Mischa's Fireside Chats
PETA: Super Mario's a Monster!
Is dumping on a beloved videogame character — even jokingly — the best way to help the tanukis?
It appears that PETA is out of actual bad guys and has resorted to shaming made-up ones. PETA has set its sights on the cheeky, Italian-via-Japan videogame character Mario — you know, of Super Mario fame — in a Nov. 14 PETA press release. The organization is lambasting the character because of his use of a tanuki “suit.” (It’s a pretty sweet and elusive power-up, as “Tanooki Mario” is able to fly and turn into a statue … for some reason.) “Tanooki may be just a ‘suit’ in Mario games, but by wearing the skin of an animal, Mario is sending the message that it's OK to wear fur,” the press release said. The press release also says that, “Tanukis are real-life raccoon dogs who are beaten and, as PETA's undercover exposés show, often skinned …
