Friday, June 22, 2007 Vegetarian ad of ‘Ocean’s 13’ star banned
* Eye-opening scenes of animals in factory farms, slaughterhouses deemed ‘too graphic’
A PROVOCATIVE new pro-vegetarian ad featuring actor and “Ocean’s Thirteen” star Casey Affleck has been banned by TV networks in the US, including stations in Affleck’s native Boston.
In a bid to show Food Network viewers what happens to animals before they’re fried, filleted, and fricasseed on TV, People’s Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) tried to buy time during the network’s cooking programs for its 30-second ad, but advertising execs didn’t have the stomach for it. Peta then tried to place the ad on various other channels, including E!, MTV, and all eight broadcast stations in Boston. Ad execs who rejected the spot said the scenes of animals in factory farms and slaughterhouses that flash across the screen as Affleck explains why he is a vegetarian were “too graphic.”
“When people ask me why I don’t eat meat or any other animal products, I say, ‘Because they’re unhealthy, and they’re the product of a violent and inhumane industry,’” Affleck says in the commercial. “Chickens, cows, and pigs in factory farms spend their whole lives in filthy, cramped conditions—only to die a prolonged and painful death. Their bodies are then turned into food products proven to contribute to heart disease and cancer. To eat that is to eat poison.”
Affleck—who eschews all animal products and is the recipient of Peta USA’s 2005 “Humanitarian” Award—has starred in numerous films, including the critically acclaimed “Good Will Hunting”, “Ocean’s Eleven”, and “The Last Kiss” as well as the newly released “Ocean’s Thirteen.”
Affleck concludes the ad with a heartfelt plea and a proud declaration: “Please don’t contribute to an industry that makes unhealthy products by torturing animals. I’m Casey Affleck, and I’m a vegetarian.”
For more information and to watch the video, please visit Peta’s Web site GoVeg.com. (Press release)
