Probably just about everyone has seen this, but just to be sure…
Cheers.
Ok, so this has nothing to do with anything, but I find it so amazing that I just have to share it. Have you seen this yet?
Come on. How awesome is that?
Apparently, PETA feels that fish have gotten a bad rap because they’re slimy and generally unpleasant to touch/smell/look at/play with. So, in an effort to, um, humanize them, the organization has launched a campaign seeking to change peoples’ conceptions of fish by renaming them “sea kittens.” As the website says, nobody would hurt or eat a sea kitten. What better way to help out the fish than by improving their image? From the website:
Fish need to fire their PR guy—stat. Whoever was in charge of creating a positive image for fish needs to go right back to working on the Britney Spears account and leave our scaly little friends alone. You’ve done enough damage, buddy. We’ve got it from here. And we’re going to start by retiring the old name for good. When your name can also be used as a verb that means driving a hook through your head, it’s time for a serious image makeover. And who could possibly want to put a hook through a sea kitten?
Who indeed. The sea kitten website also provides some completely accurate and ridiculously hilarious “Sea Kitten Facts.” I am seriously not making any of this up.
A University of Edinburgh study found that sea kittens can retain information that they learned up to 11 months earlier, which makes them cuter and smarter than the president of the United States!
Sea kittens talk to each other through squeaks, squeals, and other low-frequency sounds that humans can only hear through special instruments. Most ichthyologists—scientists who specialize in sea kitten biology—agree that this is just about the cutest thing ever.
What’s even cooler is that this campaign has had an effect close to home for me. PETA recently contacted Whitefish High School, just 15 miles from my hometown, asking them to consider becoming “Sea Kitten High.” A friend of mine brought this to my attention, and I’m thrilled that we warrant such attention from a national organization. What’s even more fantastic is the slightly sarcastic response from the school’s superintendent, reported in The Missoulian:
In fact, [Superintendent Jerry] House thinks all of Whitefish should consider the new name.
But he, for one, suggests White Kitten, rather than Sea Kitten, as Whitefish is so far from the coast.
“White Kitten High School, the White Kitten City Council, the White Kitten Fire Department – it has a certain ring to it, don’t you think?”
Break the politically correct law, House said, “and you’ll be arrested by the White Kitten Police Department, and taken to the White Kitten Jail, where you’ll be treated with soft, furry paws and a purr of compassion.”
Awesome. Seriously. Awesome.
Anyway, if you want to support PETA in its mission to save these very special animals, you can participate by sending this form letter to the US Fish and Wildlife Service to encourage them to “stop promoting the hunting of sea kittens (otherwise known as ‘fishing’).” Come on, do your part!
Added bonus–make your own sea kitten! Here’s mine:
If you don’t get the name reference, I’ll leave you with this incredibly hilarious and famous exchange between Jessica Simpson and former husband Nick Lachey on the MTV show Newlyweds. Seriously, watch the youtube video, because it will absolutely make your day.
Simpson: Is this chicken what I have, or is this fish? I know it’s tuna, but it says Chicken … by the sea. Is that stupid?
[Long pause, with Lachey giving Simpson a dirty look]
Simpson: What? Don’t make fun of me right now. I’m not in the mood.
Lachey: You act like you’ve never had tuna before.
Simpson: I’ve had tuna fish, like, sandwiches and stuff, like this.
Lachey: Baby, you and I have eaten tuna like this before.
Simpson: Why is it called “Chicken by the Sea” or “in the Sea”?
Lachey: “Chicken of the Sea” is the brand.
Simpson: Oh.
Lachey: You know, ’cause a lot of people eat tuna, it’s like a lot of people eat chicken? So it’s like the chicken of the sea.
Simpson: Oh. I understand now. I read it wrong.
Oh, the bliss of marriage…
UPDATE: Oh my god, I missed the best part of the entire Sea Kitten website! Check out these “Sea Kitten Stories,” which are some of the most morose children’s tales I’ve seen since stuff written by the Brothers Grimm. Each is horrifying and hilarious in a new and exciting way. Once again, I am seriously not making this up.
"Unfortunately, years of watching her friends and family being hooked through the mouth and dragged into a harsh, alien world above have driven Sally the Sea Kitten mad with grief..."
