PETA woo gets freaked out on TV

[shecky]

Kinda funny Google video here. (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8258549845833126926)

[Freakshow]

:D

That was hilarious!!!

[1984]

I thought the stooge was gay - until he didn't try to take the thing from behind.

[Dogdoctor]

Thanks, That made me laugh. I guess you don't need to know anything about animals to be in PETA.

[clarsct]

Or about science.

[Achán hiNidráne]

Oh man, what a wimp!

[Kopji]

how come my tv only gets crappy shows, not cool ones like this?

[Freakshow]

how come my tv only gets crappy shows, not cool ones like this?You have to try changing the channel every now and then...

[1984]

how come my tv only gets crappy shows, not cool ones like this? Note to self: the Mogollon Rim only has crappy TV. :D

[Jeff Corey]

I don't know anything about the show. Was that a real uncoached person or an actor?
Call me skeptical.
But not before 8 AM.

[schplurg]

I've seen the show several times. Never thought they used stooges, but maybe here. Then again, if you're screwed up enough to involve yourself with PETA, maybe you would have such a reaction?

[Ririon]

I've seen the show several times. Never thought they used stooges, but maybe here. Then again, if you're screwed up enough to involve yourself with PETA, maybe you would have such a reaction?

"Do you need help, little man?" Classic. :)

[HarryKeogh]

I feel so sad for that rat-boy :(

[Jeff Wagg]

I thought the stooge was gay - until he didn't try to take the thing from behind.

Lame.

[Garrette]

I'm having trouble believing the PETA guy isn't in on it.

Why in the world did he open up the cabinet that had the rat-man in it? Especially when he was already freaking out over the "fetus" thing.

[Hitch]

how come my tv only gets crappy shows, not cool ones like this?

Scare Tactics has been on for a couple years. In that clip you see all the good stuff they've done.

[Renfield]

the whole thing is a hoax. the peta person is putting on an act, and pretty obvious, at least it seems so to me.

[Red Siegfried]

The Rat Boy was awesome! I assume it was a little person in a costume - great makeup!

Too funny!

[Eric]

I thought it was pretty funny, but will definitely agree with some of the others that the guy is obviously an actor. If it wasn't obvious from the performance, here is a question:

Would the producers really risk so much time and money setting up a stunt that could not turn out exactly as they wanted it? The VAST majority of people do not have as dramatic of responses as the people in these "reality" shows do to such stimuli.

Just a thought.

[tommyz]

I thought it was pretty funny, but will definitely agree with some of the others that the guy is obviously an actor. If it wasn't obvious from the performance, here is a question:

Would the producers really risk so much time and money setting up a stunt that could not turn out exactly as they wanted it? The VAST majority of people do not have as dramatic of responses as the people in these "reality" shows do to such stimuli.

Just a thought.


Excellent point, Eric. However, I still have mixed feelings about the authenticity of the skit...

In one Penn and Teller episode (the first season, magnet therapy one, where they had a fake doctor stand in front of a kiosk within a food court of a shopping mall, asking passer-bys if they want to try some magnet therapy devices) a very dim-witted middle aged lady was so gullible, that she was eventually talked into walking around inside of a shopping mall (in the presence of others) wearing the most childishly ridiculous looking "magnet helmet" atop her head! The poor lady looked like some kind of giant mutated insect with all those magnets hanging off her head!

Penn did mention, within the narration of this episode, that the fake doctor did, in fact, ask many other --more sensibly minded-- people to try the magnetic devices. They simply rejected the idea (who can blame them?), but of course, watching people say "no" to such woo-woo nonsense isn't really going to make the show funny, now is it?

In light of your question, Eric, could you imagine just how many long, tedious hours they had to have spent standing in front of that kiosk, tolerating one "no thanks" after another...just to get to that one blithering idiot lady that would not only say "yes" but also be willing to make a complete fool of herself in front of the ENTIRE mall AND on national TV???

