Agriculture Industry Encouraged To Adopt ‘Happiness Is A Dead Animal’ Slogan
At a recent gathering of farmers for a program sponsored by Farm Credit Services of Mid-America, Dr. Wes Jamison, Associate Professor of Communication at Palm Beach Atlantic University, suggested that the Agriculture industry fight back with a new slogan:
“Happiness is a Dead Animal”
He told Hoosier Ag Today that vilifying groups like PETA and the HSUS isn’t enough — and that it’s time to make consumers “feel good” about the choices they made with food. From the article,
He suggested printing T-shirts with a photo of a juicy steak or pork chop with the phrase, “Happiness is a dead animal� written on it. He would start by passing these out on college campuses where young people love to wear provocative shirts. We could then move up to bumper stickers and onto billboards. It is a simple yet effective message that would help consumers feel good about their meat choices. It would also be fun to watch the leadership of HSUS and PETA come completely unglued when people started responding to this approach.
Yea, something tells me that with all the documentaries and books out recently criticizing the factory farming industry, fighting back with such a stupid slogan probably isn’t the best way to make people feel good. If the Ag industry wants to win the hearts of those who eat meat, why not show what changes you’re making to decrease animal suffering? Suggestions like this one only prove how nervous the industry is over animal rights campaigns. If only they realized that taking the “moral high ground” meant actually listening and enacting changes rather than weaving death and happiness into a rallying cry.
Well, gosh, at least they’re honest that the products they sell are dead animals. You’d have to be pretty sick to enjoy the thought of an animal tortured for your tastebuds.
Agreed. ABSOLUTELY SICKING!
“Yea, something tells me that with all the documentaries and books out recently criticizing the factory farming industry, fighting back with such a stupid slogan probably isn’t the best way to make people feel good.”
“Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public.”
- H. L. Mencken
I certainly don’t know anyone who would think that was a cute slogan. That’s so disrespectful to animals. I’m sure the media would love it, but to me it would be very bad press for the ag industry. It just might backfire on them as there are so many animal lovers these days. They may want to rethink that idea. Just horrible!
You notice that the person who suggested this is not a direct member of the agriculture community? Give the farmers some credit. They wouldn’t stoop to the level of HSUS or PETA to get their message across.
And what is that message Kathy?
Hi there! This Wes Jamison is one more loon… I can’t believe he is the “spiritual” representative for animal ag. And if this is the best they can do… Indeed it’s only a matter of time!
Of all things I’ve read authored by Jamison, this regarding his “I love meat campaign” would trouble me, even in my pre-vegan years!
“In closing, he sent producers home with the message, “All you have to do is communicate in a language that your consumers understand and give them permission to live as hypocrites and they will do so.”
http://www.midwestagnet.com/Global/story.asp?S=11912192
What an insult to the integrity of anyone who reads this – Meat eater or not! His intention is to devalue all reason or moral consistency… He must! Because in this arena they have nothing to stand on! Nice to know the foundation of their “argument” is decaying, and thier “logic” is being reduced to ridiculous, pathetic, stoooopid tactics!
My first thought is that this “campaign” could backfire on those people, on the other hand, people tend to “eat” anything that is fed to them via the news, politicians, you-name-it, so i can see someone going “see ma, i can have my steak and EAT it”…yet, the hopeful, positive, and optimistic side of me says that the slogan will turn people off.
And i agree, it is a stupid slogan.
Reminds me of someone I work with who wears a t-shirt that says “PETA” on the front and underneath it says People Eating Tasty Animals”. Makes me want to kick his derriere. I think this t-shirt will not sell well on college campuses, except maybe in “Ag” country.
I need to get T-shirts made up with my company slogan (I own and operate a business and we make Soysage)which is, “Whole Hog Soysage…We keep the hog WHOLE!”
I agree, their slogan is not only rediculously stupid but, so uncreative and boring. So typical of the meat industry’s marketing team.
mmmm dead flesh of an animal PETA is really people eating tasty animals mmmmmmmmmm
That reply completely ignores the important issue at hand, the suffering of animals for unnecessary and selfish reasons. That would be like a rapist defending his actions with the explanation that he really enjoys raping.
I HOPE THEY DO IT. THAT WOULD BE THE BEST
I DIDNT FINISH, WHAT I WAS SAYING IS I HOPE THE MEAT INDUSTRY GOES FORWARD WITH THE DEAD ANIMALS CAMPAIGN, PLEASE ENCOURAGE IT, NOTHING WE COULD DO COULD EVER PROVE OUR POINT MORE. ANYONE WITH HALF A BRAIN, EVEN IF THEY LOVED MEAT AND DIDNT CARE FOR ANIMALS ITS GOING TO AT LEAST MAKE THEM LOOK AT WHATS ON THEIR PLATE AND HOPEFULLY SEE AN ANIMAL LYING THERE INSTEAD OF FOOD.
Sadly, in North Carolina, where I’m from, people might actually wear those shirts. What more can you expect from an area where the Smithfield Slaughterhouse is only a coupla miles away!
I wish I could say I thought this would backfire horribly… I’d love it if it turned out that way.
Unfortunately I’ve known way too many people who repeat the “people eating tasty animals” joke, who look at pictures of cows or pigs and say “mmm, food,” etc. There was a guy on one season of Top Chef who was always seen wearing a shirt that said “Bacon is a vegetable” (still don’t really understand that slogan) with a picture of a cartoon pig on it.
There are plenty of people who are willing to joke about the animals they eat. Maybe it’s a defense mechanism to protect them from the guilt they would otherwise feel. Or maybe they’re just that callous. I don’t know, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this slogan took off, and it would just be more proof to me of the sad state of our culture.