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Mario's Raccoon Suit Enrages PETA

Posted by samzenpus on from the thin-skins dept.

redletterdave writes "PETA believes Nintendo's iconic plumber Mario takes a 'pro fur' stance" because he 'wears the skin of a raccoon dog to give him special powers' in the new handheld game released Nov. 13. PETA illustrated its disgust with Nintendo in an online campaign called 'Mario Kills Tanooki.' The page includes a side-scrolling Super Mario-style game called 'Super Tanooki Skin 2D,' where you play an angry, skinless tanuki that must chase a bloody raccoon-pelt-wearing-Mario across a 16-bit world and try to reclaim its fur."

14 of 491 comments (clear)

  1. More Specifically Aimed at Chinese Fur Farms by eldavojohn · · Score: 5, Informative

    As I noted in my submission yesterday, this stems from their anger at Chinese fur farms that often have tanuki. At first it seems like this directed at Mario and Nintendo however I think they're merely using the popularity of Mario to get this message out about the cruelty of Chinese fur farms.

    --
    My work here is dung.
    1. Re:More Specifically Aimed at Chinese Fur Farms by Riceballsan · · Score: 5, Informative

      Yes and no, it is a mythical creature, and it is also a term used to refer to a Japanese raccoon dog or sometimes badgers, it depends on the location. The fictional ones have balls the size of watermelons.

    2. Re:More Specifically Aimed at Chinese Fur Farms by Riceballsan · · Score: 5, Informative

      PETA is corrupt throughout the core of it. More then just the stupid stunts for publicity, they also greatly harm far more then they help in protests. Peta "Rescues" dogs and cats. In 2009 of the animals "rescued" by peta 2,301 were euthanized and a total of 8 were adopted out.

    3. Re:More Specifically Aimed at Chinese Fur Farms by DCstewieG · · Score: 5, Informative

      http://www.aolnews.com/2010/03/09/petas-euthanasia-rates-have-critics-fuming/

      http://www.lmgtfy.com/?q=peta+euthanasia

    4. Re:More Specifically Aimed at Chinese Fur Farms by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

      Most people are familiar with this little gem because it was made popular on Penn & Teller's tv show, "Bullshit", where the show went through PETA expenditures. Apparently the financials of any 503(c) are available to the public... though I've never looked.

    5. Re:More Specifically Aimed at Chinese Fur Farms by Fjandr · · Score: 4, Informative

      That's an unfortunate URL to post on /., as it will probably receive few click-throughs due to fears of actually being a link to Goatse.

      Just sayin'.

    6. Re:More Specifically Aimed at Chinese Fur Farms by xenobyte · · Score: 3, Informative

      PETA used to be run by sane people, but then the crazies came in and scared the sanity away.

      I don't think the sane people ever got to run it... It was pretty much bonkers when it started and then they got worse... To say that they 'drifted' towards extremism is a gross understatement; they ran there and then they pushed the boundaries. Here's a few signs that they're way off the deep end already:

      1) The end justifies the means. Getting the point across no matter what.
      2) Humans, the law, common sense - everything is expendable if it just 'saves' one animal.
      3) It's okay to lie or blatantly abuse anything (nudity and famous people in particular) in order to gather followers.
      4) They never make mistakes or correct errors, even if it kills people.

      It's trivial to Google for these things. Arson and firebombing is cool. Gross vandalism is a hobby. Go vegan, even if it kills you - or your kids. And remember: "You can't handle the truth!"

      --
      "For every complex problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong." -- H.L. Mencken (1880-1956) --
  2. Someone tell them about Mario 3 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Because they're about 11-13 (depending on which region you're talking about) years late on this one.

  3. Culture clash by bonch · · Score: 1, Informative

    Japan has a folkloric reverence for raccoon dogs as mischievous shapeshifters. It's just a silly suit Mario is wearing, and there's no implication that Mario killed and skinned a human-sized raccoon dog to wear its fur and fly in it.

  4. The definition of a Tanuki. by Zombie+Ryushu · · Score: 5, Informative

    Are these people aware that a Tanuki is a MYTHICAL Japanese Raccoon Youkai (Spirit) with a magic shape shifting abilities that can normally talk like Humans? That is why Mario has his abilities in the game. He didn't skin an actual Raccoon dog, he gained the spirit energy of the Youkai including its Statue ability...

    1. Re:The definition of a Tanuki. by cobrausn · · Score: 4, Informative

      Kotaku had a decent write up of why this is basically either a huge cultural misunderstanding or a naked attention-grab by PETA. Knowing the history of the organization, you decide...

      --
      How does it feel to be a liar with pants constantly on fire?
    2. Re:The definition of a Tanuki. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      Actually, the tanuki is a real animal, just like the kitsune (fox) is a real animal. They're both real creatures that have been given magical attributes in Japanese myths. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanuki

      This isn't to say that PETA isn't ridiculous.

  5. Mario: Lost Decade by Moheeheeko · · Score: 3, Informative

    Dont you mean 21-23 years ago?

  6. Peta are fuckwits. by bmo · · Score: 4, Informative

    Peta gives a bad name to actual animal welfare activists, you know the ones, the ones that actually find homes for abandoned animals instead of killing them.

    Don't give an animal to a PETA "shelter" unless you want it dead.

    --
    BMO