McCruelty's Unhappy Meal
PETA Has Message for Meat-eating Kids at McDonald's
By KATHLEEN PURVIS, Staff Writer
Ronald McDonald, hatchet man?
He is on the box of "McCruelty's Unhappy Meal," a gimmick by the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which has printed 10,000 "Unhappy Meal" kits for distribution at McDonald's playgrounds and near schools around the nation in July and August, with a possible repeat in October.
There is no Charlotte chapter of PETA, and local animal rights activists say they haven't seen the kits and have no plans to distribute them, although they do distribute leaflets supporting veganism - eating no meat or dairy products - at McDonald's restaurants.
The kits feature pictures of bloody animals and contain straw dabbed with red paint, a stuffed version of a blood-splashed Ronald holding a butcher knife, anti-meat stickers and toy animals painted to look like their throats have been slashed.
Despite their graphic nature, PETA spokesman Bruce Friedrich expects good reaction from children. McDonald's, he says, airs much of its advertising on children's programs.
"If kids knew what happens to animals before McDonald's slaughters them, they wouldn't eat there. (This) rips the sugar coating off the patty and exposes Ronald for what he really is."
As for parents' reaction, he says, "My experience, in passing out leaflets, is that people tend to resonate with the message. We're not trying to win popularity contests; we're trying to educate people."
On PETA's Web site, meatstinks.com, people can sign up to sponsor protests.
McDonald's defends its animal-rights practices. Although PETA says it tried to work with the chain, the company disputes that. McDonald's initiated talks with PETA, says spokesman Walt Riker, but the organization wouldn't cooperate. "They just walked away."
Riker defends McDonald's policies on animals. While the company doesn't supply its own meat, it uses its buying power to influence suppliers.
"We're working with suppliers and we think we're making a difference," Riker says. "We have high standards and we can have an impact."
McDonald's, he says, inspects farms where animals are raised and plans to start the McDonald's Animal Welfare Council, bringing together experts on animal-handling practices.
The kits, Riker says, are designed to frighten children. As for activists working on McDonald's playgrounds, PETA's Friedrich says the playgrounds usually aren't supervised by employees, but Riker points out that the playgrounds are private property.
"I would hope they would respect private property and respect the families that are eating there."
By Brian Carnell
Monday, July 3, 2000
Just when it looked like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals couldn't possibly go any lower on the poor taste meter, along comes its announcement that if McDonald's doesn't give in to PETA's demands, the group will begin distributing "Unhappy Meals" to children at McDonald's restaurants in at least 40 U.S. cities.
What's an "Unhappy Meal"? It's a mock-up of McDonald's Happy meal with a horror movie-style twist. The outside of the box features Ronald McDonald holding a bloody butcher knife. Inside the box are toy animals with severed limbs and heads, according to PETA.
PETA wants McDonald's to agree to stop buying eggs and pork from U.S. companies who confine chickens in small wire cages and pigs in stalls. PETA also wants McDonald's to refuse to buy from producers who remove the beaks from hens to keep them from pecking each other.
If McDonald's doesn't agree to do so, PETA has threatened to start passing out the "Unhappy Meals" in restaurants and schools.
When asked about the threat, McDonald's spokesman Walt Riker told Reuters, "The only letter PETA should be writing is a letter of apology to all the parents and families who have been sickened by PETA's blood and gore 'Unhappy meal' assault on kids."
As a parent who regularly takes his daughter to McDonald's, the thought that some activist might approach my daughter and hand her this sort of thing is sickening. One of the obvious likely outcomes if PETA follows through on this is that some parent is going to show is lack of appreciation for handing his or her child an "Unhappy Meal" with dismembered toy animals by assaulting an activist.
The next obvious outcome would be a flurry of lawsuits against PETA for causing emotional distress to children. If it wasn't for the fact that this involves children, that might be amusing to watch, but it's hard enough to shield children from the onslaught of violent and gory images in pop culture without PETA taking it upon themselves to expose children to violent images.
This latest bizarre public stunt is typical of the animal rights movement -- it has completely failed to convert people to the animal rights position, so the only thing left open are attempts to manipulate people's emotions (which in PETA's case, typically backfire) or outright terrorism and property destruction.
PETA Set to Distribute "Unhappy Meals"