I supported PETA about 15 years ago, when their main targets were
the fur and cosmetics industries. They were always a little
outrageous and shrill, but they managed to back up their shrillness
with points that were fairly difficult to argue with. My impression
is that since they largely won both those battles (even though fur
is making something of a slow comeback) they've gotten more and
more off-balance.
I (perhaps optimistically) think their hearts are in the right
place, but to say that their concept of PR needs work is something
of an understatement. The anti-fur ad from the British group Lynx
that aired more than a decade ago was brilliant; PETA's stuff tends
to be just as disturbing, but rarely for the intended reasons.
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