Vegan Christmas Advert: Cinema

[InAMess2023]

Had a lovely festive day out with the girls yesterday and went to see Love Actually (20 year re-release). Settled down to watch a film and an advert came on... it's a cartoon turkey (voiced by Jane Horrocks) looking at all the Christmas traditions and singing a jolly Christmas carol... no idea what the ad is for...

All of the sudden the turkey (still singing) is grabbed and thrown in a van...we then see the full journey of it being hung up by the neck, electrocuted, and the screen goes black just as it's killed. The caption? 'Kill tradition this Christmas. Not a Turkey - go vegan this Christmas' - it's an ad for PETA.

Now I have absolutely no problem with vegans, can understand the reasoning around it, etc. but I don't have a desire to be vegan. Probably am a bit hypocritical as I am an absolute animal lover but yes I do eat meat (although not a ton of it).

Just feel like the ad was really inappropriate for the cinema and especially what is meant to be a festive feel-good film! Do I complain to the Cinema Advertising Associates/ASA?

YABU it's an important issue and you shouldn't complain
YANBU totally inappropriate - make a complaint

I mean I've literally said several times I don't care what people want or don't want to eat, not sure how that's 'having an issue with vegans'. You do you, just don't try and force your preferences onto others and/or lecture them about their own choices. Same with religions/politics/insert controversial topic here. In terms of adverts, i wouldn't care if all meat adverts were pulled either, in fact all adverts full stop.

My opinion was about the appropriateness of showing this advert in advance of a Christmas film in a cinema where people have no choice to skip past/turn away. That was the point of my post. Not the wider issues around animal slaughter etc which is what the post has been taken over by.

My opinion was about the appropriateness of showing this advert in advance of a Christmas film in a cinema where people have no choice to skip past/turn away.

Hou could have walked out and bought yourself a hot dog or something. 🤷🏻‍♀️

You're happy to pay people to kill animals for you and your family to eat but you're offended by the truth as shown in advert. Ridiculous. Grow up.

I actually think it’s a good time, when you’re happy and relaxed and fortunate to be those things....think of animals or homeless people or whatever. They don’t get to have a bit of relief. Watching an advert really isn’t so hard.

@NativityLobsterNumber4 actually I was already eating a delicious hot dog and was on the very end of a row so by the time it became clear what the advert was for I had no time to walk out.

But it's like chuggers. "I know you don't want to listen to what I'm selling so I'm going to get right in your face and force you to listen to me against your will". All it makes me think is "Fuck off".

So it put you off your hotdog.
That's what this is really about, isn't it.
Of course, hot dog meat is well known for being sourced ethically isn't it op.

And note that the vegans and vegetarians were stuck with the smell of you munching on an actual dead animal. Far more offensive that sad turkey pixels.

Funny story. When I was heavily pregnant and had an aversion to meat I would get so sick. Projectile. In the cinema I politely asked the man next to me with his leftover hotdog if he'd mind putting it in the bin. He instead chose to rant about vegans.

Reader. I hurled. Everywhere . I never got to ask but I imagine he regretted being an arse on purpose.

@MarthaMayWho and then everyone clapped?

ODFOD

That's great (and I mean it sincerely, not sarcastically), but unfortunately, even non-factory farming nowadays is pretty cruel. The standards for "high welfare" are actually quite low - for example, "free-range" eggs are often just eggs from hens packed into a cramped barn who are occasionally let outside. It sucks, but truly high-welfare animal products aren't really profitable.

As an aside - I swear, no one on MN ever admits buying factory-farmed meat! It's always locally-sourced, ethically-farmed stuff. Makes you wonder who's buying all that meat you see in supermarkets!

@ZoeCM it's me. I'm buying it

I’m not vegetarian or vegan but I think it’s a really effective advert and nothing in it is inappropriate or offensive. It’s actually quite thought provoking, which I suppose is the point.

Op YANBU. People trying to compare it to m&s adverts showing meat are missing the point. The Peta advert wasn't selling a product, it was simply preaching. If it had been an advert showing a vegan meal that would be totally different and appropriate. The point of this advert is clearly to try to make people feel bad for their perfectly normal human diets. Humans are omnivores and there is nothing immoral or unethical about them eating meat. My cat occasionally plays with mice before he eats them, but I highly doubt he thinks too long or hard on the ethics of his actions. If you have issues with the way the meat industry is run (and I agree, a lot of it is shocking and needs to be overhauled) then fight to change the process, but completely ditching meat is not a reasonable alternative for most people

actually I was already eating a delicious hot dog and was on the very end of a row so by the time it became clear what the advert was for I had no time to walk out.

