Cloris Leachman, Dressed Up in Cabbage and Lettuce by PETA

by Stephanie Ernst · 2009-03-31 12:31:00 UTC
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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:

Stephanie Ernst wrote the original Animal Rights blog at Change.org until December 2009. She can now be found at Animal Rights & AntiOppression.
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