META Spoofs PETA
TIME Magazine food columnist Josh Ozersky is a fan of meat. A big fan of meat. In fact, he’s such a big fan of meat, he’s coined the term “meatopian,” and started the facetious group META, Metopians for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. He even founded Meatopia, the “Woodstock of Edible Animals,” now in its ninth year.
But this year, he may have taken things a little too far for anyone’s comfort.
The Meatopia 2012 advertisement poster shows Ozersky au natural in a parody of the controversial (and popular) PETA ads showing naked supermodels and celebrities sporting only signs condemning the wearing of fur.
PETA has become infamous for its titilating—and sometimes offensive—advertisements supporting its cause. PETA ads have even been banned from the Superbowl for being too racy. But PETA revels in the controversy.
The very real Meatopia festival focuses on celebrity chefs cooking certified cruelty-free, hormone-free, and antibiotic-free meats. “We celebrate meat eating of every kind,” says the festival’s manifesto, “but with the crucial caveat that the meat have lived well, been fed right, and died in a humane, respectful way. We love meat, but we love animals too.” Because while Ozersky talks about META with tongue firmly planted in cheek, he takes both his food and his food activisim very seriously.
A winner of the James Beard Award for food writing, Ozersky has authored several books, including The Hamburger: A History (2008) and Meat Me In Manhattan: A Carnivore’s Guide to New York City (2003).
