BP Lubricant: Leave Chimps Out of Commercials February 4, 2009
Posted by Marta | Permalink | Comments ( 5 ) | TrackBack
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If you're one of the millions of people who watched the Super Bowl on Sunday, you likely saw BP Lubricant USA's commercial, "Castrol Oil: Edge Monkeys," which featured multiple chimpanzees. Ugh—way to put a damper on things.
In addition to portraying the animals in a demeaning way, using chimpanzees in advertisements is just plain cruel:
- Great apes used in advertisements are often very young. They are taken from their families and beaten to ensure that they do as the trainer demands.
- Once they are too old and no longer considered "useful," many primates are discarded in hideous roadside zoos or are warehoused in appalling conditions. PETA investigations have revealed that former "celebrity" apes were living in small, filthy cages littered with garbage and feces and were denied basic necessities (like wholesome food and adequate veterinary care).
- Chimps are known for their wide, toothy grins—what most people don't realize, though, is that "smile" is actually a grimace of fear.
Remember, just because animals used in ads may look like they're fine, it doesn't mean they were always treated well—no one's going to use footage of a terrified animal to try to sell their product, right?
We've already contacted the company to request that it pull the commercial and pledge never to use great apes in advertisements again. They haven't agreed to do so yet, so we want them to hear from you, too.
BP Lubricant should follow in the compassionate footsteps of Sega, Yahoo!, PUMA, Honda, and Subaru (to name a few), by pledging never to use great apes in advertisements again. After all, there are many alternatives to using live animals—such as animatronics, animation, and CGI.
Did you guys see the commercial?
♥ P.S. On a pleasant note, check out a former laboratory chimpanzee seeing snow for the first time. So cute!
Comments
Nope, I didn't see it, but I'm in Canada. I did hear about it though. It makes me wonder why PETA gave Marley & Me the thumbs up. It's not like dogs don't get abused in Hollywood, you know.
Posted by: Aneliese at February 5, 2009 12:40 PMYou're right: PETA does not support the use of animals in entertainment. After the move was released, we gave Marley and Me "two paws up" for the message it imparts, not because we ok'd the use of dogs in the production. The movie sends the animal-friendly message that dogs are a part of the family - for better or for worse. We also wanted to commend the producers for having the film's characters adopt Marley from a rescue group instead of buying a puppy from a breeder or pet store.
But as you say, we don't want any animal - exotic or domestic - to be used as "actors." Domestic animals can and do experience stress and anxiety when hauled around in trucks and trailers and forced to participate in situations that are unfamiliar or frightening.
Posted by: Marta at February 6, 2009 1:01 PMThe way these "actors" are abused is sick
About the Marley and Me thing: Domestic animals on set are most likely to be treated well. Sometimes they are treated better than the humans!
Posted by: Maddi at February 7, 2009 8:07 PMWhen will advertisers learn that animals are not 'actors'?! I'd much rather watch a cartoon animal in an advert than a real one.
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It was a funny commercial and would of been funny regardless if they used real chimps or not.
Posted by: Pepsi One is Fun at February 4, 2009 7:24 PM