August 7, 2009 | Animals, Consumer Goods, Health & Medicine, Parenting
PETA Passes Out McCruelty Meals To Kids
Parents in Albany, New York are upset with the prominent animal rights group PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment for Animals) for distributing “Unhappy Meals” to children exiting McDonald’s across the country.
The “Unhappy Meal” is a part of PETA’s McCruelty campaign, which is meant to warn children about the cruelty that PETA says is behind every Happy Meal. From animal cruelty to manipulating advertising that targets children, the charges that PETA is accusing McDonald’s of are expressed through this mock meal. According to Slashfood.com, PETA discontinued campaigns like the McCruelty one for the past nine years because it was working with McDonald’s behind the scene.
Each “Unhappy Meal” consists of an image of a knife wielding Ronald McDonald, pictures of mutilated chickens, a “blood” stained Happy Meal box and a complementary T-Shirt that reads “Chicken McCruelty.” A parent told a local news station that she felt what PETA was doing was unfair to children and young people shouldn’t be exposed to the messages that PETA is trying to get across.
Spokesperson for PETA, Lindsay Rajt, told Slashfood.com, “Kids deserve to be told the truth and we really do need to give them credit,” she says. “The bottom line is that they’ve really seen much worse in movies and videogames, and we all know that kids empathize with animals.”
25 Responses to “PETA Passes Out McCruelty Meals To Kids”
ohh ok that is crazy… you can not give a small child who is used to a friendly cartoon clown, a meal with a ronald mcdonald knife holding cazied maniac they will have nightmares, its not tha big of a deal, it is up to the parents, schools, and doctors people that have the right ways to talk to children and confront them to eat balanced meals, that is like having mickey mouse in a nazi uniform telling everyone its not right to be differnt.. think about it petas so crazy they do what htey want, espically that crazy lady incharge… Everyone is entitled to thier own opinion, however it should not be used to exploit children or the resturants they eat at…. they should stop being such media hogs, their is more important things to worry about, did they forget about the millions of soldiers that have died for the saftey and freedom of our country?? what about hte humans that died so peta can have a say in how they feel, come on grow up, and realize animals may be special, they have many purposes one of which is FOOD. GET OVER IT NO ONE WILL STOP EATING MEAT, i am a meat lover and and animal lover, but just because i enjoy a steak doesnt mean im gonna go be crazy n kill dogs and harmelss animals…. infact i hate peta theeese poeple should not be radical as they are, they are an origanization that should have some class instead of actin like a bunch of ass…..good luck on thoose court dates peta i pray to god, no children were harmed during this process… seeing how you belive animals are more precious… crazy people need to be realistic… have a good wholesome balanced day …..
ohh and another thing, i dont even care for mcdonalds, i hate fast food, however, mcdonalds always advertises that they DO have more healthy choices than they used to, apple dippers fruit cups w granola and even chocolate milk or white if wanted, so they dont want kids to just eat unhealthy food everyday… fast food is what it is america knows already…
Implementing change for a better future may start with us but inevitably it ends up in the hands of our children. There’s times when the message being sent needs to be BIG, some may say harsh… but it’s the only way to make an impact and send a clear message that change has to happen. Children in today’s world are exposed to much worse than “Chicken McCruelty.” If you have time to complain about this than your probably living a sheltered existence.
Because this is not the kind of thing you show to small children. What is this “they’ve seen much worse in movies/videogames” crap? Children of the age that they get Happy Meals are too young to be playing MA and R rated video games/seeing those movies. So why should they be allowed to be given similar themes and messages by Peta?
If little children want to eat their McDonalds, everyone can stay out of it.
Everyone’s freaking out about this. But I don’t see how McDonald’s dressing up something awful as nice and marketing it to kids is permissible by anyone’s standards. PETA is just fighting in the dirt with them, and I salute them for it.
This is out right wrong..I honestly hope that a lawsuit will be brought up against PETA, from one of the kids parents that received the information, for abuse. I’ve supported PETA in just about every case/decision but absoluetly feel this time they took it too far.
I wish one of these insane people would pass something like that out to my kids. after the person woke up from bein knocked out I would remind him/her that not everyone subscribes to their questionable message or the methods they use to deliver the message.
you people are crazy go ahead try handing my two year old that trust me u dont want to!sick people
There are a number of videos on Yahoo that depict acts of extreme cruelty in slaughterhouses. I know several people who have watched these and have admitted to being disgusted; however, when the clip is over, they have immediately headed out for a burger. People are desensitized to the suffering of animals …either that or they are just simply inhumane at heart. In order to get them to really see something, you have to do it in a way that that really stands out (maybe we’re just too used to shock journalism). The problem with PETA is that their recent stunts are so outlandish that people now consider the organization to be a joke. I’m a vegetarian and I would rather not see people eat animals, but I’m smart enough to know that isn’t going to change. PETA should focus on a battle they might actually win …steer people to free range ranches that insist on humane death. Children have no place in this battle and treating them with cruelty is no better than animals being treated thus. This is fantastically ridiculous.