Maybe you should have closed your eyes and put your fingers in your ears then as it’s bothered you so much.

If you have issues with the way the meat industry is run (and I agree, a lot of it is shocking and needs to be overhauled) then fight to change the process, but completely ditching meat is not a reasonable alternative for most people

It's the responsibility of meat eaters to consider the way meat is produced @Tootsweets84 , not vegans!!

You are happy to eat meat produced by an industry you yourself describe as "shocking" and have the nerve to berate PETA for not advocating for better methods of rearing and slaughtering animals.

FFS I've heard it all now.

No of course they didn't clap. They sat there and we're grossed out.
Karma

completely ditching meat is not a reasonable alternative for most people

I've been thinking about this thread and I'm really on the fence!

I think I agree with the above. We're not veggie, although I do feel guilty about the meat industry, and I was semi-veggie before having my kids. However it seems to be suggested now that eggs/dairy are as bad as meat so you need to go vegan. I really admire people who manage to be vegan, but I don't think it's something that's all that easy to do, especially if you have kids. My two are quite fussy, my older one in particular won't eat many cooked vegetables. I honestly think they'd end up malnourished if we tried to go entirely vegan. No idea what I'd put in their school sandwiches, especially as the school is nut and sesame free.

So I think it's kind of fine to have the advert and make the point. But it just makes me feel guilty but without a clear solution in mind, it's just one more thing to feel guilty about.

@DisappearingGirl vegetarian would be a start.
Sandwich options that are vegetarian include egg, cheese, jam (is jam allowed at schools, I'm never sure!) marmite.
Breadsticks, crackers, fruit and veg are all vegan anyway.

I think outside PETA most vegans would be understanding of the flexiterian approach as long as you acknowledge where the meat you have comes from. It's the hiding and hypocrisy that's most annoying. Someone making a sincere effort but finding it hard fine. Someone that doesn't engage and goes on about humourless vegans and delicious hotdogs is another matter.

And I don't think anyone has suggested go vegan overnight, it's just one suggestion that for some reason op finds terribly offensive.

@MarthaMayWho and yet if you'd just explained why I'm sure he would have done it rather than letting him think it's because you were a vegan. If someone demanded me to bin my hot dog for no good reason then yeah my answer would be a big fat no too.

Also how anyone can describe ground up arseholes as delicious as beyond me, but hey we are all different.

@MarthaMayWho I'd rather eat ground up arseholes than be stuck in the cinema with one

I didn't let him think I was vegan. I was literally 9 months pregnant and massive. My husband mentioned vegan because he started banging on about entitled pregnant women.
At least it was the joker film so less light-hearted and a bit of vom probably added atmosphere.

It was not hotdog yet to eat it was the remains.

Ohhhh that's a better insult. Well done

Well, personally I don't really care enough to put effort into changing it. I like eating meat, have no plans to change my diet and don't spend any time crying over dead turkeys. I like cats, but if I was starving I wouldn't be against eating one. Animals are not people. I'm sorry if that offends you, but it's really not my problem. As far as I can see, it isn't really meat eaters who have a problem with the meat industry. It's those who don't even eat it! Forcing everyone to go vegan isn't going to work as most people are happy eating meat, so I'd suggest your options are 1) YOU change the industry with animal welfare in mind, or 2) enjoy your vegan food and leave the rest of us in peace

1. there are many different approaches the RSPCA is doing this, peta isn't the only organisation concerned with animal welfare.

2. we just call it food.

I was quoting you @Tootsweets84 .
You described aspects of the industry as horrific.

I have no confusion between animals and humans but that doesn't prevent me from having compassion for animals as well as humans. It's not a finite quality for me.

Where does your paranoia about being "forced" to be vegan come from?

You do what you want. No one is forcing you to do or not do anything. Equally you can't force other people to be silent about issues that concern them. We live in a society in which you are free to eat meat and others are free to raise questions and challenge the ethics of the practice. You are free to ignore but you don't get to dictate what others discuss.