Animal rights group PETA is taking their war against fur in fashion into the digital world, this time targeting beloved video game character Mario!
Our favorite Italian Super Brother wears a fur suit, called Tanooki, in Super Mario 3D Land, the latest installment of the popular game.
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According to PETA:
“Tanooki may be just a ‘suit’ in Mario games, but in real life, tanuki are raccoon dogs who are skinned alive for their fur. By wearing Tanooki, Mario is sending the message that it’s OK to wear fur.”
Tanooki was first introduced to Mario and the public in 1988. Mario uses the suit to fly and do spin attacks. In Japanese culture tanuki are revered as animals of good fortune, so it can be argued that Mario is harnessing the spirit of the animal in the game.
PETA is not having it. In response to Mario wearing the suit, the group released a beastly and gruesome 8 bit game called Super Tanooki Skin 2D online. The game looks just like the Super Mario Bros game, except a skinless animal chases Mario to reclaim its fur.
What do you think? Does PETA have a point or is this another PR stunt?
SOURCE: USA Today