Clearly, from a business standpoint, it just makes more economical sense to hire a professional actor, rehearse and film the skit, and be all done within a matter of two to three hours (or even less)...than to spend anywhere from 10 to 12 (or even more) hours waiting for your "perfect" target...as you waste time, film, electricity and other valuable resources taping many countless and boring people say "no thanks" to your woo-woo gimmicks.

On the other hand, with regard to the scare tactics/PETA member skit, I personally found that to be very poor acting on the part of the purported PETA member. Maybe, perhaps, it was acted out in this manner deliberately so, just to exaggerate and mock the lame, arrogant and sensationlist tactics which this organization uses to promulgate its self-righteous agenda.

I personally found it to be very funny for this reason alone: Poor acting.
Very amateurish, childish and unconvincing all at once. That kind of a reaction was SO overly dramatic, that it became comic...not the kind of emotional response I would want to evoke out of my audience, whom I'm attempting to convince that I'm terrified...NOT childishly hysterical!

This analysis of mine leads me to believe that either he's either:

(A). A really lousy, inexperienced actor.

or

(B). A genuine, spur of the moment reaction of a real-life individual.


What do you guys think???

[RandFan]

Would the producers really risk so much time and money setting up a stunt that could not turn out exactly as they wanted it? Yes. Not all of the shows make it to air. Punked and the Jaime Kennedy experiment are other examples of this type of show and they air clips of the ones that don't make it.

Besides, the cost of scare tactics is paltry compared to something like Friends. And the better the set up the more likely you will get the desired effect. I see nothing to cause me to think it is not real. Besides, there are simply too many people involved to keep it a secret. I can't find anything online claiming fraud. I'll keep looking though.

[kedo1981]

Rat boy would have scared the snot outa me to
One premise of the show is that a “friend” sets you up; so there is some foreknowledge of how the vic will react.
Did he say “It’s a demon”?

[kaisersean]

Actually, the show is legit. One young lady actually sued them after being scared by "space aliens"- can't say I blame her.

Most of the reactions, too, aren't nearly as dramatic. Some of the people they show tend to freeze up, that sort of thing.

'Course, I really don't think the show is a really great idea, to be frank. I realize they check out potential victims with friends and family, but c'mon. What if some guy is packing a gun, or a knife, when you scare him? Or if someone grabs a chair and whacks someone with it? It's way too easy for someone to get hurt or killed.

[Huh-What?]

Actually, the show is legit. One young lady actually sued them after being scared by "space aliens"- can't say I blame her.

Most of the reactions, too, aren't nearly as dramatic. Some of the people they show tend to freeze up, that sort of thing.

'Course, I really don't think the show is a really great idea, to be frank. I realize they check out potential victims with friends and family, but c'mon. What if some guy is packing a gun, or a knife, when you scare him? Or if someone grabs a chair and whacks someone with it? It's way too easy for someone to get hurt or killed.

I do remember catching one episode where the mark starting punching one of the actors who was scaring him. They let him know immediately that it was a prank.

You would figure that the producers would make sure that no weapons were available on the set and would question the 'friend' of the mark well enough to make sure he/she wouldn't be the type that carries a weapon out of habit.

[TimmyBerry]

This analysis of mine leads me to believe that either he's either:

(A). A really lousy, inexperienced actor.

or

(B). A genuine, spur of the moment reaction of a real-life individual.


What do you guys think???

It would have to be (A), unless the person has a serious rodent phobia.

[veggie doll]

I've seen the show several times. Never thought they used stooges, but maybe here. Then again, if you're screwed up enough to involve yourself with PETA, maybe you would have such a reaction?
I'm involved with PETA. I don't agree with everything that they do, and I wouldn't really consider myself 'screwed up.'

[Nex]

I'm involved with PETA. I don't agree with everything that they do, and I wouldn't really consider myself 'screwed up.' But some other people probably do.

*shrugs*

So what?

Personally, my guess is that you just don't know any better. :D

[veggie doll]

But some other people probably do.

*shrugs*

So what?

Personally, my guess is that you just don't know any better. :D
As a vegan, I find the notion of adult Humans drinking the breast milk of another species as 'screwed up.'

