Another Pokemon game on the horizon means we have another PETA parody that tries to somehow bridge the gap between real and make believe. In this latest parody, the target is not only Pokemon, but McDonalds as well. Stating that if Pokemon were indeed living in our world, they would eventually be made into food, like a delicious burger for example.
PETA is also targeting McDonalds for fooling little kids into wanting a Happy Meal thanks to a cute Pokemon toy, even though the contents of a Happy Meal are anything but happy.
Challenging the cute, sanitized version of the lives of farmed animals pushed by McDonald's Pokémon Happy Meals, PETA's game reveals the reality, showing kids what really happens to chickens killed for the restaurant chain. At the slaughterhouses of McDonald's chicken suppliers, for example, chickens are hung upside down and have their throats cut while they're still conscious, and many are immersed in tanks of scalding-hot water while they're still alive and able to feel pain. After their bodies are turned into McNuggets, they're sold to kids with the promise of a cute toy—such as a plastic Pokémon figure.
However, serious matters aside, one thing that caught my eye in the very first scene which sets up the story, is that PETA thinks Nintendo is ridiculous for releasing two versions of the same game, and then has the audacity to release a third version that's only slightly different. Just read the second paragraph for yourself.
While I can't outright disagree with PETA's stances, after all, I'm all for animals being treated ethically, I can't agree that targeting Pokemon, a series of games, manga and anime which clearly show strong bonds between Trainer and Monster, is the right thing to do. Pokemon X and Y even allow you to play with your Pokemon via Pokemon-Amie, Nintendogs style, strengthening that bond between a virtual monster and player even more.
