Happy Cows?

[TofuNinja]

Animal rights activists who complain that California dairy cows do not live the happy life shown in a popular television advertising campaign for the state's cheese producers say they are heading to court to try to force the ads off the air.

http://www.latimes.com/business/custom/admark/la-fi-cows13dec13,0,2216961.story?coll=la%2Dheadlines%2Dbusiness%2Dadvert

I hope that link works because I had to create a log in...if not can someone post a link that will work...

From LA Times.com business section

This is just like those stupid Animal rights activists always looking to sue someone to get money.... or some crap like that. The ads promote cheese. ANd it uses fictional cows that appear happy and comfortable. I pass by dairy farms when I had back to Fresno in teh Central valley of Ca, I see that dairy cows are not giving 100 acres to roam free on, they are in pins and stuff. What the ads are designed to do are say that Happy Cows produce great cheese.

I am not a cow and I have no way to tell if Cows are happy or not but I am sure that any cow that gets milked every day is not happy all of the time, but again I am not a cow. Damn animal rights people for fighing such lame fights... there are bigger issues than cow ads for cheese. THe cows might not even be real they could be CGI cows I haven't done the research...

This group of ANimal rights activist really suck.

[Cubsfan]

Happy cows? I don't really care if an animal is happy or not, just if it's tasty :)

Besides, I come from a farming community. I have seen many cattle, and I have yet to be able to tell if one is happy or not :)

[blueindian]

agreed there are bigger isssues, but can't that always be said? if you were suing someone for something, i'm positive i could say to you, "hey, there are biggetr issues than [whatever you are suing for]"

plus, they are NOT suing for money. they are suing to have a commercial banned.

full text of article:


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http://www.latimes.com/business/custom/admark/la-fi-cows13dec13,0,2216961.story?coll=la%2Dheadlines%2Dbusiness%2Dadvert
Activists Decry 'Happy Cows' Ads
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals plans to go to court to seek a ban on commercials the group calls misleading.
By Mark Sherman
Associated Press

December 13 2002

Animal rights activists who complain that California dairy cows do not live the happy life shown in a popular television advertising campaign for the state's cheese producers say they are heading to court to try to force the ads off the air.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and author John Robbins of Santa Cruz, using California's strong consumer protection laws, said Wednesday that they planned to ask a San Francisco Superior Court judge to ban the "happy cows" ads. The activists say the ads are false, unfairly favor California cheese over other states' cheeses and mislead consumers about environmental damage from the dairy industry.

The ads, which feature cows that talk, show cows in green pastures and contend that "great cheese comes from happy cows." Happy cows, the ads say, come from California.

In a recent commercial, a high-strung chicken pesters two impassive cows for the secret of their tranquillity. Finally, the chicken says, "Silence. OK, like a Zen thing. I get it, Grasshopper."

After the chicken moves on, one cow says, "Wow." The other chimes in, "Yeah, poultry."

The California Milk Advisory Board, which produces the ads, credits the commercials with helping the state close in on Wisconsin, the country's lead- ing cheese producer. California farmers produced 1.6 billion pounds of cheese in 2001.

"Where the ads are seen, it creates more demand," said Nancy Fletcher, the milk advisory board's spokeswoman.

But PETA says most California dairy cows live not in bucolic pastures but in filthy, grassless lots where they are forced to give too much milk and are separated from their calves too soon.

"Increasing numbers of the public do want to know how the food they eat is produced," said Robbins, son of a co-founder of ice cream maker Baskin- Robbins.

Robbins is a vegetarian, and PETA advocates a dairy-free diet. But Robbins says the issue is about informing consumers.

"This ad campaign is such an affront to people who want to make an informed choice," he said.

The complaint says, "Contrary to the depictions in the Happy Cows ads, the vast majority of California dairy cows do not live easy lives."

In October, the Federal Trade Commission declined to take action on a similar complaint from PETA.

