THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, July 16, 1996 TAG: 9607160003
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 27 lines
It was with great amusement that I read about PETA's protesting the hypocrisy of McDonald's restaurants' promotional use of toy figures from the movie ``Babe.''
I suggest PETA look more closely at the folks who made ``Babe,'' which they allege to be some sort of paean to vegetable consumption. Near as I can reckon, the McDonald's folk can't use the ``Babe'' figures for promotional services unless someone who actually owns the rights to do so gives them permission.
Now I'd bet dollars to donuts that the McDonald's folks are a pretty smart bunch and would be unlikely to use those figures without having had all manner of clever lawyers look over the contracts between them and whoever gave them that right. You know what? I'll bet it was the folks who made that movie ``Babe'' who allowed McDonald's to use their characters as figures!
Don't that just beat all? I guess they thought that letting McDonald's give away the figures would help reinforce the vegetarian message of the film. Yeah, that must be it.
I guess those people at PETA really know hypocrites when they see 'em.
BARRY H. HELLMAN JR.
Norfolk, July 11, 1996 by CNB