by John M. Simpson.
We have reported previously (here and here) on an ongoing back and forth between animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and Jimmy’s Famous Seafood, a seafood restaurant in Baltimore, Maryland. PETA started it with a billboard advertisement in which a Maryland crab proclaimed “I’m ME, not MEAT. See the individual. Go Vegan.” Jimmy’s responded with its own billboard asserting: “SteaMEed crabs. Here to stay. Get Famous.” Jimmy’s also trolled PETA on Twitter with humorous effect with hashtags like “#SteamThemAll.” This tactic reportedly had the effect of boosting Jimmy’s sales.
The fun continued recently with a post by Jimmy’s on social media announcing the creation of a new beverage that apparently goes very well with steamed Maryland crabs. The new concoction, called “PETA Tears” is an American blonde ale. As Jimmy’s tweeted: “Dear @peta, Your tears are delicious – and we’re sharing them with the world.”
Ingrid Newkirk, President of PETA, reportedly was not fazed, calling the new beer a “silly bid for relevancy.” When it comes to identifying “silly bids for relevancy,” PETA should know, given its own publicity-grabbing antics. In any event, Jimmy’s apparently intends to donate one dollar for every beer it sells to Show Your Soft Side, which describes itself as a “public service campaign that was created to change the mindset of young people who all-too-often view the maiming and torturing of defenseless cats and dogs as a sign of ‘toughness’ or ‘manhood.'” The organization’s motto is “only a punk would hurt a cat or dog.” Thus, it appears that “PETA Tears” are being shed for a good cause. Given the high euthanization rate in PETA’s Norfolk, Virginia, animal “shelter,” Jimmy’s appears to occupy higher ground when it comes to the actual welfare of dogs and cats.