PETA Says Spearfish = Sea Kitten
I’m not kidding: PETA — People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals – wants Spearfish High School to change its name to Sea Kitten High School.
The animal rights group sent a letter today to Spearfish High School Principal Steve Morford urging him to change the school’s name, part of PETA’s larger campaign to encourage everyone to refer to fish as sea kittens, instead of fish.
Their reasoning: If you think of fish as something warm and cuddly, not cold and scaly, you might be less apt to stab them with sharp hooks, cut them up and eat them. (It’s sort of anthropomorphism by proxy; creatures warm and cuddly evoke the kind of empathy that is normally reserved for human babies.)
“We’re hoping that by calling fish ‘sea kittens,’ compassionate people who would never hurt a dog or a cat will realize that fish feel pain and fear, just like furry and winged animals do,” PETA wrote in its letter to Principal Morford.
Why Spearfish High School? I called Pulin Modi, a very nice young man who is a spokesman for PETA. He explained that letters were sent to schools in Spearfish and Whitefish, Mont., because they are fish-named cities and because students have a natural interest in helping animals.
“We’re taking our message to kids because they are naturally drawn to being kind to animals,” he said.
The chances of a Sea Kittens name change actually happening? I called Principal Morford this afternoon. “I can guarantee you that there is not any remote possibility that we’re going to change our name from anything other than the Spearfish Spartans,” he said.
And I’m trying to picture how macho young football player would react if he had to play for Sea Kitten High.”Go Kitties!”
Modi said PETA harbors no illusions that either school will change its name, or that people will start calling fish sea kittens, but he hopes young people will start talking about and thinking about fish differently.
In fact, PETA conceded as much in a press release: “The suggestion is tongue-in-cheek – which beats a hook in the mouth any day.”
Okay, so I’ve never found fishing (sea kittening?) to be a very appealing sport myself, but then, I’ve never been very fond of things that are slimy and I also feel sorry for bugs I have to squash… But I’ve gotta say – the sorts of people who are likely to be moved by changing fish into something warm and cuddly are probably not the sorts of people who are avid fishers to begin with.
On the other hand, I think having to cope with a Kitty as a mascot might do high school men some good. Teach them sensitivity and so forth…
Um… If this was a straight find-and-replace, wouldn’t it be “Spear Sea Kitten High School?” I don’t think that’s quite the message that PETA is going for.
I don’t mind calling them sea kittens (stupid semantics anyway), but personally, I still find them tasty. Mmm. Sea kittens.
It’s just a testament as to how far people get into their causes. Unlike the shark in “Finding Nemo,” I feel strongly that fish are food, not friends. And definitely NOT fluffy or cuddly. Hm…all this talk about fish has made me hungry. I could go for a nice big plate of Sashimi…pass the wasabi!
Y’know… I think I’ll start calling my cat a Land Fish. Seems only appropriate. Poor regular fish being denied their own personal identity, co-opted and oppressed. This has to be some sort of bigotry…
I’m wondering if this isn’t a sign of something bigger — like a turf war between the mammal, reptile, avian and aquatic branches of PETA.
“Haha, we got the schools in sea-kitten cities to love fish!” say the fish people. “Give us back our premium parking spaces!”
“You fools!” cries the aviary squad. “That means all those fish-eaters are going to go back to chicken and eggs!”
“Or rattlesnakes!” whine the reptile lovers. “Everybody says they taste just like…”
“You’re all just jealous that your animals are only second-rate kitties to begin with,” smirk the mammal supporters. “We’ve got the genuine articles, and nobody can top them for pure pitiful perfection.”
(followed by general mayhem and hair pulling)
Uh, maybe this wasn’t such a bad plan? You don’t know the answer until you ask, right? PETA even admitted that they didn’t expect anything to go through, just to get some people to think.
I know PETA seems to do some dumb things, like, anything involving a fur coat and the red carpet, but perhaps there are actually some brains in the organization.
I for one will be thinking about the little fluffy sea kittens the next time I’m enjoying my sushi.
Sushi bar’s will now be referred to as Sea Kitten Slaughter Houses! How can this go on!! *elevates indignant tone*
Who’s looking out for those poor helpless Soy Pods? Cut down in the prime of there life for what? Tofu?!!
Have you hugged a Soy Pod today??
It’s nice to think of fish as cuddly kittens, of course I’ve never seen a cat with razor sharp barbs on the side of their mouth. My brother caught a cat-seakitten (or whatever) once and it stabbed it’s barb all the way through his hand. Cuddly indeed.
Now if they could only do something about sea kittens cruelly chasing and devouring other sea kittens then they’d be getting somewhere.
I’m not sure how keen my older brother would be on the idea that he were fishing for sea kittens in his ice shack. Or would they be ice kittens?
They’d be kitten-sicles!
They can call their school whatever they want. But why you care what a “macho young football player” thinks is beyond me.
Well, I think this is so humorous that PETA doesn’t have anything better to do than think up garbage like this, I’m not a PETA hater, there are things that PETA does that are good.
If PETA wanted to start a dialog they succeeded, but not in the way they wanted. Everybody is making fun of PETA for being so stupid, and being in South Dakota myself, I KNOW we are going to harass the Spearfish Spartans for the next couple months about being “sea kittens.”
I agree JME. PETA is all about doing stunts to get people talking. Generally they are not serious about their suggestions, they just want a dialogue. But I don’t agree with the ‘Any press is good press’ mentality. Your right, more often than not people are going to be relentlessly making fun of PETA and Spearfish. I don’t think it is going to change anyone’s mind, it is just going to piss of those who don’t like PETA and make the ones who like PETA say ‘good idea.’ No one’s mind is going to be changed by this stunt.
I have a question for the PETA folk: There is a very ugly sea creature called a sea cucumber; does that mean its a plant and OK to eat?
wow im a grad of spearfish 2005, and i cant believe that PETA is trying to pull this crap. they always have to have thier dirty little paws in everything, trying to change the planet. take that crap somewhere else. great example, “otter pops”, you kno, the popcicle. if they want to change the name of the school they have to change the name of the popcicle. they really need to get thier priorities straight. if they want to make a difference they need to talk to the people that will listen, and not push thier views on everyone else. school is supposed to be a place of pride and tradition. wheres the pride in being called a “kitten”. TAKE THAT CRAP ELSEWHERE PETA!!!!!
whether you call it a fish or a sea kitten…im still gonna eat it
This subject isn’t really that important. As long as students aren’t spearing fish to death, there’s no need to change the name. I personally think it’s a waste of time because it is only a name. Is changing the name of the school going to decrease animal cruelty, I don’t think so.