Fletcher of the milk advisory board said the group, having lost at the FTC, is simply shopping for anyone to take a look at the complaint, which she described as groundless.

"The better our farmers take care of cows, the more productive they are," she said. "It's in the best interest of dairy farmers to take care of their cows."

The cheese producers' Web site sells Happy Cows plush toys and T-shirts that say, "So much grass, so little time."

The site also offers testimonials from happy consumers. Bob of Exeter, Calif., wrote: "Please do not let whoever is complaining about the commercials stop you from doing them. My family now looks for the real California cheese label because of the commercials."

Robbins, who grew up in a Southern California home with a pool shaped like an ice cream cone, says dairy operations are inhumane.

"What if the ads showed calves being ripped away from their mothers?" he said.
If you want other stories on this topic, search the Archives at latimes.com/archives. For information about reprinting this article, go to www.lats.com/rights.

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Copyright 2002 Los Angeles Times

[Butch]

I think I've got to agree with the PETA folks here. The advertisement is making a link between the happiness of the cows and the quality of the cheese. It creates a message that the cheese will be better because the cows are happier than other cows.

Regardless of whether that connection exists, unless the advertiser is able to show that the cows are happier, or even kept in better conditions than cows in Wisconsin (for instance) then they are making a statement that they cannot support. Anddddd, that is false/misleading advertising.

[sizemic1]

haha..PETA is such a wacko group.

So i suppose they want the "Dramatization" disclaimer at the bottom of the ad like all the car ads that show vehicles flying through the clouds.

Are people really that dumb that they think cows can talk and rome around hundreds of acres of green pasture and cars can really fly?

[blueindian]

Originally posted by sizemic1
Are people really that dumb that they think cows can talk and rome around hundreds of acres of green pasture and cars can really fly?

no, people are not dumb enough to think that. well, maybe some are, but that's not the issue.

the issue is that a lot of people don't realize what a ****ty life some cows have. most of us are brought up with the image happy little animals on happy little farms owned by nice little farmers. unfortunatly, that's just not the case.

but this commercial promotes that idea. and a lot of people, like the article states, are becoming more and more concerned with where their food comes from , how it is raised etc. and there are people who would change what they are eating if they were more aware of how it got into the package on the grocery shelf.

[zenbooty]

I think I wanna get one of those T-shirts that says, "So much grass, so little time!" :bandit: :D

[Kevster]

Originally posted by blueindian


no, people are not dumb enough to think that. well, maybe some are, but that's not the issue.

the issue is that a lot of people don't realize what a ****ty life some cows have. most of us are brought up with the image happy little animals on happy little farms owned by nice little farmers. unfortunatly, that's just not the case.

but this commercial promotes that idea. and a lot of people, like the article states, are becoming more and more concerned with where their food comes from , how it is raised etc. and there are people who would change what they are eating if they were more aware of how it got into the package on the grocery shelf.


I raised black Angus on my parent's 10 acres in the California Gold Country and at the high point we had 16 head. I mainly showed them at the county fair and auctioned them off to different restaurants afterward. We also had a butcher come out and "take care of" a few for ourselves. My steers and cows were pretty happy because they were well fed (alfalfa and molasses grain), well taken care of and friendly to the point that they would let me walk right up to them and pet them (just me and my brother though). Granted my cows were Angus beef cows (and some of the best beef I've ever had) they were still happy California cows.

I've been to 3 California dairy farms - two of which were good ones and one not-so-good one. I can say this - good ones have more land to allow them to roam a bit in the pasture when they're not milking. You still have to collect them for milking during the day, but they normally come on their own accord. Dairy cattle have to be well taken care of (and by that analogy probably happy) or they won't produce as much milk. Cows normally have to be pregnant to produce milk, and after calving they go into a period of about 60 days where they don't produce. Both good farms I have been to have had these cows out in the pasture grazing away. Were they happy? I can't be sure because I only was there for a day. Were they clean and well fed and well taken care of? Definitely. Are people's opinions about dairy farms and happy cows biased and misinformed? Yes on both sides of the happy cow argument.

