Call it an exercise in Phutility. Hoping to capitalize on any good vibes that might exist between the animal rights organization and famed jamband Phish, PETA reportedly asked the band to change its name to “Sea Kitten” for its recent Alpine Valley shows in East Troy, Wisconsin.
The conceit was intended to bump the marine creatures up the food chain of public consciousness by likening them to more lovable animals, like cats and dogs. Senior PETA campaigner Ashley Byrne was quoted as saying, “We were hoping that if Phish would become Sea Kitten, the band’s legions of fans would start using the word Sea Kitten to describe Phish, and fewer of these sea animals would be violently used for food. Hooking a fish through the mouth and dragging it out of the water is really the same as hooking a dog through the mouth and dragging him behind your car.”
While Phish did not take the bait on PETA’s suggested name-change, the organization has apparently been lobbying other fish-centric groups since October to adopt its “Sea Kitten” moniker. While Byrne was unaware of how many such solicitations have been made, she was able to confirm that no one has adopted the “Sea Kitten” cause.
PETA faces an uphill battle, to be sure. If the notoriously conscientious Vermont foursome was unwilling to swallow the “Sea Kitten” hairball, one can only imagine how McDonald’s execs might react when asked to rename their popular “McFish Sandwich” to “McSea Kitten Sandwich”; or how Gordon’s might go about selling “Filet o’ Sea Kitten” to the masses. Perhaps fellow Vermonters and ice cream impresarios Ben and Jerry would be more sympathetic to rebranding the band’s “Phish Food” ice cream flavor to “Sea Kitten Food”. Or perhaps not.
Regardless, the new PETA initiative has prompted some to suggest that the organization re-brand itself People for the Erroneous Treatment of Actuality. No word yet on the organizations response to the proposed name-change.
Tags: absurdity, animal rights, PETA, Phish
