The moos turned to boos over the depiction of a popular new video game cow character.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is protesting the design of Cow, a scooter-riding farm animal in the new “Mario Kart World” because the character wears a nose ring.
“Nose rings are used by the meat and dairy industries to exploit, control, and even drag animals to their deaths,” PETA said in a letter (in full below) Thursday to Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa.
Nintendo of America is headquartered in Redmond, Wash.
The game launched exclusively on the new Nintendo Switch 2 game console, which released in June to much fanfare. And Cow has become a breakout star, as The New York Times reported in July, with videos on social media showcasing the bovine’s popularity.
PETA is less enthralled — at least when it comes to the nose ring. The organization is calling for Nintendo to redesign Cow’s look, so it can “race freely — without any painful reminders of the industries that treat animals like profit-making machines.”
Read PETA’s letter to Nintendo, and watch a trailer for “Mario Kart World” below:
Dear Mr. Furukawa:
Greetings! I’m writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). PETA entities have more than 10 million members and supporters globally. We herd there’s a new star in Mario Kart World: Cow! She is already winning hearts everywhere—including ours. But one detail has us hitting the brakes: The brass ring in Cow’s nose. Would you please show empathy towards bovines and remove the nose ring? Here’s why this is so important:
Nose rings are used by the meat and dairy industries to exploit, control, and even drag animals to their deaths. These brass rings are crudely stabbed through the sensitive septum of cows and bulls, which can cause lasting pain and discomfort. The dairy industry will also clip spiked nose rings on baby cows so that the comforting act of nursing from their mother causes her pain and the baby is rejected and kicked away. To control bulls, a chain might be fastened from the nose ring to the bull’s horn for even more pain-driven control.
The brass ring in Cow’s nose glosses over real world violence and cruelty to animals. That’s why we’re asking you to give this beloved bovine a small but meaningful upgrade: Remove the nose ring and let Cow race freely—without any painful reminders of the industries that treat animals like profit-making machines.
Every animal is someone. So leave the rings to Sonic and let Cow breathe free!