I like the commercials and think they are good comedy. Do I think they are truthful and have dairy cows roaming the California coastal mountains every day? Not very - those cows you see in the coastal mountains from the highway are typically beef cattle (herefords and red/black angus).

[Grimm]

Originally posted by Butch
I think I've got to agree with the PETA folks here.
...
Regardless of whether that connection exists, unless the advertiser is able to show that the cows are happier, or even kept in better conditions than cows in Wisconsin (for instance) then they are making a statement that they cannot support. Anddddd, that is false/misleading advertising.
I think there is a distinction here that you are missing. Would any reasonable person be deceived into believing that this is a factual account? Or is the California cheese industry making fun of other advertisers' comercials by making one that is obviously so far fetched but presented in a similar manner? If that is the case then it is a work of satire and protected under the 1st Ammendment as free speech. The comercials are humorous. They are funny because the claims are so outlandish and they strike a chord about all the advertising that we are hammered with all day long. It is my oppinion that it is satire and therefore protected speech.

PETA is just mad because the comercials are effective and it is from an industry that uses animals. They are also profiting from this, not directly from a possible cash settlement, but from free advertising. They need to be seen and heard to get contributions to their cause.

Butch, think about it, you are agreeing with PETA!!! Go out, have a nice big thick juicy steak and you will start too feel better.

[TofuNinja]

Originally posted by Butch
I think I've got to agree with the PETA folks here. The advertisement is making a link between the happiness of the cows and the quality of the cheese. It creates a message that the cheese will be better because the cows are happier than other cows.

Regardless of whether that connection exists, unless the advertiser is able to show that the cows are happier, or even kept in better conditions than cows in Wisconsin (for instance) then they are making a statement that they cannot support. Anddddd, that is false/misleading advertising.

If there were true the Big and Tasty would have been banned as well. As many people may find it neither big nor tasty....

I just saw a commcerial for Levits... it says you'll love it at Levits... What if I don't love it at Levit's... shoudl I sue them and ban their add?

And if Trent Lott drinks Pepsi should we sue Pepsi to ban their for Those who think Young ads? Trent Lott who has old ideas like seperating blacks and white?

This is just stupid foey.

[Butch]

Tofu and Grimm . . .

I was not referring to the actual commercial (parody or not), I was referring specifically to the tagline which they use - "Great cheese comes from happy cows" - implying that their cheese is great as a direct result of the happiness of their cows.

The Big & Tasty and "You'll love it at Levitz" are valid marketing tools because inevitably some people will find the Big & Tasty to be just that (Even if you don't) . . . and I'm sure there are people who do love Levitz. You do not need to satisfy everyone in order to make a valid marketing claim.

However, it is not possible to draw a link between the happiness of the cows and the quality of the cheese they are producing. Nor is it possible to claim whether a particular cow is any happier than another. Last I heard, anthropomorphism is not valid.

Further, inherent in the tagline is the implication that cheese of lesser quality comes from cows that are not as happy and not treated as well. This could cause a material loss to other cheese manufacturers if the image is created that they mistreat their cows when they may not treat them any differently than California Dairies.

[molecularfire]

This just in... chocolate milk is NOT really made by chocolate cows. :eek:

[TofuNinja]

Originally posted by molecularfire
This just in... chocolate milk is NOT really made by chocolate cows. :eek:
WHAT!! OH MY GOSH!!! WHAT IST HE WORLD COMING TOO!?!?!

[Kevster]

Originally posted by molecularfire
This just in... chocolate milk is NOT really made by chocolate cows. :eek:

I've seen chocolate cows - but I didn't get close enough to check and see what kind of milk came out them.

I've always wanted to try and get a cow to laugh - and see if milk came out of it's nose. :D