@Parker:
So then you agree that Peta is just as bad as McDonalds? Seeing as they seem to ‘fight in the dirt’ most of time…
PETA is a massive piece of crap. Id like nothing more than to lock all PETA supporters in the Astrodome and dump about 10 tons of zyclon b into the ventilation system. To hell with those chickens. If it wasnt for human beings that particular variety of creature would not even be present on the planet. And to hell with mcdonalds too id rather eat my own excrement than consume that swill.
I think the far bigger problem than PETA handing children unhappy meals, is how do they get by the parents?
If they are giving them to teens and tweens, those kids already see worse than that on teh internets. But if they are giving these to small children, where the eff are the parents and why do they allow their children to just take things from people?
Why shouldn’t children learn that their parents are forcing them to torture, mutilate and murder innocent chickens, pigs and cows with every bite? Because eating chicken mcnuggets is no different than sticking a knife in your family pet or your little sister, carving it up alive, and dropping the pieces in a deep fryer. Get a clue about the murders you commit!
As a vegan, I clearly stand behind Peta’s stated goals. It’s interesting when you read comments such as Jessica’s – she loves animals, that’s why she eats them, or the violent response that the ‘truth’ provokes in meat-eaters. The problem is that Peta’s message is watered down by the craziness of their antics, and our movement, if you want to call it that, lacks a clear vision. I’ll bet more than half of Peta’s members aren’t even vegetarian. The point is simple, “if slaughterhouses had windows, most people would BE vegetarians”, and we need to spend the movements dollars where it has the most value. Through abolitionist, vegan education. It’ll save billions of sentient beings, our health, and the planet.
“To the animals, humans are like Nazis”…
i am an elem teacher and i firmly agree that we shld educate ALL PEOPLE-kids and adults- and let them decide for themsleves. they shld know where their food is coming from! the fact is, not all people are civilized and people need to be educated on this. i don’t care what the age is-they need to know what in the heck they are eating and be able to make a CHOICE!!!!!! give me a break!!
PETA does do some things that seem questionable but they get the point across! Good! Kids are the ones that will change the future for recycling, protecting the earth’s lands and waterways, and how animals and people will be treated in this world.
Many parents do not want their kids to see the truth because THEY want to keep eating and are addicted to the artery killing foods. Animals deserve respect and protection from man’s thoughtless cruelty for trying to make a buck!
AWESOME!!! Parents and kids should learn where their meal comes from and what kind of pain and suffering eating that piece of chicken entails. It’s called TRUTH!!!
PETA dosen’t have the right to teach children what they feel they need to know. It is up to the parents how they wish their children to find out. I am the filter of how my children are taught things like this. Now I already have taught my little kids where meat comes from and how they do it. And that was my choice. But for other families who do not wish for their kids to find out this way is a tremendous violation of their family rights. All people have different beliefs. PETA’s freedom of speech allows them to say what they say. that is great. good for them. but when they force people to learn this way it infringes on other people right to not want to know. i love to eat steak, but i don’t want to go to the slaughter house to watch them kill the cow.
and eating a mc nugget is not the same as sticking a knife in my little sister you bleeding heart animal lover. animals are animals, not humans.
props to PETA. mcdonald’s has been unregulated long enough. at what point do we stop “lying” to the young ones and let them know exactly what it is they are eating…..just for the sake of a freaking happy meal toy?
I don’t have a problem with PETA wanting to save the animals. But they often go way too far, such as throwing paint/blood on people to protest wearing fur. But this takes it to a whole new level. I’ve always believed that when you have a point to get across, don’t use children to do it. They don’t know what’s going on and are most often just doing what they are told to do by the adults in their lives. They have no concept of anything going on in this conflict. If Mom says “Let’s get a Happy Meal” they will agree because it is Mom. But then if they turn around and there’s someone saying “You shouldn’t eat meat. It’s cruel.” they’ll play along because that’s what seems important to do at that time. It’s ridiculous and a truly low blow to traumatize children by taking a favorite character and turning him into a blood-thirsty maniac. I just wish PETA would step it down a little bit. People might actually take them more seriously then. On a side note, someone should check out the new Onion News Network video about PETA’s treatment of women in their new ad campaign. Less funny and somewhat more true than what was probably originally intended.
I think PETA could sent out the same message with alot less. They don’t have to traumatize children to get their message across, they go for the shock factor just to get media attention which is wrong considering they are dealing with impressionable minds. Alot of parents try to shelter their children from violent movies and vodeo games and PETA has underminded these parents and exposed their children to something they probably won’t fully grasp or understand until they are mature enough to grasp such an adult concept. I don’t think PETA has any right to hurt children in any sense, be it mentally, emotionally, or physically. It’s a cowardly thing when PETA has to stoop so low that they need to frighten children simply because they aren’t human enough to act like adults. PETA is trying to do good nut they are going about it all the wrong way and now it is only a joke of an organization because they put themselves there. You dig your grave and so you must lie in it!
lindapx, why would anyone kill their sister and eat her? i guess that proves you Peta hippies don’t eat animals but people to get protein now i get why all you hippies are insane, and people don’t eat there dogs and cats, they eat cows and pigs, animals who would not survive without humans, they run their course in life and then we eat them end of story get real no one likes peta
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I don’t see what the big deal is. McDonalds want kids to eat unhealthy food so why shouldn’t they be told where it really comes from.