Shane Victorino screams after he gets hit in the foot by the ball during Game 3 of the National League Division Series. (Ron Cortes / Staff Photographer)
Been dying to call Shane Victorino the "Fryin' Hawaiian." And so...
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, having learned that his favorite dish is called Spam musubi, has sent him a letter alerting him to the findings of its latest investigation at a pig farm that supplies Hormel (the manufacturer of Spam).
"We suspect that the cruelty in every can of Spam will infuriate Shane more than a high Hiroki Kuroda fastball," says Dan Shannon, PETA's assistant director, in a note. "If Shane likes Spam a lot, he should buy tickets to the Broadway play but leave it off his dinner plate."
"PETA" also has been interpreted as "People Eager To Annoy." A Phillies rep said he'd ask #8 for comment after the World Series...
October 14, 2008
Shane Victorino, c/o Philadelphia Phillies
Dear Mr. Victorino:
On behalf of PETA and our thousands of members and supporters in the Philadelphia area, I'm writing in regard to the recent revelation that your favorite meal is a Spam dish. While Spam might be a popular foodstuff in your native Hawaii, before you take another cholesterol-packed bite, let me tell you about the horrific abuse of animals at the hands of Spam's pork suppliers.
PETA recently conducted an undercover investigation on a factory farm that breeds pigs who are slaughtered for Hormel, the maker of Spam. PETA documented staggering cruelty to animals, including that a supervisor shoved a cane into a sow's vagina and struck her on the back approximately 17 times. Multiple pigs were beaten with metal gate rods, and two men were witnessed jabbing clothespins into pigs' eyes and faces. A supervisor kicked a young pig in the face, abdomen, and genitals to make her move and told PETA's investigator, "You gotta beat on the bitch. Make her cry."
Virtually every factory farm that supplies pigs to Hormel confines mother pigs to metal crates that are so small that they can't turn around and cuts piglets' tails and testicles off without painkillers. In addition, a complaint is currently pending with the Food and Drug Administration regarding this particular farm's use of a cancer-causing substance on pigs who were to be killed for human consumption.
As you might know, PETA has named Citizens Bank Ballpark the Most Vegetarian Friendly Ballpark two years in a row for its astounding variety of protein-packed, delicious animal-friendly fare, including mock-chicken sandwiches, "crab-free crab cakes," Philly faux-steak sandwiches, veggie dogs, and flame-grilled Gardenburgers! We urge you to abandon the Spam, take advantage of the park's delicious veggie options, and consider joining other compassionate athletes—including John Salley, Ricky Williams, and Tony Gonzalez—in healthy and humane vegetarian eating.
Best of luck to you and the rest of the Phillies in your championship run. I can be contacted at 757-962-8253 or DanS@peta.org.
Best regards,
Dan Shannon
Assistant Director
Posted by Michael Klein @ 12:16 PM
Permalink |
71 comments
I bet PETA's PR team sat around giving each other High Fives after this one. terrible.
I don't agree with many of PETA's more aggressive tactics, but you can't knock them for trying to get the truth of these horrors out to the public through outreach to celebrities and sports stars. They're not saying that Victorino is a bad person, just that he is uninformed about the cruelty, just like most meat-eaters. I bet if people knew what really went down at these slaughterhouses, they either would give up meat entirely or find farmers who humanely slaughter their animals. I respect that some people want meat in their diets, (I do), but people need to know that they can easily find a local farmer and get their meats from them, instead of just grabbing a slab from the local supermarket without even thinking about what that animal went through. If you can read that letter and decide to continue to buy pork products that are not humanely produced, you are just as bad as the supervisor at that farm.
maybe Utleys wife will have a talk with shane
PETA:People eat tasty animals
I'm sure Shane could give two craps.
The only PETA I support is People Eating Tasty Animals! Why do the people from PETA think they will change his mind Spam is a staple in poorer areas.The Hawaiians have an amazing ability to make it taste great.I think it taste much better than tofu in any of it forms. Oh and I can't stand how the poor soy plants are treated its terrible.
The only PETA I support is People Eating Tasty Animals! Why do the people from PETA think they will change his mind Spam is a staple in poorer areas.The Hawaiians have an amazing ability to make it taste great.I think it taste much better than tofu in any of it forms. Oh and I can't stand how the poor soy plants are treated its terrible.
The only PETA I support is People Eating Tasty Animals! Why do the people from PETA think they will change his mind Spam is a staple in poorer areas.The Hawaiians have an amazing ability to make it taste great.I think it taste much better than tofu in any of it forms. Oh and I can't stand how the poor soy plants are treated its terrible.
geez bob, we get it!
Good old PETA trying to take the joy from Mudville. 1/2 of what they say is all lies. Anyone that thinks otherwise needs to remember when someone has an agenda, they'll do what it takes to make you agree with it. Just like the "Fish" billboards here. It has an airbrushed hook through the eye of a dog and says, "You wouldn't do this to your pet...why would you do this to a fish?" I hate animal abuse, but this is propaganda. SPCA = good intentioned people trying to make a difference. PETA = Evil people who lost their true mission decades ago.
What purpose to pigs serve other than being extremly tasty?
If we can't eat pigs they shouldn't exist.
Someone has to stand up for animals. Yes PETA takes it to the extreme at times but if it weren't for some of their videos we'd all be eating downed meat.
I used to have pet pig but I trapped him in a metal cage,slaughtered him and made bacon.He was delicious!!!
i wish peta (not worh capitalizing) would stop thier SQUEALING. they are always trying to HAM it up. if they want to make a difference they should sit down and CHEW THE FAT with people who like meat. Personally i always make a PIG of myself at dinner and i am always in the kitchen BACON something in the oven. I bet thier friends RIBS them alot about being such wussies. Cant wait until sunday to eat some RINDS and watch some teams throw the PIGSKIN around!
Bart: But Dad, my heart hurts!
Homer: Shut up boy and put more butter on that bacon!
MMMMMMM, smokey yummy bacon!
As has been said, you can't fault them for trying. Plus, this is precisely the sort of communication PETA should be doing. I find them an irksome organization not because of what they stand for, but because of their sensationalist stunts and foolish posturing. No harm whatsoever in a letter, though. Hopefully, now that they've made a name for themselves, they'll conduct themselves a bit more civilly going forward and let their message be heard over their tactics.
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I think animal cruelty is unacceptable, but there's no reason to give up the pig. There a many local farmers raising pigs in healthy, humane ways. Plenty of options before the boy has to get a faux hot dog. And honestly, can't this wait until November?
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"I'm a tenth level vegan...I don't eat anything with a shadow."
I wouldn't really call this "sports news" but I guess they got you to re-print the letter here so that a much bigger audience than 1 (Victorino) will now see this "message". So it was apparently a smart attempt to advertise on their part, but I expect this is nothing more than them blindly sending 1 letter to him.
this is not news, this doesn't deserver to be printed on paper
If God didn't want us to eat animals he wouldn't have made them out of meat.
What a complete jerk face. Shane you should be aSHAMEd of yourself. Spam with rice and seaweed??? Everybody knows spam tastes best with eggs and buttered toast!
PETA just saw a chance to get some press and jumped at it. Stop trying to push your beliefs on other people. I'm going out tonight and I'm eating a kitten!
we are at the top of the food chain and can eat anything we want. Down with Peta except for Pam Anderson.
mmmmmm...Spam....*G*
Sheesh! It's a publicity stunt, get it? But there is a point!
