PETA's New Baltimore Billboard Backfires, Becomes Butt of the Joke

PETA has long since been on the vegan bandwagon, trying to convince the world that eating meat of any kind is a crime against nature.

Their website provides a litany of reasons why you should not eat meat.

“Switching to a vegan diet reduces your ‘ecological footprint,’ allowing you to tread lightly on the planet and be compassionate to its inhabitants. With so many great vegan options, eating green has never been more delicious. Whether you go vegetarian for the environment, for your health, or for animals, you have the power to change the world, simply by changing what’s on your plate.”

And, if you’re planning on enjoying any crab-related delicacies served up in the city of Baltimore, be prepared for the ensuing guilt trip by the so-called animal protection organization.

PETA billboard in Baltimore (Danielle Ohl / Twitter screen shot)

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As you sit down to a meal of crab cakes, steamed crab, crab rolls or anything crab, you may look out upon PETA‘s latest billboard that attempts to humanize the crustacean.

“I’m me, not meat,” the billboard reads. “See the individual. Go vegan.”

What did locals think of PETA’s latest attempt to shame them into sparing the crab?

The Baltimore Sun reported a big zero for PETA. Many thought it was a joke.

“I thought it was fake, honestly,” said Tony Minadakis, owner of Jimmy’s Famous Seafood . “I was shocked. It was pretty tone-deaf.”

Kelly Diaz, 35, said she found the billboard “funny,” though she agreed it made a bold statement given its location.

“This is Baltimore and we are a city that has had great pride in our crabbing industry,” she told The Sun.

PETA came to Baltimore thinking they were gonna save …crabs? https://t.co/68Ef6QhScE

— Chopped and Hued (@ChoppednHued) August 23, 2018

Tell me one blue crab ur friends with and I'll stop eating them. https://t.co/Lb4Faj0Faj

— Dan Rosenblum (@YesIamAPirate) August 23, 2018

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That crab isn’t even vegan https://t.co/rHEfmCXgM7

— Carlie Maria (@carliemaria82) August 23, 2018

https://twitter.com/Amelia98/status/1032611155255222272

Jimmy’s Seafood, which calls itself “Maryland’s authority on crab cakes and steamed crab,” also took a very public shot at PETA on Twitter.

Good morning, @peta! 🦀 pic.twitter.com/Bh1GRhWFO2

— Jimmy's Famous Seafood (@JimmysSeafood) August 24, 2018

It’s not a surprise that PETA is taking it on the chin from the locals. The crab industry is big in Maryland, and Baltimore features the crab as a main attraction on Baltimore.org.

“Steamed crab, crab cakes, crab feasts … If there’s one thing that Marylanders are universally proud of, it’s Maryland blue crabs. The meat is sweet, tender and in abundance in Baltimore’s restaurants.

“Better yet, buddy up to a local and eat like family — at a casual crab shack picnic table covered in newspaper, wielding a mallet and sharp knife to crack the crab and get at its succulent meat. Or hop on a crabbing charter out of the port and do it the old-fashioned way: learn to catch those crustaceans yourself!”

Well, all I can say to PETA is good luck on this latest attempt to save the planet … and please pass the remoulade.

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