On Tuesday, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals — better known as PETA — tweeted a missive to its followers. It asked them to stop using "anti-animal language."
The animal rights group said it hoped the phrases listed would become as unacceptable in society as "racist, homophobic, or ableist language."
Just as it became unacceptable to use racist, homophobic, or ableist language, phrases that trivialize cruelty to animals will vanish as more people begin to appreciate animals for who they are and start ‘bringing home the bagels’ instead of the bacon.
The activist group said the dream is that "phrases that trivialize cruelty to animals will vanish as more people begin to appreciate animals for who they are and start ‘bringing home the bagels’ instead of the bacon."
The tweet backfired, rather spectacularly.
LMFAOOOOO PETA IS NORMALLY WILD BUT THIS SHIT SLAPS FEED TWO BIRDS WITH ONE SCONE IS FUCKING 🔥🔥🔥BARS 🔥🔥🔥DONT @ ME https://t.co/wsvrBaiQm4
Many pointed out that it is pretty offensive to equate "bringing home the bacon" to anti-gay behavior or racism.
Hi, @peta. As someone who has had homophobic slurs shouted at him and seen individuals physically threatened and beaten while anti-LGBTQ epithets were hurled, your stupidity is not even laughable— it is offensive to equate common animal idioms to racism, ableism, or homophobia.
Excuse me what.
I’m sorry did PETA just compare the phrase “bring home the bacon” to racism or am I reading this wrong https://t.co/PtguMwrNUy
"By all means, advocate for animals... but don’t co-opt those movements," said one person.
PETA introduced me to the term “speciesism” today which 1) is not a thing and 2) diminishes the legitimacy of racism, sexism and classism that many still don’t quite recognize. By all means, advocate for animals... but don’t co-opt those movements. https://t.co/FnwMIDxm6A
Yo, animals can't understand!
Yeah because animals speak English so saying shit like that really hurts their feelings. Good looking out #PETA. https://t.co/lssPjod8hl
Other people just delighted in trolling.
@peta This really gets my goat. People are too pig-headed to realize the seriousness, then they just try to weasel out of things when their caught. This isn’t a red herring, it’s a sign society is going to the dogs. Thanks for tackling the elephant in the room.
And some pointed out — well, actually, these phrases are kind of weird.
RSPB and PETA are about to have a fight
HmMMmmm.
@peta That last one was anti-plant language do they not breath as well we’re evolving right RIGHT
Even more people said they got the idea, but PETA was taking the whole thing a little far.
I like the idea of avoiding violent language towards animals... But this is so ridiculous that I am pretty sure PETA exists to sabotage the animal rights movement https://t.co/UhoygINovI
I’m no PETA fan and my medical condition, like that of the Dali Lama, requires me to eat meat, but am a fan of strategic nonviolence and I actually like this nonviolent language. https://t.co/DTnoJLeolJ
But mostly, people just dunked on them.
You can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a PETA lunatic. https://t.co/78557j6Ye9
U tried, guys.
So is PETA trying to say- There’s more than one way to skin a cat https://t.co/gDO6ySw7UD
A spokesperson for PETA had this to say in response to the online reaction:
“With so much negativity in the world, why not lighten up, smile a little more, and use language in a way that encourages being kind to animals?”