PETA, or the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals, have done some questionable things over the years when promoting their cause. While their hearts are in the right place, they have become infamous for overreacting to things that matter very little in the way of actual animal rights. Case in point, they are now targeting the cow from Mario Kart World.
PETA: “Leave the Rings to Sonic and Let Cow Breathe Free!”
According to Variety, Joel Bartlett, SVP of marketing engagement for PETA, wrote a letter to Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa, asking to remove the nose ring from the cow in Mario Kart World. The letter stated:
“The brass ring in Cow’s nose glosses over real-world violence and cruelty to animals. That’s why we’re asking you to give this beloved bovine a small but meaningful upgrade: Remove the nose ring and let Cow race freely — without any painful reminders of the industries that treat animals like profit-making machines . . . Leave the rings to Sonic and let Cow breathe free!”
While Bartlett has a point, it must also be remembered that Mario Kart World is a video game. Some users on social media have pointed out that since the cow can drive a car and race to her heart’s content, she’s obviously not headed for the slaughterhouse. She could be simply wearing the ring as a fashion statement.
Nintendo Under PETA Fire
The animal rights groups have targeted Nintendo several times in the past. For example, they have criticized the fishing and bug catching in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and they went after Nintendo for allowing Super Mario toys in McDonald’s Happy Meals. They also famously criticized the tanuki power-up in Super Mario 3D Land, saying that Mario was wearing an animal skin, even though it is more likely a costume meant to look like an animal skin.
Conclusion
Will Nintendo remove the cow’s nose ring? Most likely not, but either way, it wouldn’t be a big deal. PETA might want to focus their energy on defending actual animals instead of video game animals. The cow seems perfectly happy racing along with her friends, so maybe animal rights groups can let her race.
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