Monday, June 22, 2009

Cruelty to dead fish



If you live in Seattle, or have ever visited here, you know that a top tourist attraction in the city is the salmon throwing stall at Pike Place Market. For the locals (on the rare occasions we even shop there) the gaggle of tourists crowding around the stall with their cameras brings sighs and eye rolls as we squeeze past the crowd and go about our business. Although we are way too cool to admit it, we love the stall and all the attention these guys generate year after year.

The same organization (PETA) that made itself look ridiculous criticizing President Obama's fly swat last week recently called the Pike Place Market fish throw a "corpse toss." According to PETA it was morally no different than "tossing dead kittens." Thanks Dave for reminding me of this Steve Martin line from The Jerk:

"...I've heard of this, CAT juggling!"

Anyway. PETA raised concerns about the "ethics" of using dead fish as props in a team-building program at a veterinary event. Heading down this slippery path could lead to kittens on the barbecue! As you can imagine, having a cherished Seattle institution irrationally criticized caused quite a fervor in the local press and sure lit up the blogs. I just wanted to make sure those of you who don't live here didn't miss out on the fun.

To make a long story short, sanity eventually returned to the Emerald City:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009319216_apwapetathrowingfish.html

2 comments:

  1. OK, you got me signed on with the "fish story". Isn't that a classic? I can just imagine some "level 5 vegan" at the Pike Place market peering at the "fish carcasses" and having the epiphany that "it's staring at me". eww!

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  2. Well, life isn't all flowers, horses and baby showers here in the Emerald City. :-)
    Love ya!

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