Katy Perry from the Roar video.

On my Facebook page the other day I posted the following message about how PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) are diluting the validity of many of their battles by so often picking the wrong fights.

According to PETA, the video for Katy Perry’s Roar (her eighth US #1 in five years) contains “horrific cruelty” to animals. It’s not exactly Pullitzer prize-winning stuff, but here’s what I said:

“PETA are trying to kill my buzz – Katy Perry’s US, UK & NZ #1 hit Roar is not only one of the best pop hits of the year, the Indiana Jones / Lara Croft / Tarzan & Jane (minus Tarzan) video is the most fun video of the year. And considering most of the video is CGI, are PETA getting upset about CGI animals? It must also be pointed out that Katy looks pretty incredible in the video and a lot like Emily Blunt’s twin sister (if Emily Blunt had a twin sister).”

Emily Blunt.

I unashamedly love the song and video. Sometimes it’s alright to have something which is just pure fun and both song and video are intentional upbeat confection. The video specifically is like a modern-day (and much prettier in every aspect) homage to the Hall & Oates Adult Education video from the early 80s.

As to whether PETA even have the vague semblance of a point in their criticism, a chap named Grant commented on my post:

“No, it is quite clear that PETA are upset at real animals being used rather than CGI. The fact that Katy looks incredible is beside the point. Her looks are NOT germane to the ethics of using animals for humans ends of which PETA sits at one end of the spectrum. (Theirs is a tenable ethical view). This said, I don’t have any ethical objections to using animals in music videos assuming they are not cruelly used, and I would be very surprised if they were. Moreover, there are good ethical arguments to support using animals for human ends. Certainly it is better than killing them for sport and or eating them etc. Definitely a cool song that I otherwise would not have heard of and an excellent video.”

Nice work Grant! Click here to read Katy Perry’s own response to what looks like the very ill-informed PETA criticism and in case you’ve somehow missed it, forget licking sledgehammers and nude rides on wrecking balls, this is the pop video of 2013: