PETA Tells Gamers to ‘Relax’

In the wake of the controversy stirred by PETA’s attack on Mario for wearing Tanooki fur, PETA has admitted that their campaign was ‘tongue-in-cheek.’

"Mario fans: Relax!” Shakira Croce, PETA's media coordinator said in a recent email to Kotaku. “PETA's game was meant to be tongue-in-cheek, a fun way to call attention to a serious issue, that raccoon dogs are skinned alive for their fur. We wish real-life tanukis could fly or swat enemies away with their tails and escape from those who profit from their skins. You can help them by never buying real fur."

The controversial ‘Mario Kills Tanooki’ campaign, which was launched recently, slams Nintendo for what PETA claims is encouraging gamers to wear fur. On the campaign’s website, players can play the part of a bloodied, skinned tanuki. The aim of the game is to chase Mario, complete with blood dripping from his Tanooki suit.

“We were a little surprised that the game was taken so literally by some,” Ashley Palmer, a PETA spokesperson told Kotaku. “But we're thrilled that we're able to bring so much attention to raccoon dogs whose suffering is very real." According to Palmer over 250,000 people have played the game in 36 hours.

This is not the first time PETA has used video game parodies for their campaigns. Previously, PETA targeted Cooking Mama in their flash game ‘Cooking Mama: Mama Kills Animals.’ The game portrays Mama as a knife wielding maniac, and gives players the chance to prepare a Thanksgiving turkey by performing assorted acts, such as plucking the turkey’s feathers and scooping it’s innards.

PETA hoped to use this campaign to encourage Majesco to produce a vegetarian version of Cooking Mama, as well as encourage players to switch to veganism.