotion was over for the day, prompting patrons redeeming coupons to hold a sit-in, refusing to leave the store until they received free chicken.

After all the backlash, I can't help but wonder whether Oprah regrets promoting the offer. Did you partake in the promotion? Do you think the free grilled chicken giveaway was a mistake on her part?

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PETA Wants to Make Tofu Flavored Like George Clooney

YumSugar — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 03:30:22 -0700

PETA is running out of viable ideas. In yet another absurd turn of events, the animal rights organization wants to harvest - get this - actor George Clooney's sweat to create a new flavor of tofu.

The group obtained one of the actor's sweat-laced gym towels to raise money at a fundraising auction, but then decided it might be better off using the actor's perspiration in a food product. PETA President Ingrid Newkirk penned a proposal to Clooney himself, in which she discussed the invention, to be called CloFu:

The technology actually exists to take your perspiration and make it into George Clooney-flavored tofu (CloFu) . . . we would attract many people who don't try tofu because they worry that it would be bland . . . we hope this idea meets your approval.

The star's response? "As a mammal, I'm offended," he said. I second that. I mean, I love George Clooney as much as the next gal, but the entire concept is disgusting. By George, does PETA really think that consumers are so dumbstruck by stars that they would eat something like CloFu? Are you as horrified by the letter as I am?

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NBC Pulls PETA Super Bowl Ad For Being Too Provocative

YumSugar — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 09:00:36 -0800

Animal rights organization PETA has always produced campaigns that have been the subject of contention. And, with Super Bowl Sunday - the biggest day of the year for advertising - looming around the corner, the group has naturally found itself in a hotbed of controversy. NBC has rejected PETA's newest TV spot, aptly titled "Studies Show Vegetarians Have Better Sex." According to the network, the ad - which shows scantily clad women in salacious positions with vegetables - "depicts a level of sexuality exceeding our standards."

The provocative commercial isn't PETA's first suggestive spot. Last year, PETA began its massive campaign linking vegetarianism to virility. Its ads included pictures of women in lingerie with the slogan "Get it up! Go vegetarian." Watch the clip of the banned commercial below, and tell me whether you think NBC was right to pull this suggestive ad.

Was a San Francisco Chronicle columnist on point when he insinuated that PETA is using porn to sell nature? Or is NBC out of line in banning the ad at a time when TV shows run rampant with violence and murder?

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PETA Leads Zombie Protest Outside Manhattan KFC

YumSugar — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:30:26 -0700

Animal-rights activism group PETA has come out with yet another inflammatory campaign. This year, they kicked their off Halloween festivities a few weeks early: On Saturday, more than 100 people gathered outside a Herald Square KFC dressed as blood-drenched zombies, holding signs that said, "I'd rather be dead than eat at KFC!"

The protest was part of the Kentucky Fried Cruelty campaign, which addresses concerns about KFC suppliers' treatment of chickens on farms and slaughterhouses. "Even flesh-eating zombies have nothing on the Colonel's cruelty," says PETA's Dan Shannon. "We're urging consumers not to set foot inside a KFC restaurant until the company stops these abuses."

Did any of you see the protest? Do you consider it to be effective at sending an important message, or is it just another obnoxious PETA ploy?

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Saucy PETA Campaign Links Vegetarianism to Virility

YumSugar — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 08:00:07 -0700

Animal-rights organization PETA is known for its head-turning campaigns, and its latest one is no different. PETA Asia Pacific's newest ads feature model-actress Alicia Mayer in a lingerie set holding a suggestive banana, provoking, "Eating meat got you down? Get it up! Go vegetarian." PETA states:

A man who stuffs his belly full of dead pig flesh in the kitchen might end up delivering dead wood in the bedroom. High cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, prostate cancer and inflammation, and hormonal imbalances cause the vast majority of all cases of impotence. The good news is that medical science has proved that all of these conditions can be virtually eliminated with a low-fat vegan diet.

My guess is that this campaign is part of an effort by PETA to turn more guys into vegetarians. After all, masculinity has long been associated with eating meat. While I find the ad entertaining, I'm not sure it will be enough to convert insecure men. Do you find the tagline amusing or offensive? And could you see it converting more males into vegetarians?

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Yummy Links: From a Vegan's Vengeance to Food Network

partysugar — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 06:45:42 -0700

If you love foodie fiction, check out this crime novel in which a vegan gets his vengeance. - San Francisco Magazine
These cheesecake pops are pretty and delicious. - GlamDish
Check out the new and improved Chow.com. - Chow
Learn everything you need to know about 16 varieties of potatoes.- The Kitchn
In what must be the most absurd announcement of the week, PETA has asked Ben & Jerry to make ice cream with breast milk.- The Epi-Log
Wine wipes will get rid of red wine-stained teeth. - Serious Eats
How to unclog your coffee grinder.- CasaSugar
Food Network's holding casting calls for the fifth season of The Next Food Network Star; do you have what it takes? - Grubstreet

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PETA Releases Disturbing Pig Farm Video

partysugar — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 11:15:22 -0700

Animal rights activists PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, has released a highly unsettling, undercover video that shows the mishandling of pigs on an Iowa farm. Among other things, in the clip - which I couldn't watch all the way through - workers hit female pigs with metal rods and slam piglets on a concrete floor. The farm supplies pigs for pork giant Hormel, who has acknowledged the abuses as "completely unacceptable." While PETA claims that pig farm abuse is widespread and common, leading animal welfare expert Temple Grandin disagrees:

I've been on many good farms, and the pigs are handled gently. This was blatant, deliberate animal cruelty. These people are sick. They need to be prosecuted. There are certain people that enjoy hurting animals and they should not be working with them-period.

Being a carnivore, I have to agree with Grandin and hope that the meat I purchase is from humane farms. It will be interesting to see what becomes of the video and if the USDA steps in as it did with the California slaughterhouse that mistreated cows earlier this year.

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Lettuce Share Our Wieners

YumSugar — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 16:21:22 -0700

Oh hey guys, in case you didn't know, today is actually National Veggie Hot Dog Day. Wanna know how I know? I heard about the joint effort between PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and Playboy. That's right Playboy.

Playmates Lauren Anderson and Laura Guttridge posed as "Lettuce Ladies" in PETA's annual Capitol Hill veggie dog giveaway.

I don't know about this folks, the strategically placed lettuce is pretty sexist. I also don't understand how PETA and Playboy go hand in hand. I suppose I have a problem when we start caring more about animal rights and less about people. It's as if the entire feminist movement didn't happen.

What do you guys think of this publicity stunt? And more importantly, what do you think of veggie dogs?

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Source: Washingtonian
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Yummy Links: From Ratatouille Wine to Travel Chopsticks

YumSugar — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 11:28:39 -0700

Looks like Disney's cashing in on Ratatouille by launching their own branded wines and cheese platters. - Serious Eats

Cooking hot dogs just got a little bit cuter thanks to the barking hot dog cooker. - Baking Bites
PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has given the title of "sexiest vegetarian" to Carrie Underwood and Kevin Eubanks. - Slashfood
I love sushi, but even I might think twice about horse meat sushi. - Chow
If you're interested, here's a list of restaurants where this season's Top Chef contestants worked. - Zagat
Harold McGee's amazing On Food and Cooking is now fully indexed online. - Apartment Therapy Kitchen
Three new Chinese cookbooks will let you bring authentic recipes home. - Culinate
If you're planning a trip and want to take your own chopsticks, here are six sets of travel chopsticks to choose from. - NotCot