PETA's Pokemon Parody Battles Animal Abuse

[Cognimancer]

PETA's Pokemon Parody Battles Animal Abuse

PETA has another Pokemon-themed parody game, this time featuring Pikachu and friends going up against the evils of McDonalds.

You wouldn't expect PETA to have much in the way of a game development department, but you'd be surprised. After People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals released Pokemon: Red, White, & Blue [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/120012-PETA-Plays-Pokemon]. The browser game lets you rescue tortured Pokemon from animal abusers like McDonalds workers and customers, and urges players to "choose kindness and go vegan - after all, even humans can evolve."

The core protest here is against Nintendo using its iconic mascots (via Happy Meal toys) to endorse McDonalds' abuse of animals. Heavy-handed though the writing may be - somebody swoons every single time PETA is mentioned in the dialogue - the gameplay gets its message across while staying surprisingly true to the Pokemon battle formula. Of course, you'll only be battling human enemies: the game isn't afraid to point fingers at the Pokemon series for desensitizing children to animal violence.

"Our parody game is a fun way to tackle a serious issue - that it's wrong for Nintendo to allow McDonald's to lure kids in using its beloved, cute icons, when the reality is that Pokemon have been used to mask would horrify them" says PETA's Joel Bartlett. You can play the parody game on PETA's website [http://features.peta.org/pokemon-red-white-blue-parody-game/?utm_campaign=Pokemon%20Red%20White%20Blue%20Release&utm_source=PETA%20Media&utm_medium=Promo]. It only takes a few minutes to complete, but it certainly doesn't waste time delivering its message.

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[Roxas1359]

The funniest thing ever would be if Nintendo were to issue a C&D in using Pikachu's likeness without permission. XD
...Please do that Nintendo, you'd get many brownie points from me if you did.

 

[Tony2077]

The funniest thing ever would be if Nintendo were to issue a C&D in using Pikachu's likeness without permission. XD
...Please do that Nintendo, you'd get many brownie points from me if you did.

it would be nice if someone did that to all of peta

 

[Riotguards]

man PETA at least try to be original once in a while, i want to laugh at you more

 

[Ace O'Hagen]

I swear I've seen both the Nintendo and McDonald's legal hammers come out in full force for less than this. though since it's a parody, it may be protected under the fair use clause. I could do without all the anvils it drops, though.

 

[Therumancer]

So, what is PETA's beef with McDonalds again? Oh wait, it must be the beef. How dare people eat meat! It kind of surprises me that they would think that meat is a dead animal is something kids are oblivious to, you learn the 4 basic food groups, beef is from cows, pork is from pigs, fish comes from well... fish... pretty early in school.

That said it's a free country, and as much as I dislike PETA they aren't the craziest people out there exploiting media platforms. Truthfully I do kind of hope Nintendo sues them.... normally I don't like big businesses being bullies, but it would actually serve a useful purpose here for once.

As far as PETA's video game creators... after "Super Tofu Boy" succeeded to an extent I was expecting to see more of this and I was apparently right.

 

[RJ Dalton]

If PETA wasn't evil, I'd be more inclined to laugh at this.

 

[The Apple BOOM]

Stop reporting on this. You're only giving them what they want.

 

[Something Amyss]

"choose kindness and go vegan - after all, even humans can evolve."

Mine keep mashing B for some reason.

But wouldn't it be epic if this got PETA in deep water with some fundamentalist religious group, and they urned all their time fighting one another?

The funniest thing ever would be if Nintendo were to issue a C&D in using Pikachu's likeness without permission. XD
...Please do that Nintendo, you'd get many brownie points from me if you did.

Given that this falls under fair use (commentary, criticism, parody, etc), they'd basically waste money and give PETA more attention.

So, what is PETA's beef with McDonalds again? Oh wait, it must be the beef. How dare people eat meat! It kind of surprises me that they would think that meat is a dead animal is something kids are oblivious to, you learn the 4 basic food groups, beef is from cows, pork is from pigs, fish comes from well... fish... pretty early in school.

Your food groups are a little off.

As far as PETA's video game creators... after "Super Tofu Boy" succeeded to an extent I was expecting to see more of this and I was apparently right.

On the plus side, Team Meat's response to PETA was AWESOME.

 

[weirdee]

I'll have to admit that even though I don't actually trust PETA as far as I could conceivably throw a pokeball, apparently a broken clock can be right twice a day, since they technically are crosspromoting pokemon and burgers made from processes we would rather not look at, plus who the hell actually knows how people can both be friends with pokemon while meat presumably still gets eaten in the pokemon universe

however, everything around that message detracts from it, so we are left with another half assed mess

and of course it doesn't actually make up for all the times they made those other parody games that didn't make thematic sense when observed from a logical standpoint

 

[KeyMaster45]

I kind of have to applaud PETA, despite my dislike of them, for trying to use games as something more than just entertainment. Though usually over the top in their portrayal of the horrors of w/e it is they dislike, the games are solidly built internet diversions that make you think. Though usually after thinking you come to the conclusion that you just don't give a rats ass how your burgers are harvested, and go buy a royal with cheese to sate the hunger the game has given you.

I have to question though, why is Grimmace on the Pokemon's team? Is it because all these years Ronald has had him chained up the basement to force feed him new food products the company is testing? If so I wouldn't blame him for wanting to kick some clown ass, McDonald's food is tolerable on the best of days. (but damn do I love their fries)

 

[FinalDream]

"choose kindness and go vegan - after all, even humans can evolve."

Then comes the PETAL parody version, fighting plant abuse.

PETAL: "Choose kindness and just die, at least you'll stop eating things and evolve(ish)!

 

[ShirowShirow]

Stop giving these murderous bastards publicity.

 

[medv4380]

Grimmis is a Pokemon?

 

[Infernal Lawyer]

Oh look. Peta is once again crying for attention and makes a 'parody' game. Meanwhile they continue to massacre the animals they claim they love so much in the name of mercy. At least McDonald's doesn't pretend that it's doing it's cows a favour by turning them into beefburgers.

I'll take Peta seriously when they actually try to help animals. And maybe when they start going after Monster Hunter.

 

[Lunar Templar]

yeah, no, not clicking any links to any of their sites, less traffic they get the better.

 

[Someone Depressing]

PETA are a bunch of pretentious, entitled asshats whose message can be summarised as "eat meat and you'll get fat and die". Infact, if we ate vegetables alone, we'd be devolving, as our protein and phosphorus amounts will dwindle (yes, lentils have protein. No, they don't much enough to live on) and thus we'll evolve backwards due to generations growing less and less, before we get overtaken by ducks or something.

I hate PETA so much.

And Nintendo, just like last time, will send these twats a cease and desist letter. And I'm pretty sure most kids know:

Burger = ded kow. I eet kow. So kow is ded kow. Ded kow is yum.

They know they're eating creatures that were once alive. So no, it's not McDonalds that are corrupt, PETA. It's the children who eat what McDonalds make. And that's hardly corruption. That's basic fundamental survival.

 

[Formica Archonis]

Oh, hey, some well-funded internet trolls did something. Let's make a news item about it.

 

[LysanderNemoinis]

Hey, I got an idea. How about instead of eating animals, we start eating members of PETA? Normal get to eat meat, the animals get a reprieve (for a while, at least), and there's no more PETA! There is literally no downside to this. Then again...I've heard that PETAphiles taste like asshole. So maybe not. So at the very least, let's all go eat a double bacon cheeseburger in honor of PETA.