PETA attacks Pokemon for promoting animal abuse

[Evil Spagetti]

PETA attacks Pokemon for promoting animal abuse

Quote:

From dressing up as Ku Klux Klansmen to featuring scantily clad celebrities, PETA's appetite for publicity seems boundless.

Now, the animal rights group has set its sights on Pokemon, charging that the franchise's latest video game, Pokemon Black Version 2 and Pokemon White Version 2, paints a rosy picture of what amounts to thinly veiled animal abuse.

The organization says that much like animals in the real world, Pokemon are treated as unfeeling objects and used for human entertainment and as subjects in experiments.

"The way that Pokemon are stuffed into pokeballs is similar to how circuses chain elephants inside railroad cars and let them out only to perform confusing and often painful tricks that were taught using sharp steel-tipped bullhooks and electric shock prods," PETA claims.

In an attempt to save young minds who play the game, PETA has released a parody game called Pokemon Black and Blue: Gotta Free 'Em All which can be played on its site.

In an article that appears on Forbes' website, David Ewalt argues that "PETA seems to have missed the single biggest theme of the Pokemon series: That Pokemon should be treated humanely and live as our equals.

"The games are loaded with an endless stream of characters who go on and on about true friendship between man and Pokemon," he writes. "It’s so saccharine and so completely opposite what PETA suggests that it boggles the mind."

[kakteed]

HAHAHAHA, OMG

rofl

Btw, I haven't been commenting on your international news, but know that I'm still reading! biggrin

[Streaking Psycho]

I do not agree with what PETA has said about Pokemon. They seriously need to get a life. It says in the game itself that the whole idea of the game is to promote that Pokemon should be treated fairly with their trainers. Yes they put them in pokeballs, but at the same time they take care of them and they try to free the pokemon who are not being treated right

[Soraanki]

-dies laughing-

Pokemon is quite the opposite. Animal abuse? The games stress that you need to love and raise your pokemon for them to grow stronger. The Anime and Manga (though manga is a bit darker) are the same way! PETA needs to shut up and mind their own childhood memories thank you!

[Its A Crystal]

PETA is ridiculous, what else is new.

[Evany Star]

Me and my Swampert had the best relationship ever gonk (even though Pokemon Sapphire was just a game)

Isn't that the whole reason why the anime had characters like Paul.

[Ju Tru Nix]

Of course, PETA would say this now. After all, it was only released Sunday and it is SO different from every other game in the series.
/sarcasm
I wonder what happened to the people that started PETA with a real effort to end animal cruelty and abuse. Have these people lost their grip on reality?

[Gregory Oliver Daniels]

emotion_awesome

I lol so hard at PETA for this.

emotion_awesome

[spaztik princess]

Oh, ********!!!! PETA is being a dumbass again instead of protesting against actual animal abuse!!!! stressed

[USS_Galactica]

I was wondering when they'd get around to Pokemon. Since they have already gone after Mario (for the Tanooki suit), Battlefield 3 (for stabbing a rat), Resident Evil (killing animals), Tiny Zoo (for imprisoning poor animals). And oddly praised the Fable series for giving good points for eating vegetarian food, and evil points for eating meat. This game also has a mini game where you kick chickens, apparently they didn't get to that part in the game.

http://www.gametrailers.com/side-mission/32227/pokemon-black-and-white-gets-skewered-in-petas-latest-game

"If PETA existed in Unova, our motto would be: Pokémon are not ours to use or abuse. They exist for their own reasons. We believe that this is the message that should be sent to children."

PeTA, you already do exist in Unova. You're Team Plasma, aka the bad guys that get pummeled.

http://features.peta.org/pokemon-black-and-white-parody/

Apparently they do know they are the bad guys, look at the sign Pikachu is holding in their parody game.

[Vladimir Nosiano]

I'm starting to think PETA is the Andy Kaufman of activist groups. They can't be serious will he majority of stuff they rail against.

I'm all for animal rights, and not being a jerk to our four legged friends, but this is just laughable.

They went at Nintendo, and the Mario Tanooki suit not too long ago. I can't take them seriously.

Edit: Didn't know they had an opinion on Resident Evil. Do they think that the killing of Zombie dogs, giant spiders, and killer gators breeds the real life animal abuse in some way? Don't answer that. I really don't care what the leaders of this organization think. I just hope the members don't blindly co-sign all this stuff, and instead question the relevance of it to their real cause.

[MillKitten]

omg really? they don't have anything better to do than bash a game about fictional creatures?

[Loki903]

Streaking Psycho

I do not agree with what PETA has said about Pokemon. They seriously need to get a life. It says in the game itself that the whole idea of the game is to promote that Pokemon should be treated fairly with their trainers. Yes they put them in pokeballs, but at the same time they take care of them and they try to free the pokemon who are not being treated right

I agree also, instead of wasting time on games they should go for REAL animal abuse. I mean... they already targeted cooking mama's games.... and cooking mama also does babysitting also.... and camping where she helps animals..... and mario is just... for the love of god he jumps on mushrooms you can't take that seriously. PETA really needs to get a grip, it's hard to take them seriously anymore. besides. pokemon isn't a total fighting game compared to the original ones. now you ahve to build friendship so albiet a fighting game, kids who play can learn to cooperate and be kind to animals in some versions. including the old games like pokemon channel or ... that other pikachu one... I can't remember the name for it... some NES or 64 game.

[The Awkward Moment]

Unable to identify Vimeo video URL.

[ngaurhoth1]

Hm, I am quite curious as to how the hammer of copyright infringement has not be hammered down upon their heads. They didn't even attempt to veil that it was pokemon, they DIRECTLY used the IP.
My only guess is that Nintendo doesn't want to deal with the potential PR whiplash, which is kinda unfair.