When PETA Goes Viral on Vocabulary: The Tweet That Sparked a Language Pandemonium
PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) recently fired off a tweet on December 4, 2018, listing a handful of English phrases they claim are speciesist. The aim? To nudge us all toward kinder, less “human‑centric” language. Spoiler: Twitter rolled out its full “grammar‑shock” roster.
What Went Down?
In the tweet, the animal rights org titled its premise “Words matter,” and linked speciesism—treating humans as morally superior—to everyday slang.
In other words, the human species versus everyone else.
They then nudged their audience: “Here’s how to remove speciesism from your daily conversations.” PETA’s tone was tongue‑in‑cheek, almost as if they were delivering a sarcastic pep‑talk from the inside of a cat‑sized hat.
Twitter’s Take‑Off
- @theadmiralnel: “This anti‑animal language really steams my clams.”
- @mlzema: “I’d’ve loved to be a fly on the wall at the staff meeting that dreamt up this ad campaign.”
- @MoJundi: “Stop monkeying around.”
- @RealMNchiefsfan: “When it comes to language, there’s more than one way to skin a cat.”
- @KyaUkhaadLega: “Hold your horses on this…you’ll get a lion’s share of jokes.”
- @MikeyC7: “It’s a crop‑eat‑crop world out there.”
Animal‑Lingo, Dish‑Noodles, and Scone Jokes
Some folks weren’t convinced that “take the flower by the thorns” was a valid expression.
“It’s just bad gardening advice,” one user noted, pointing out the classic idiom “take the bull by the horns” was far more appropriate.
Others took the music of birds refusing scones—a lactose nightmare for feathered friends—and spotted a recipe for resentment. “Feeding birds scones is a call to animal cruelty,” one user warned.
Criticism—The Cook-Off
Critics argue PETA’s points might unintentionally hurt animals. As one strategist warned, feeding a horse “the feed for a fed horse” could tip the scales into food waste, uneven eating habits, and a slew of health catastrophes—think obesity, liver problems, or even death. “Congrats. You just lobbied to kill horses,” rapped a sceptic, while another offered, “You can’t feed birds scones or they’ll become aggressive, then we’ll have to kill them with stones.”
Was It Serious? Or Just a Stunt?
Most people chuckle and mutter, “I think most folks can spot a metaphor from actual cruelty.” The debate continues, but it remains crystal‑clear: PETA’s tweet has cracked open a wider conversation about the power of the words we use—whether we’re talking about a horse or a human.
So, next time you’re about to slam a “bull by the horns” or a “flower by the thorns,” pause and wonder: Are we being species‑fair?
