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Wednesday, January 27, 2010

PETA's Latest: Free the Groundhog from His Luxurious Servitude

Posted by on Wed, Jan 27, 2010 at 3:14 PM

PETA wants to replace Punxsutawney Phil with a robot-groundhog. This is just stupid: How can a robot-groundhog tell whether winter is over or not?

Meanwhile, according to the AP, the president of the Inner Circle of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club (the Inner Circle? Why make it sound so insidious, Groundhog Club?) says Phil is "being treated better than the average child in Pennsylvania" and lives in a climate-controlled environment. If the latter is true, he is being treated better than the average Stranger writer; our heating SUX. It's 47 degrees in Seattle and approximately 42 degrees in the office.

 

Comments (18) RSS

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Baconcat 1
They could take him to one of their shelters! He'd only have a 10% chance of not being euthanized, but it's still better than a comfy outdoor hutch and a yearly 20 minute photo op.
Posted by Baconcat on January 27, 2010 at 3:21 PM
2
"This is one time where television really fails to capture the true excitement of a large squirrel predicting the weather."
Posted by keshmeshi on January 27, 2010 at 3:21 PM
3
What's wrong with the parents of Pennsylvania that they treat their kids worse than rodents?
Posted by Brendan Kiley on January 27, 2010 at 3:25 PM
4
@3 What's wrong with your workplace that employees complain that they are being treated worse than rodents?

Perhaps the kids just bitch less.
Posted by Few people bitch more, after all. on January 27, 2010 at 3:30 PM
Will in Seattle 5
I have a great recipe for groundhog stew.

Hey, so you want to waste it ... me, I'm about reduce reuse recycle.
Posted by Will in Seattle http://www.facebook.com/WillSeattle on January 27, 2010 at 3:30 PM
6
It's too bad for the animals that PETA's true gift is snatching headlines for their latest crazy/stupid stunt. They argue that the publicity impacts real issues, like factory farming, but they seem totally blind to the fact that they make people who care about animal rights look like idiots.

I didn't think they could top sea kittens, but PETA reliably surprises...
Posted by Westside forever on January 27, 2010 at 3:34 PM
7
Why does PETA hate robots? Why do they wish to subject a poor, helpless plush robot to conditions they wouldn't wish on a rodent?
Posted by P.E.T.R. on January 27, 2010 at 3:41 PM
Dougsf 8
PETA to protest Nature's treatment of animals, calls for boycott of the outdoors.
Posted by Dougsf on January 27, 2010 at 3:57 PM
Urgutha Forka 9
If we have enough money to waste building robotic groundhogs, we should at least be able to spend a few extra bucks on a weather control device. That should make everyone happy.
Posted by Urgutha Forka on January 27, 2010 at 4:01 PM
The Amazing Jim 10
PETA is now even less relevant than MADD.
Posted by The Amazing Jim http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?id=100000076496291&ref=profile on January 27, 2010 at 4:04 PM
11
This was a plot line on Season 4 of the OC. Life imitating...art?
Posted by deltron2 on January 27, 2010 at 4:22 PM
12
Why don't we just replace the whole "it's so adorable to watch an animal come out of the ground" bullflop and watch a Bill Murray movie every February 2nd instead?
Posted by iflurry http://newsflurry.livejournal.com/ on January 27, 2010 at 4:27 PM
13
The friendlier name for groundhog is 'hole kitten.'
Posted by alight on January 27, 2010 at 4:54 PM
14
Some Pennsylvanians regularly eat groundhog as an "act of bravery."

tyronepa.com/v3/2006/09/The-Ancient-Gast…;
Posted by Amelia on January 27, 2010 at 5:15 PM
The Psion 15
As someone from PA, one who has even driven through Punxy (they have the most amazing, and flagship, Sheetz by the way), I can tell you, that while not in his hole at Gobbler's Knob for a few hours each Feb. 2, the many Phil's stay in climate controlled, luxury (or at least, luxury for rodents) accommodations in the Punxy public library.

And yes, the Groundhog club is strange and ancient, and the term "Inner Circle" is sadly, correct. Top hats and all.
Posted by The Psion http://blog.michaelcrane.net on January 27, 2010 at 8:13 PM
elenchos 16
Go, PETA, go!

One letter, and one press release. That's all this cost them. Is nobody taking notes? Lot to learn from PETA.
Posted by elenchos on January 27, 2010 at 9:54 PM
Tingleyfeeln 17
Fuck PETA! You have a heart to dedicate your life to make the world a "better place", and you waste it by allowing yourselfs to become hysterical, moralistic, uptight, killjoys. Bassicly every thing I hate about FUNDAMENTALIST CHRISTIANS!!!!!!
Posted by Tingleyfeeln on January 27, 2010 at 10:07 PM
18
@15: SHEETZ! Qwik shopper. Reminds me of how I first heard about the Fred Meyer chain, in a DK song. But I thought the sheetz family was located in Altoona.

One of the interesting things about groundhogs, for Pennsylvanians, is that they are not protected and they are numerous and many. Hence, you can shoot them at parties. Ach du scheisse, the International Varmint Hunter isn't online.
Posted by Amelia on January 27, 2010 at 10:29 PM

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