I love every pork product there is - form the tail to the oink - but I, too, am disgusted by the way factory farms in this country care for livestock, and that's the main point here. Yes, PETA would prefer we all go vegetarian, but in the absence of that, we could at least go back to farming in a humane, responsible manner (the mega-scale horror shows we run today are a pretty modern invention). I'd pay a few bucks more per pound for pork that came from healthy hogs raised by responsible "stewards", as I think the Bible puts it. Beyond the ethical treatment of the animals, there are our own interests to protect, as well. All the antibiotics we pump in to keep sickly animals alive, all the hormones we inject to make them grow abnormally large, all that does carry a major price in terms of our own health and safety. All of that is done, why? To make meat slightly cheaper, and to make corporate agribusinesses MUCH richer.
Plus, the stuff we get today tastes like tofu compared to the pork that used to available.
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PETA is a disgrace. Find something else to do.
hey peta, shut up....
OVERLORD THAT WAS STUPID. BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME.
Peta does serve a purpose but this investigation is misused. This farm I'm sure is one of MANY suppliers for Spam and Hormel products. Why didn't they go to Hormel themselves with this evidence? This is the way to put cruel farms out of business, go to the company themselves while releasing their findings to the public. PETA really has bonehead tactics when it comes to promoting the ethical treatment of animals, if that is truly their mission instead of vegetarianism and veganism. Look up any animal-animal kill on Youtube and the things those animals go through is about as bad as it can get.
Isn't this the same group who recently wanted Ben & Jerry's to use human breast milk instead of cow milk? PLEASE!
JPB you hit the nail on the head.
I like scrapple too. PETA hasnt sent me a letter! What gives!!!
Thanks for his phone #
http://www.viamagazine.com/top_stories/articles/hawaiian_food05.asp
PETA might want to do some homework on this one. SPAM became the meat of choice for the people of Hawaii during WWII when they didn't have any other options. Their version is home grown and is pretty much a staple in the state. For PETA to tell Shane not to eat SPAM is like telling someone from Philly not to eat a cheesestake. Wonder how far that would go.
Also...at what point does it become humane with the pigs? When they are being raised in their kennels...when they are taken to the slaughter house?...when their carcasses are butchered or when they're on the plate about to be forked into your mouth?
Here are a couple of other PETA letters that I've run across. These are just the opening sentences, but you'll get the general gist of the entire contents of the correspondences..........................
Dear Mr. Simpson...Homer....We are very concerned about your recent movie which depicts you forcing a helpless, defenseless pig to walk upside down on your living room ceiling...............................
To the office of the Commissioner of the National Football League....Dear Mr. Goddell....It has been brought to our attention that your organization has deliberately misled the public for decades now, by referring to the ball used in your violent and masochistic as a Pig Skin. The very thought of pigs being abused in such a way is appalling and we demand the immediate adoption of the term "Tofu Oblong".
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Wait until PETA discovers Stairs craving for Pork Chops, Charlie's love of bacon burgers and Burrell's favorite restaurant (Cochon) !
I love Spam! More, please!
I always thought peta meant People for the Eating of Tasty Animals....is this wrong? Imagine if PETA were to redirect their efforts in hopes of bringing the abuse and mistreatment of little kids into the public eye. Sorry to say..but is there any humane way of killing some tasty treats? I do Love the members if PETA dont get me wrong, I urge many people I know to join. That insures that there is plenty of more bacon, steaks, chicken and shrimp for me to eat :)
I enjoy pigs and cows as much as the next guy, but I'd like to think the animals are treaty humanely. Kosher meats are sounding very good right now.
I wear a tee shirt that reads PETA "people for the eating of tasty animals."
PETA is full of nutty people. Enough said.
This past weekend some friends and i unexpectedly ended up buying a feral pig and watched it being shot, helped drag it out of the pen, watched her throat being slit; watched the blood drain out of the gash, washed the body off and then skinned it; removed the innards; butchered it and then cooked it. Knowing where the meat you are going to eat comes from is very empowering.
i really enjoy PETA's use of the media. i wish folks would look at our food systems and become conscious participants in them. AND i include vegetarians and vegans in this wish because for example more and more of the Brazilian Rain Forest is being cut down to grow soy beans. this only can be sustained for a few year before the soil is wiped out and destroyed. Eat local, know your food personally!
