Top 10 Tuesday: Silliest Stunts That I’ve Done for Animals
We’re not exactly working with a million-dollar advertising budget here at PETA Asia-Pacific, so when it comes to spreading the word about animal abuse, we have to rely on getting free “advertising” through media coverage. Sometimes, that requires “out there” tactics that grab people’s attention and initiate action. Here are just a few things that I’ve done to get the word out during protests for PETA Asia-Pacific (and, in a previous life, for PETA US):
1. Diaper Boy
After I wore a diaper outside the Kimberly-Clark Corporation to protest its testing Huggies on mice, the CEO reportedly said, “I don’t care what it takes, but I want us to stop testing on animals. I don’t want protesting babies outside a shareholder meeting ever again.”
2. Chilly Cupid
I donned a diaper again when I dressed as Cupid to ask Gillette to “have a heart for animals” by stopping animal tests. It was so cold outside that I had to duck into a corner every few minutes just to keep from crying.
3. ‘Chicken’ Incites Riot
My protest as a wounded “chicken” outside an Egyptian KFC came to a sudden halt when I was attacked by a mob of angry employees and dragged away by information bureau officials.
4. Visualize Whirled Peas
As an ear of corn named Colonel (get it?) holding a “Give Peas a Chance” sign, I encouraged people in Haifa, Tel Aviv, and Old Jerusalem to adopt a nonviolent vegan diet. Did I mention that this was during the Second Intifada?
5. The Real Inconvenient Truth
In my bunny costume, with a “Stop the Gorey Tests!” sign, I followed Al Gore for six months along the 2000 U.S. presidential campaign trail. It was worth it: A chemical-testing program supported by Gore soon agreed to spare 800,000 animals from painful tests.
6. Giant Condom in Amish Country
I dressed as a giant prophylactic to promote cruelty-free condoms (yes, they used to test condoms on animals!). The location? A village called Intercourse—in an Amish neighborhood.
7. Driving the NASCAR Circuit
Procter & Gamble conducts animal tests—so for several months, I traveled to more than 120 demos while following NASCAR races across North America in a car that read, “Died,” a spoof of P&G’s Tide logo.
8. A Steaming Pile of …
Manure. I blocked a poultry convention’s entrance with a truckload of manure right in the middle of the road, topped with a “Meat Stinks” sign.
9. Hauled Away by the Secret Service
When then-U.S. President Bill Clinton undermined the European Union ban on steel-jaw traps, I set up a “bloody” trap in front of the White House—but when I rubbed “blood” on the front gate, the Secret Service escorted me off the premises.
10. Getting Arrested With Ricki Lake
Together, celebrity talk-show host Ricki Lake and I occupied Karl Lagerfeld’s office to protest his use of real animal fur—and then, together, we were arrested.
Want to get involved in wacky (or not-so-wacky) ways to help animals? You can join PETA’s Activist Network—we’ll make sure that you get plenty of interesting opportunities to voice your support for animals!
Posted by Jason Baker
