But I found a fuckwit - the animal activist organisation PETA:
WATERBURY, Vermont (US not Victoria) - Mooove over, Jerseys PETA wants world-famous Ben & Jerry' Homemade Ice Cream to tap nursing moms (erm 'tap' has rather a different meaning in Australia) rather than cows, for the milk used in its ice cream saying it would reduce the suffering of cows and calves and give ice cream lovers a healthier product.
The idea received a 'cool' reception on Thursday from Ben & Jerry's officials, the company's customers and even La Leche League International, the world's oldest breast-feeding support organization, which promotes the practice — for babies, anyway.
PETA wrote a letter to company founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield on Tuesday, telling them cow's milk is hazardous and that milking them is cruel.
"If Ben and Jerry's replaced the cow's milk in its ice cream with breast milk, your customers — and cows — would reap the benefits," wrote Tracy Reiman, executive vice president of the animal rights advocacy group.
Ashley Byrne, a campaign coordinator for PETA, acknowledged the implausibility of substituting breast milk for cow's milk, but said it's no stranger than humans consuming the milk of another species.
"We're aware this idea is somewhat absurd, and that putting it into practice is a stretch. At the time same, it's pretty absurd for us to be drinking the milk of cows," she said.
It takes about 12 pounds — or 1 1/2 gallons of milk — to make a gallon of ice cream. Ben & Jerry's, which gets its milk exclusively from Vermont cows, won't say how much milk it uses or how much ice cream it sells.
As a standardized product under federal regulations, ice cream must be made with milk from healthy cows. Ice cream made from goat's milk, for example, would have to be labeled as such.
Presumably, so would mother's milk ice cream.
To Ben & Jerry's, the idea is udderly ridiculous.
Gah . .and I was just about to gnash into an Equador Chocolate Magnum . .
yes I am a legend in my own lunchtime!
18 comments:
Errrrr, not milking the cows will cuase a significant amount of discomfort for the poor animals. And as the calves are not actually involved I dont see how they suffer. Unless they are veal calves, of course. Mmmmmm veal. [Homer drool noise here]. Idiots.
What? No comment about how adorable I look sucking on a Magnum in my LBD! Actually having thrown poo around whilst in the milking yards, the girls come up for a milking, they're ready to . .unburden their load so to speak and they get a nice snack for doing so. Although it's a bit sad when we take the kiddies away. They cry a lot. But 2 days and all is forgotten, mum goes back to graze . .kids go . .well . . to Schnitzleheyven! (A nice little place in Bavaria) And anyone who's breastfed knows the relief of suckling. Mmm prolly too much information. Must post about that one day.
Here via Red Mojo. Boy. In general, I think there are some ectremist organizations that are important because they are so out there they bring needed attention to issues. I feel that way about PETA, even though I would never contribute to them. BUT, ice cream from human milk? Come on. Why not just work for over-sight to insure humane treatment of dairy cattle and lobby against the use of hormones in producing cow's milk? And maybe reform the practice of removing suckling calves from their mothers, which does strike me as cruel.. Those are achievable goals and would actually do some good - both for the cows and the human consumers of ice cream.
It's late, my mind's a bit off somewhere else but marketing boys would have fun with this - cup size instead of fl oz I'm thinking tsup*?*
The more you hear from PETA the more you wish you hadn't *!*
G'day Citizen and welcome. I've lurked by your blog occasionally. I don't think for a minute anyone took them too seriously and of all the causes in all the world ...I'd never buy a fur for instance but this one was off the wall! You're right and actually in Australia at least, cows have a pretty good life. Because of he weather and good dairy land we don't have battery farming. OK you get laid every year and your kid is snatched which is pretty awful and I'm a firm believer that cows milk is for baby cows but this was a preposterous propostion which to me denegrates the 'good' work they 'might' do. Although I'm not sure that their tactics on any level are 'sensible'. This certainly doesn't give them much credibility.
