Keeping in line with their regular attention-whoring statements, PETA has just declared war against . . . Mario?
After finding out that the recently released Super Mario 3D Land for the Nintendo 3DS features a Tanooki suit (Tanooki is what the Japanese raccoon dogs are called), PETA has declared that “Mario Kills Tanooki” and that he “is sending the message that it’s OK to wear fur.”
When on a mission to rescue the princess, Mario has been known to use any means necessary to defeat his enemy – even wearing the skin of a raccoon dog to give him special powers.
Tanooki may be just a ‘suit’ in Mario games, but in real life, tanuki are raccoon dogs who are skinned alive for their fur. By wearing Tanooki, Mario is sending the message that it’s OK to wear fur.
For those of you unfamiliar with the game, the Tanooki suit allows Mario to float in the sky to collect coins and traverse difficult jumps.
The suit first appeared in a Mario game back in 1989 but PETA has never had a issue with it until now, which means the organization may soon target The Flintstones and Tarzan for their unethical use of fur.
When asked about the reasoning behind their ridiculous campaigns, PETA representatives were quoted as saying “We honestly have nothing better to do.”
In any case, here is Nintendo’s reply to PETA’s accusations:
Mario often takes the appearance of certain animals and objects in his games.
These have included a frog, a penguin, a balloon and even a metallic version of himself. These lighthearted and whimsical transformations give Mario different abilities and make his games fun to play.
The different forms that Mario takes make no statement beyond the games themselves.
Hear that, PETA? It’s just a game.
