Cloris Leachman, Dressed Up in Cabbage and Lettuce by PETA
Published March 31, 2009 @ 12:31PM PT
I'm a strong believer in acknowledging--and encouraging--the good while criticizing and discouraging the bad, especially if our plan is to effect change, both in people and in organizations. And although it's rather unusual for me to talk about PETA two days in a row on this blog, and even more unusual for me to write about PETA in praise of one of its ad campaigns, I'm going to do both. Their latest ad has just been revealed today, and my initial reaction was "Oh my god, it's stunning, and I love it."
Sure, I'd love it more if 82-year-old Cloris Leachman were a vegan and the ad promoted veganism rather than vegetarianism, but in comparison with other "Lettuce Ladies" campaigns and stunts from PETA, of which I'm not a fan, this one is fantastic. It's not objectifying. It's not obnoxious. It's, dare I say, classy. PETA's going to have to do a lot more than put together one classy ad to win my support, but this gives me hope that the organization does have the capacity to someday turn over a new, um, leaf. See the video below the ad image (and after the "Read More" jump) for an interview with Cloris Leachman conducted during the making of the ad. (You can also see photos of the NYC unveiling at the original post.)
Interview:
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Stephanie Ernst is an independent animal rights advocate, a vegan, a tree-hugging environmentalist, and a freelance editor and writer. She lives in St. Louis with an aging corgi-lab and an adolescent rescued pit bull. In her advocacy, she works to challenge prevailing perceptions of animals, to show the connections between animal exploitation and other injustices, to help people see that animals are more like us than different, and to encourage compassionate, nonviolent living and eating.
I like!
Posted by Kelly Garbato on 03/31/2009 @ 01:08PM PT
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If anything, it just shows that at 82-years old, a vegetarian looks amazing!
Posted by Lisa Smolen on 03/31/2009 @ 02:13PM PT
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She does look great, but in saying that I refer more to the natural photos and videos of her than to the ad in specific. The airbrushing that unfortunately goes along with all ads is fairly obvious, but even au naturel, she looks fantastic.
Posted by Stephanie Ernst on 03/31/2009 @ 03:41PM PT
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I think the ad says more about Cloris than PETA. She seems like a nice, smart woman. I like the ad. The dress is amusing.
I do think that the ad is still making Woman into eye candy, but at least it's not blatantly sexual.
Posted by Luella - on 03/31/2009 @ 08:08PM PT
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