PETA is an international organization that stands for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. They are, as their mission statement says, "the largest animal rights organization in the world, and PETA entities have more than 9 million members and supporters globally." They refer to the work that they are doing as speciesism. This is the idea that we as humans believe to be higher ranked than other animals and can be equated to racism or sexism. PETA is best known for its loud and borderline unethical practices in demonstrations of animal cruelty. In this audience analysis, we will be talking about who PETA markets its work to and why.
When you first enter PETA.org you will see multiple text boxes that mention ending speciesism, which is the idea that humans believe to hold superiority over animals and therefore use them in ways that they are not intended to be used. You will also encounter photos of protests, events, and media investigations covered and put together by the organization. Each one of these antidotes is made to be shocking and instantly upsetting. After seeing a few photos of animal abuse, headlines for some small wins to try to spark hope, and some protests that involve leather handbags doused in blood, you will find an offer for a free vegan starter kit. This shows that the audience invoked is radical animal rights activists and people who may be able to be persuaded into changing their lifestyle by instilling anger and fear into the reader. With such harsh messages and vulgar pictures, you know that this is no hippie-dippy vegan campaign or a plea to stop animal testing in laboratories. It is a full-on attack on anyone who consumes or uses animals and their by-products making them out to be murderers.
Another observation of the web page brought to my attention the exclusivity you are meant to feel when you choose to affiliate with PETA. Before you even scroll, you can find buttons to donate, become a member, and renew your membership. This creates a sense that the audience invoked is very passionate about the work that PETA does and must align with most of their values and beliefs. We know that when you contribute financially to a cause you can feel as though you are truly doing your part in the fight and are showing your support in ways other than just emotional. From this, we can assume that all members are fully vegan and do not use any products made of, by, or tested on animals.
Lastly, there are news articles and inside covers of PETA investigations into other companies and organizations. They are bias articles typically posted about "secret" operations at humane certified companies and organizations. By targeting companies that have the trust and clientele of people who may use animals and their products, PETA can begin to convert audience members who may not be committed to being vegan or do not already believe that any animal use is abuse. PETA's attempt to invoke a weaker-minded audience that does not agree with them but could be easily swayed shows that they are specifically trying to target people who may still consume and use animals, but choose to do so in a way that they believe to be ethical and humane. These articles are meant to invoke a sense of distrust and anger in readers that could ultimately result in them converting to veganism and even taking a stand against these companies.
This site's visually and linguistically explicit content is not meant to educate groups of people. It is meant to instill rage in people who most likely did not have it there in the first place. It is really unfortunate that PETA chooses to take this approach because most people would rather not be affiliated with organizations like that although they do have valid points on certain beliefs. I think it is important to note that most of the people who choose to affiliate with PETA follow in their extremist approach and most likely are being more counteractive than productive when it comes to the speciesism they claim to be trying to fight.
Works cited: PETA Mission Statement About PETA | PETA.org
PETA Homepage People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
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