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The Offspring used a chimp in their latest video. PETA is pitching a fit. And this time, they may have a point.

One of the best songs on the new Offspring album Let the Bad Times Roll is “We Never Have Sex Anymore.” The song, about intimacy issues in a relationship, obviously required a chimpanzee for the video.

Such casting drives PETA nuts. Here’s a statement:

“There are plenty of things we all miss about the ’90s—but animal exploitation isn’t among them. Every minute your video remains online, it risks legitimizing a cruel industry, propping up the exotic-‘pet’ trade, and reversing years of animal advocacy work that has nearly ended the use of chimpanzees in Hollywood.”

The problem stems from The Offspring’s contracting of Steve Martin’s Working Wildlife, which has been nailed several times by the US Department of Agriculture because they violated the federal Animal Act, specifically with their treatment of chimps in their care.

The Offspring notes in the notes for the YouTube video that no animals were harmed. Sad that we have to say that, right?

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

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One thought on “The Offspring used a chimp in their latest video. PETA is pitching a fit. And this time, they may have a point.

  • It’s not just PETA and it’s not just that they used Steve Martin’s Working Wildlife. There are few, if any, animal advocay organisations that don’t have a problem with using primates as “actors” for film, TV and videos like this – and primatologists and conservationists agree. All of these groups have been working for years to try to get the message out that it’s an incredibly harmful practice. Even if aversive training measures are not used, every one of these chimps will have been removed from their mothers as infants so that they can be trained, which has been demonstrated to be incredibly harmful to the individuals involbed. And beyond the individuals, more recent research has shown that the use of primates in this way makes people more likely to want them as pets, and less likely to understand the gravity of their situation in the wild. It’s wrong at all points – an outdated, cruel and distasteful practice. There is no good excuse for The Offspring or anyone else to use chimpanzees or any other primates as “actors” these days. Please take it seriously – the information is out there, and it’s not a joke.

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