While you might think that PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) mostly targets factory farming and animal testing, you may be surprised to know that the nearly 40-year-old organization has been taking aim at the video game industry for quite some time. In the past, the group has created parody games of Cooking Mama (it seems PETA made the mistake of assuming the titular mother slaughters animals before preparing them for consumption), Super Mario Bros. (in an effort to draw attention to real-life tanuki being skinned alive), and Super Meat Boy (probably because the main character is made of meat).
Similarly, the organization has been criticizing the much-beloved Pokémon franchise for the past two decades, as they take issue with the idea of using creatures for entertainment and battling. In their latest tirade against the series, the group took to its official Twitter page to post a picture of the adorable Wooloo, a new Pokémon who will be featured in Pokémon Sword and Shield. However, it seems PETA doesn’t find Wooloo all that cute, as their “meme” (I use that term loosely) tries to slam the use of wool in order to make clothing.
Love the new #Pokemon, Wooloo! They have a special message for all of their future trainers 😉 #PokemonSwordShield pic.twitter.com/EyRst7Hlee
— PETA (@peta) June 5, 2019
It didn’t take long for fans to fire back in full force, with many posting their own reactions, counter-memes, and jokes. There are dozens to sift through, so we’ve gone ahead and picked out some of our favorites, for your perusal.
https://twitter.com/Goblinh0und/status/1136989042535534592
https://twitter.com/kxbm_nm/status/1136870297850789888
What Wooloo evolves into if you take proper care of it vs. what it evolves into if you don't shear it: pic.twitter.com/pzZhR2OWT8
— Vicious Flying Llama (@Great_Eyewarp) June 7, 2019
This isn’t the first time PETA has tried to rile up a passionate fanbase, and it certainly won’t be their last. Thankfully, Pokémon Sword and Shield will be releasing in a few months time, which means we’ll soon be able to sit back, enjoy the game, and ignore the trolls.