First Im sure PETA knew about these abuses before Shane did. Above this why doesn't PETA take initiative to bring this to the public instead of using a well publicized sports figures love of a product against them. Very very poor way of dealing with this issue. And was this 1 pork facility or multiple? If it is one then Spam should close them down and look into the situation into it other providers.
Why is it that we the meat eaters are so uninformed, why is it that we are so bad to eat these products. What I would hope that PETA does is find a legal way to get that information out to the politicians, police someone. I have always loved eating Spam,grew up with it when times were tough. It is the crazies, mentally sick out there who are abusive to animals who are working in these corporations. I believe that these companies should be held liable to those types of workers. Protesting these companies, until they take care of this is a try. This is why we are so messed up, people letting people get away with things, never questioning.
This from the same intellectual giants who suggested that Ben and Jerry's use breast milk instead of cow's milk. Lack of animal protein seems to encourage mindlessness.
If they weren't so concerned with everyone eating soy, maybe this guy would still be alive:
October 15, 2008
By Jeff Gray, NewsChannel 19 Reporter/Photojournalist
email: jeff.gray@whnt.com
Decatur Police are investigating a deadly train crash that happened around 11:30 Tuesday night, just off 14th Street and Central Parkway.
Police say two CSX trains collided, and an engineer on the ground was crushed to death. Decatur Police have identified him as Gregory Dewayne Johnson, 28, of Birmingham.
Decatur Police, CSX and the Federal Railroad Administration are investigating the incident.
One train was carrying dry soybeans, and the other was hauling soybean oil. Five cars were involved in the derailment.
First off, Evil Overload you are not funny and you're an idiot. Try using spell check.
I am not a vegetarian, but I do believe that we should take a stand and demand that the animals are treated in a humane manner. It makes me sick to think of the pain they endure. I'm thankful that PETA is educating people and making a difference.
i don't know what the big deal is... i always cane rape my victims before i eat them. duh?!?
Besides. If we weren't supposed to eat animals, then why did God make them out of meat.
I have one suggestion for PETA - put as much effort in protecting the unborn babies who are aborted as you do protecting the pigs.
I think that PETA needs to spend their time actually doing things that are productive rather than giving people a stern look for things that they have no control over.
Urging a MLB player or anyone to switch their ways to vegetarian? Is anyone urging Dan Shannon to put the tofu down and eat some Beef Jerky? Hypocrite! These vegetarian "missionaries" need to stop forcing their ideals on people with different beliefs! Putting the "truth" out there is a lot different than telling someone how to live their life.
And "sugar" is there really any "humane" treatment of animals? You say that you're not a vegetarian, and you're for the humane treatment of animals, however...are you so dense to think that the animals feel no pain when they are SLAUGHTERED??
FYI to those commenters who wonder why PETA doesn't publicize animal abuse at factory farms or bring it to the government for prosecution....they do, in fact publicize instances of cruelty. If you have a strong stomach you can go and watch the videos on their website. Secondly, there is not much that they or anyone else can do legally, because livestock is not protected by animal cruelty laws. That's right! while it may be illegal for you to poke your dog's eyes out with clothespins, it is not illegal to do the same things to a pig or a cow (and FYI, pigs are smarter than dogs--in fact, they have the cognitive capacity of three year old children).
Why? Because factory farms have huge amounts of $$ to lobby Congress to keep animal cruelty laws from being extended to their own operations. They are quite aware of the fact that if they were subjects to these laws, they would have to overhaul their production methods and that just not something they are willing to do. Humane farming costs more money, and all they care about is producing as much cheap meat as possible in the shortest time possible, which inevitably leads to serious abuse.