But you're right- I probably don't know any better. It's probably perfectly natural.

[luchog]

I'm involved with PETA. I don't agree with everything that they do, and I wouldn't really consider myself 'screwed up.'
Not screwed up, just naive. You might want to take a closer look at the organization.

http://www.petakillsanimals.com/

[veggie doll]

Thanks for the link. I've taken a 'closer look' at the organization many times. I wouldn't become involved with something otherwise. Like I said earlier, I don't agree with everything that they do- but I know that they are an organization with good intentions, and actions, really.

PETA are left with numerous ill/injured animals that other places just won't accept or don't have room for. When it's humane to put down an animal, then they will, of course, do it.

*edited due to my half asleep spelling

[luchog]

Thanks for the link. I've taken a 'closer look' at the organization many times. I wouldn't become involved with something otherwise. Like I said earlier, I don't agree with everything that they do- but I know that they are an organization with good intentions, and actions, really.

PETA are left with numerous ill/injured animals that other places just won't accept or don't have room for. When it's humane to put down an animal, then they will, of course, do it.
The problem isn't that they're putting down sick and injured animals, the problem is that they've killed thousands of perfectly healthy animals. Over three-quarters of the animals that show up at PETA's headquarters shelter, or "rescued" from other shelters are euthanized according to PETA's own documenation. Exactly the reverse of the local SPCA shelter. Ingrid Newkirk, PETA's president, has gone on the record saying that she believes killing animals is the right thing to do, and would rather see animals dead than "enslaved" by humans. She's bragged in at least one major interview about all the animals that she, personally, killed while working at a pet shelter.

PETA's charter also opposes the use of "seeing eye dogs" and other assitance animals, considering it just another form of abuse. Do you support that?

They also fund eco-terrorist groups like the ALF and ELF; and there is an investigation in the works into some discrepancies with their financial reporting.)

An example of one of their most recent scandals http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=87909&ran=70111&tref=po

On the whole, and despite all their high-profile advertising campaigns, PETA has accomplished very little with regards to improving legislation regarding animal welfare or establishment of no-kill shelters. They spend millions of dollars a year on high-profile advertising and often dangerous publicity stunts; while claiming that they just don't have enough money to support no-kill shelters.

The real, useful work is being done by organizations like the SPCA, as well as local and international hobbiest societies. I'm a member of two local groups -- Pacific Northwest Herpetological Society and Puget Sound Aquarium Society -- who have done more for animal welfare both in this state, and internationally, than PETA has.

The PNHS, along with sister societies in other states, has been instrumental in convincing major petstore chain PETCO to quit selling green iguanas (the most commonly abused reptile, and formerly a high-sales-volume, high-profit animal for PETCO); and issue that wasn't even on PETA's radar. Numerous members run rescue operations, and are listed with local law-enforcement and animal-control agencies as liasons and halfway housers for confiscated animals.

Members of the PSAS have been working very hard in South Pacific and Southeast Asian regions, for the last couple decades, to end destructive exploitation of the reefs, particularly the use of "fish poison" to harvest animals for the pet trade; and worked hard to set locals set up alternates, such as captive breeding programs. Something else that hasn't come anywhere near PETA's radar.

The AKC has done far more to fight the problem of "puppy mills" and other unethical breeders than PETA has; including proposing legislation that would close the loopholes that the unethical breeders have been using to avoid prosecution. PETA has merely lobbied to have the industry as a whole prohibited.

While PETA did manage to convince PETCO to stop selling large birds, the agreement was linked to PETCO's exclusive support for PETA-approved shelters, shelters that kill the vast majority of their animals.

Judging from their record, either you haven't taken nearly as close a look at PETA as you claim to and are hopelessly naive; or are as much of a fanatic as they are. If you support PETA, your time and money are supporting an organization that routinely, indiscriminantly, and cruely kills animals and demonizes disabled people.

[Starrman]

As a vegan, I find the notion of adult Humans drinking the breast milk of another species as 'screwed up.'

But you're right- I probably don't know any better. It's probably perfectly natural.

What isn't natural about it? Seriously?