While I was listening to Black Box on my IPOD on the way home, I had an idea...you know how PETA throw red paint at the fur lovers? I'm going to go round to PETA members homes, and chuck milk at them! For being bennies!
Oh the fun!
I wouldn't object to breast milk in principle (and I'll try anything once), but I'm always reading that it isn't too healthy because it passes on all the additives and dodgy chemicals we absorb in our food. Still, babies don't seem to come to much harm....
Baino, before anything else I have to mention that you look absolutely stunning in that little black dress. Now...
I couldn't help wondering whether this was a joke or a parody, but, as a former member of PETA (I joined thinking it was actually an organization in favor of helping animals) I can believe this is true. Insane, but true.
As for the discomfort caused to cows, why isn't PETA taking on the entire dairy industry instead of just Ben & Jerry's? Maybe they see the Vermont ice cream makers as socially responsible guys who'd be amenable to such a proposal, but I think it's more about publicity. PETA is more interested in promoting themselves as a brand and raising money for their organization than they are in actually helping animals or protecting the environment. Too much of the money they get in membership fees is funnelled into ad campaigns, stickers, buttons, and other kitsch for anyone to take them seriously.
And then they do something like this that just makes them even more laughable.
geez baino, you are the spittin image of eva! ;)
talk about stupid organizations! peta heads that long list! grrrrrr
Personally I have always thought that members of PETA were a PITA.
Bear((( )))
Penn & Teller did a good spiel on how idiotic PETA is. I just wish I hadn't killed the brain cells and so can't remember what
I'm with Bear Naked.
Um. That sounds kinda funny ...
Anyway. PETA.
Yep, doesn't surprise me one little bit. A little understood fact about this bizarre organisation is this: one of their avowed aims is to abolish all pet ownership, worldwide.
As they also aim to abolish farming animals for diary, eggs, meat, leather, hide and presumable for wool too, they are actually a speciesist, human-supremacy organisation which is attempting to wipe out animals on a massive scale.
And actually, if they succeeded, it would mean the end for humanity too. I doubt they have the sense to realise that though.
Tsup! Bimbimbie . .silly idea . and there's no way I could eat a scoop of ice cream with a cherry on top!
Miley, devious yet ingenious "BlackBox"? You are such a man of th 80's!
Nick breast is best . . for babies! True some things are transmitted through breast milk but the value outweights the risks. Never tried it myself!
Interesting that you were a member Christopher. I had the same feeling about Greenpeace who seem to spend ore time getting bad press than actually DOING so I switched to the Australian Conservation Foundation. I'm all for animal rights and the environment but not when as you say, funds are chanelled into promotion rather than affirmative action. Thanks . .I always dress well when eating ice cream. See I keep telling everyone I look like Eva Longoria (in my imagination).
Well Wuffa you're pro-animal if anyone is. .I'm sure there are more sensible organisations out there! They don't seem very active in Australia I must say.
Haha . .well put Mrs Bear!
Jay hush your mouth! Abolish pet ownership! Gah . .idiots! I can understand wanting to improve farming practices (lets face it, chickens lay eggs whether we want them to or not) and we are the top of the food chain! But I'd like to know how many of these little possums grow their own veg, use blood and bone fertiliser or plonk around the planet waving plaquards made out of Tasmanian woodchipped paper and donning their leather bags and shoes!
Okay, you've got my full and undivided attention with the subjects of ice cream and a hot chick! Now what? :)
What's up hottie???? Whew!
I too saw this story today. I think Thrifty's comment says it all!
you got to be kidding me :D. ewwww. And that picture really makes me feel pissed off. What is Magnum trying to sell anyway...
JD put yer pants back on . . you know what I really look like!
Silly aint it Megs?
Oh Ebs, you're cranky today. Sex sells didn't you know? Actually they're really hard to eat without getting chocolate all down your front!
I cannot wait to illustrate a human milking line. My friend and I were actually talking about it at work. Perhaps a beauty parlor and the women are all attached to hair dryers, or are having manicres and pedicures and then holding brest cups and nipple shields while being pumped of breast milk.
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