I won't even get into the environmental havoc that factory farms wreak on our environment by polluting our groundwater--these "farms" (if you can even call them that--they are huge metal sheds with animals packed so close they can't move and never get to see the light of day) are a blight on our human decency and on our earth.
and by the way, I eat meat--but only the kind that I can buy from my local farmers--the ones with actual farms. You don't have to be a vegetarian to love animals and care about their well-being.
Okay, after reading some of your comments. I've realized that some of you are the most narrow minded and arrogant people. Maybe if you took two seconds to actually look into PETA and actually read about all the things they do and about animal cruelty, maybe you would think differently. Personally,to me its a person's choice to eat what they want. But their is no reason why you need to be making fun of an amazing organization. They have every right to send letters, investigate, and in the end, try to end cruelty to animals. Did you even think that they were just trying to make him more knowledgable about the situation. I'm going out on a limb and saying that many of you are close minded jerks that have never even became knowledgeable in any situation that doesn't agree with you. I'm not saying everyone has to be a vegetarian, but there is no reasonable explanation in poking fun at this organization or at animal friendly people.
I SPAM, THEREFORE I AM!
I heard that Dan Shannon, had a big old bad butcher knife and was chopping a living head of lettuce into little pieces. As if that wasn't enough, he then did the same thing to a little ol' innocent carrot.... I don't even want to say he reportedly did to a cucumber....
Ok as former resident of PA (Doylestown) and a HUGE Philly fan, I just can't let this one go...I currently reside in Va Beach right near Norfolk where these morons are headquartered (morons being PETA) and I can certainly tell you that while People Eating Tasty Animals is funny, it's actually People Embarrassing the Tidewater Area. Most of you will be happt to hear that one of or good radio stations in the area actually hold an annual fishing tournament in front of their building on the river in Norfolk. GO PHILLY!
Any evolved human being would see that the way these animals are treated is cruel and inhumane. I'm not against eating meat, but come on people - this is ridiculous. Why would you even WANT to eat an animal that's been confined, sick, and abused... that's disgusting on a physical and moral level. Only unevolved, mindless consumers...
sailorchicky, your argument doesn't hold water - you aren't even making sense. There is a huge difference between causing an animal to suffer through abuse, humiliation, and torture, and a quick killing. Some animals are killed quickly and cleanly as to not perpetuate their pain, and that is humane. You obviously aren't very smart so I won't drill home the point.
Thank you Evolved!!!!
Wasn't it two workers from PETA that were caught a year or two ago euthanizing 25 or 30 animals in the back of a van in North Carolina and then disposing of the carcasses in a dumpster behind a supermarket? Also, isn't it PETA that has a higher euthanizing rate than the SPCA when PETA is supposes to be "saving" the animals?
That's great PETA, have a cause. Just keep it off my dinner plate. Eating meat is an instinct. Not eating meat is a decision.
I suppose setting the meat on fire to cook it is cruel and inhumane too, isn't it?
Spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam,... Shut up you bloody Vikings.
But now for something slightly different. As an ex-Philadelpian now living in Asia, I recently came across a news report in the local newspaper that stated PETA had asked Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream to consider using human breast milk instead of cow's milk, as the health of consumers and cows would benfit from the switch. Is this a joke? I actually wouldn't put it passed PETA.
"your native hawaii" Really PETA? Hawaii is a state. Fighting ignorance with more ignorance is no way to fight for animal rights. You've got to pick your battles and attacking spam in this manner is slightly prejudiced. I don't remember PETA attacking southerners for eating pigs feet. And I'm a vegetarian.
I think we all know that animals being bread for human consumption are not living ideal lives. The examples of mistreatment of animals in this letter are on the extreme side. Obviously you have to be pretty messed up to abuse an animal like that, but who will do that kind of work? The uneducated? CriminalAliens? Raise your hand if you went to college and work in a meat packing plant floor.
I love and repect all animals... they have their place right by the peas and mashed potato's on my plate...
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