PETA Taking to Social Media Platforms to Protest Fur in Video Game

Fur is increasingly becoming an antiquated way to declare to the masses that you have too much money and not enough taste. After all, rocking a coat made of animal skin is expensive and makes you a potential target for protesters wielding red paint. Consequently, some animal rights proponents, as well as eco-conscious fashionistas, have expressed anger at the depiction of Mario in Super Mario 3D Land when he’s clad in a Tanooki suit. PETA has utilized their tried and true tactic of serving their potential audience plenty of gore in order to protest what they deem is a call to wear fur. However, despite a clever and well-integrated marketing campaign with plenty of social media push, we’re forced to wonder if this stunt is just pushing would-be animal lovers farther away.

PETA is no stranger to shock tactics and they’ve managed to provoke the anger of feminists, industrial agriculture, and marginalized ethnic groups for years. In fact, PETA’s methods to get you talking are some of the most notorious motivators for causing people to choose a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. Surely this is awesome, but PETA has encountered lots of resistance on account of their tendency to rely on too much gore and vulgarity and not enough reasoned discourse. The latest publicity stunt from PETA may get us talking about the use of fur, but is the conversation going anywhere productive? The answer appears to be no on account of the fact that many think PETA is overreacting.

Of course it’s worth noting that while PETA does not always appeal to their intended audience, they do know how to use new technology and media to their advantage. The fur-free campaign in response to Super Mario 3D Land is all sorts of gruesome, but the perfectly synchronized e-mail blasts, Twitter and Facebook updates, and viral marketing aspects of the campaign is of superb quality.

What do you think of PETA’s choice to demonize Mario for rockin’ a fur suit? Is it just an embodiment of a cool creature or a call to wear the skin of our furry friends?