Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

PETA Blasted For Claiming That Using 'Chicken' As An Insult Is On Par With Racial And Homophobic Slurs

PETA Blasted For Claiming That Using 'Chicken' As An Insult Is On Par With Racial And Homophobic Slurs
Richard Bailey/Getty Images

Calling a coward a "chicken" or a chauvinist a "pig" is just a colorful way to dress up your language. Or are they actually "anti-animal slurs" on par with racist and homophobic insults?

The group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is no stranger to controversy, but their most recent claim has many exasperated.


In a tweet, PETA claims that using animals as insults is "speciesism" and should be changed.

They claim it's hurtful and perpetuates negative stereotypes about certain animals.

The infographic shows the animal name often used as an insult, such as "snake" or "rat" and suggests you replace it with the original word you likely switched it out for in your language, like "jerk" or "snitch."

Aside from the idea that this promotes a speciesist mindset, PETA responded to a number of comments claiming that "if you believe in equality and justice" that you also should adjust your language to remove animal-based insults.

This had a lot of people rolling their eyes at PETA's claim.




Veganism and animal rights activism can both be very noble ideals and advocated for successfully by many groups and people. But PETA has a reputation for shock campaigns that do little to improve the reputation of those fighting for animal rights.

On one end of the spectrum, in 2018, they pulled almost this exact same stunt, claiming that negative animal sayings, such as "kill two birds with one stone" also promoted speciesist thinking.

On the other end, they've gotten in trouble for comparing pig slaughterhouses to the Holocaust and insulted a remembrance of Steve Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter.

It's so bad, a lot of vegans and animal rights activistsdistance themselves from the organization.



PETA's anti-animal slur claim didn't hold up well when the rest of the internet started commenting back. The group was swarmed with negative comments on their posts.

The group eventually put up a video of a demonstration in Ft. Lauderdale, explaining their issue with our animal-based metaphors.

"We're telling people that when they fight racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia and any other social injustice, to also consider animals and consider speciesism."

However, not everyone thought the issue was so dire.




Comments on PETA's speciesism advocacy posts have a lot of detractors, many who just post pictures of meat or remind PETA of past transgressions.

The group is currently pushing for dictionaries to remove derogatory definitions of animals from their databases. However, many pointed out that the dictionaries just reflect society's usage and context.

Though if we've learned anything about what PETA does, they're really bad at context.

More from Trending

Sabre; Nancy Mace
@bottleneckloser/Instagram, Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Congressional Integrity Project

Trans Influencer Speaks Out After She's Randomly Targeted By Nancy Mace Online

A trans influencer fired back at MAGA Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina for mocking her about her trans identity on social media and subsequently making her vulnerable to attacks.

Sabre, whose Instagram handle is @bottleneckloser, posted a video stating that the lawmaker "bullied" her recently for being "hot on Twitter.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Elon Musk
Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

YouTube Becomes Unlikely Hero After Play Button Is Perfectly Placed Over Musk's Face

Call it kismet or divine intervention, but sometimes the fates align to inadvertently create something wonderful.

Or hilarious.

Keep ReadingShow less
Elon Musk and Jim Jordan
Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

GOP Account Hit With Blunt Reminder After Shaming Dems For Celebrating Tesla's Downfall

Minnesota Democratic Governor and former vice presidential candidate Tim Walz joined many Americans in a bit of schadenfreude regarding White House advisor Elon Musk’s recent reversal of fortune.

Musk, the self-described leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has seen protests against his actions on behalf of Republican President Donald Trump. Part of those protests include Tesla owners getting rid of their vehicles, buyers boycotting the brand, and stockholders dumping their shares.

Keep ReadingShow less
Rachel Zegler
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/GettyImages

Rachel Zegler Claims 'White Executives' Questioned Her Latina Heritage During 'West Side Story' Casting

Actor Rachel Zegler claimed that skeptical producers questioned her Latina heritage during the casting process for the 2021 West Side Story remake directed by Steven Spielberg.

In the remake of the classic 1961 film adaptation, Zegler starred opposite Ansel Elgort as the star-crossed lovers, Maria and Tony.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Trump Hilariously Melts Down Over Awful Portrait Of Him Hanging In CO State Capitol—And People Can't Stop Trolling Him

People can't help but troll President Donald Trump after he complained about a truly awful portrait of him hanging in the Colorado State Capitol building.

On Sunday night, Trump lashed out against Colorado Governor Jared Polis for hanging what he called a "purposefully distorted" portrait of him in the Colorado State Capitol building.

Keep ReadingShow less