PETA Slams Sam Neill Over Aussie Meat Campaign

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by Michael dEstries July 15, 2009
Categories: Animals, Eats
Tags: .

PETA has aimed their cannons down under over a new meat campaign starring Jurassic Park’s Sam Neill. The actor is fronting for Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) and appears in television ads promoting red meat as a vital contributor to brain health — featuring such taglines as “Meat – you’d be silly not to eat it”.

In response, Jason Baker, director of PETA Asia-Pacific, has sent Neill a letter suggesting alternative mottos, such as “Meat: It’s What’s Rotting in Your Colon”.

“Seeing you pimp for an industry that is linked to the main killers of human beings as well as of animals is, well, sad,” the letter says.

“Maybe in your dotage you need to pay the bills, but perhaps its worth your looking to the example set by today’s young celebrities – including Missy Higgins, Daniel Johns and Natalie Portman – who don’t turn a blind eye to the fact that slaughterhouses are horrifying places … and who recognize that human beings don’t have to die of meat-related causes, such as cancer of the bowel and colon and hardened arteries.”

It ends with, “Won’t you agree that it’s time to evolve, choose a plant-based diet and leave Jurassic tastes in the dust (since the meat habit will cause the extinction of us all).”

Not surprisingly, Neill has yet to respond. We’re betting he’s still trying to figure out who the hell Missy Higgins is.


Categories: Animals, Eats
Tags: .

About Michael dEstries

Michael has been blogging since 2005 on issues such as sustainability, renewable energy, philanthropy, and healthy living. He regularly contributes to a slew of publications, as well as consulting with companies looking to make an impact using the web and social media. He lives in Ithaca, NY with his family on an apple farm.

View all posts by Michael dEstries →
  • http://RawfoodsRetreat.com Erin Raw Foods

    Here’s one of the ads. This one says “read meat you’re MEANT to eat it” I think some historians and anthropologists and even some docs would disagree.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNWB6Vq18xc

    What a dumbass. I lost what little respect I had for this so so actor. Thanks for the linky

    E

  • steph

    :(

    sam neil….noooooo

  • Rhiannan

    From uk…..think Sam neill, is great- red meat is good for you….im slim, and eat it every week, in moderation of course…Everything in moderation is fine…look back into the caveman days…we ate red meat..we hunted it…
    so what’s with the slamming- red meat/ red wine…to good health….x

  • Nick

    I really feel as if PETA has responded to this in a really immature way. I can admit that the motto “Meat – you’d be silly not to eat it” is a little bland to say the least. But responding with “Meat: It’s What’s Rotting in Your Colon” is just another unjustified extreme.

    We all know there is benefits of meat, but that doesn’t mean everybody has to eat it. The right to free speech is always there, if you want to promote meat that’s fine, but if you want to promote anti-meat – no problems either.

    What I personally gathered from the advert (which I did see myself on TV before reading this) was nothing to do with the actual company promoting the meat, more just meat itself. I couldn’t even tell you the company’s name before reading this, I just took away that red meat was good for you.

    I respect Sam Neill a lot, and believe that this is a load of fuss about nothing. If people hate the idea of eating meat, that’s perfectly acceptable – just don’t try to force your views onto other people like a cult. If everything that offended anyone wasn’t allowed to be expressed with free speech – nothing would exist. Everything is offensive to someone.

    Get over it…

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