PETA ( People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) - Research Paper Example

PETA is often criticized for its radical and sometimes controversial approach towards social protest. Still even some of the avid detractors of PETA respect the validity and nobleness of its cause (Stevens, 2010). Introduction to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, popularly known as PETA, was founded in 1980, by the efforts and collaboration of two much experienced and dedicated animal rights activists, Ingrid Newkirk and Alex Pacheco.

PETA is a not for profit organization with 300 salaried employees, backed by a committed pool of two million members and supporters, which includes some of the really famous celebrities and personalities (Stevens, 2010). PETA claims to be the biggest animal rights organization in the world. The motto of PETA is “animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment, on or use for entertainment (PETA: Online). The core issues regarding the cruelty towards animals that PETA focuses on are, fighting against the exploitation of animals for entertainment (circuses, fishing, buying animals as pets from pet stores or companies, dog fighting, cock fighting, bull fighting, etc), using animals for carrying out scientific experiments and tests, fur farming and organized factory farming (Stevens, 2010, p. 6). Framing of the Animal Rights Issue by PETA The animal rights groups that existed before PETA were predominantly conservative, whose approach towards the issue was at the best, mild and reconciliatory.

In 1981, just a couple of months after its conception, PETA brought the issue of animal rights to the forefront of American socio-political platform, by creating a controversy around the issue of cruelty inflicted on a group of macaque monkeys by the researchers at the Institute of Behavioral Research in Silver Spring, Maryland, leading to the first ever police raid on an animal laboratory in America, followed by an amendment in the Animal Welfare Act in 1985 (Macionis, 2010: Stevens, 2010). PETA, right from the start was well aware of the fact that the issue of cruelty towards animals was considered something not so important as to attract public attention, unless it is presented and highlighted with ample glitz, media coverage, drama and attention grabbing and disturbing visual content projecting cruelty on animals (Pace, 2005, p. 37). Considering the deluge of human problems facing the society, animal rights were not something that commanded a top priority on the public and political agenda.

Thus, any approach towards challenging the existing status quo must need to have a SHOCK appeal. Therefore, every activity of PETA be it political lobbying, protests, media campaigns, undercover investigations, has this quintessential X factor that is unexceptionally always successful in grabbing public attention and jolting the mass conscience. This accompanied by a parallel strategy aimed at reaching out to and educating the people, pursuing a hot and cold approach towards the targeted corporations and pressurizing the corporate managements by becoming a stockholder (Tkac, 2006, p. 6). PETA is an animal rights group that has been both famous as well as notorious for its innovative, wacky, controversial, disturbing and nerdy approach towards framing, campaigning and protest.

One big success of