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Cute Mascots Are Turned Into Seal-Killing Monsters in 15-Second TV Spot
For Immediate Release:February 3, 2010
Contact:Ashley Byrne 757-622-7382
New York -- Miga, Quatchi, and Sumi--the mascots of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver--are getting a makeover. In a new TV ad that PETA has submitted to NBC for airing on the network’s 200 affiliates nationwide, the cartoon mascots are transformed from cute sports fans into bloodthirsty seal killers, reminding viewers that while the world celebrates the Games, the universally condemned seal slaughter continues in Canada.
The 15-second ad can be viewed here and PETA’s Web site that spoofs the Vancouver Olympics' official mascot site is: Vancouver2010.com/mascot.
"The cartoon killing in our ad gives just a hint of the real cruelty carried out against baby harp seals during Canada's annual slaughter," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "As the world turns its attention to Vancouver for the Olympic Games--a longtime symbol of friendly competition among nations--we must not forget the host country's shameful, state-sanctioned violence."
The commercial seal slaughter is an off-season profit venture for the fishing industry, and it accounts for less than 1 percent of Newfoundland's economy. Contrary to popular belief, the seal slaughter is not a subsistence activity for native peoples; Inuit sealing accounts for only about 3 percent of the slaughter. Last year's seal slaughter was the least profitable in recent memory, with a total landed value of a little more than US$1 million. As global markets for seal products disappear, there is no economic justification for allowing the slaughter to continue. Commercial sealing has drawn opposition from world leaders as diverse as President Barack Obama, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, and His Holiness The Dalai Lama.
The annual Canadian seal slaughter is the world's largest marine mammal massacre. Sealers use sharp metal hakapiks or clubs to hook, drag, and bludgeon to death tens of thousands of baby seals a year.
For more information, please visit PETA.org.