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

The thing is, that advert isn't going to make people have an epiphany and decide to stop eating meat... its going to have the effect that meat-eaters will say "bloody vegans" and make them dislike vegans even more!

Love Actually really isn't a kids movie tho

The advert is honest. Unlike the adverts for dairy products showing cows looking happy in a field or lining up with big smiles to be milked so that someone other than their calf can drink their milk. I'd be more likely to complain about those than an advert showing the truth.

I want a lot of things - there is a lot of unfairness going on in the World atm. Not seeing a controversial advert that might make me think would be pretty low down on my list if on it at all. Personally I think it is an important and serious issue that people should think about (myself included).

So you felt a little bit uncomfortable for a minute and a half. YABU.

Kill the tradition not a turkey
Try vegan this Christmas.

PETA want me to eat a vegan. I think they've lost the moral high ground.

Op the movie is a15, I think an animated video is fine.

If you’d been watching a kids film - fair point. But Love Actually is a film for adults.

It's an advert. Talk through it. Go pee. Do what you want. It's no more leaked down your throat than the advert to see the next movie, or that you should get new teeth at the local dentist or that you should go and buy popcorn now.

It's nice that they've taken a break from stealing and murdering pets to make an ad that will just make people more irritated by them.

You regard killing animals for consumption is one of the world's "horrors" but claim to feel no guilt in being part of it 🤔

Oh ffs you know that is not what I meant. I don't think it is one of the world's horrors. Like I said I just wanted to have a nice day out without seeing a fucking turkey getting electrocuted, cartoon or not.

I know it happens, I know how it happens, but I don't feel guilty. All I wanted was a bit of escapism

YANBU OP. PETA'Ss shtick these past few decades has been tasteless ads. At least this one didn't feature their ludicrous holocaust comparisons we're leaving those to another crowd this year.

The advert isn't intended as a PR excercise for vegans, who will typically not care less whether people dislike them, given disliking someone for simply being vegan doesn't exactly denote the sort of intelligent rational person most people want to befriend. Nor is it intended to spark an epiphany. It's just one action of many designed to get people thinking, discussing (which has worked!) and generally keeping the issue in people's minds. Few changes happen instantly, it's a slow gradual process and getting on people's radar is important. Vegans have been very successful in this.

It's always incredible to me how many meat-eaters get offended when people point out how the animals are treated before being slaughtered and during their slaughter so they can have their "meal."

If you don't like the cold, hard truth of it-stop participating in it. Just don't be a goddamn hypocrite and cry that you're being confronted with the reality that many of us woke up to long ago and stopped participating in.

You can't have it both ways.
If it's a process that doesn't concern you, there's nothing to escape from surely?

Can't vote as am on the app but YABU and are a total hypocrite like most others who claim to be 'animal lovers'.

You don't love animals just SOME animals to suit you.

It seems pretty factual to me, aside from the singing.

As a vegetarian of 25 year I can say that on many occasions meat eaters have asked stupid questions or tried to persuade me to eat meat. No vegan has ever done the same.

I think a lot of people are misunderstanding what I am trying to say (probably deliberately in some cases...)

I have zero issue with vegans/veggies/pescatarians whatever, you do you. Nor do I have an issue with adverts being made about some of the less pleasant things in life. I wouldn't mind having to see this advert every break in the programmes I watch on TV... just not on the large screen at the cinema when I'm trying to enjoy a couple of hours away from everyday life. Also, on TV there is the option to switch over, fast forward, etc. This advert has deliberately played on shock value as it's not clear until almost the very end what it's about.

Regardless, it's not going to change my mind.

I don't think anyone misunderstands, it's just that they don't agree.

And it's entirely because they don't want you to fast forward through them that it is on the cinema. Same as famine campaign adverts etc.

Look, if vegans can put up with actual dead bodies in supermarkets, on television, depictions of hunting etc you can surely put up with the non visually depicted death of a crap 3d turkey.

It's really quite a snowflay position you are taking. But that's ok it's Christmas so I guess a theme

I don't think people are misunderstanding you
@InAMess2023
It's just that it's really difficult to see how a 90 second cartoon spoiled your trip to the cinema unless it hit a nerve.

So an ad like this: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PDgXCZIZrbg

(just a random Easter one I picked)
which shows the pulling apart of a dead lamb, that’s fine? This is perfectly normal and ok? Vegans and vegetarians see this stuff all the time, every day.

YANBU. I hate PETA. Be vegan on your own time and stop trying to bully the rest of us.

Well I've just watched the ad. I still eat a little meat though infrequently these days. And I fail to see what was so upsetting. Sure if it had been played before a PG film you'd have a point. But you're an actual grown up if you've just been to see Love Actually.
Honestly I despair of the wibbly wobblyness of people these days (and no, I'm not old).

Oh believe me I'm not 'wibbly wobbly' 'snowflake' etc. I can see now that it may have been an overreaction after having a bad week but there's enough shit going on in the world and in my own life right now that I just wanted a nice chilled couple of hours watching a film and crying at someone else's (Emma Thompson's miseries). Regardless the ad hasn't had the desired effect and nor will it.

PETA can fuck right off!