Nintendo responds to PETA’s Tanooki campaign
Yesterday, PETA announced that the organization began a new campaign to “raise awareness” about the Tanooki Suit that is the focal point of Super Mario 3D Land. They claimed that “Mario is sending the message that it’s OK to wear fur.”
What does Nintendo have to say about the situation?
A spokesperson told Eurogamer:
“Mario often takes the appearance of certain animals and objects in his games. These have included a frog, a penguin, a balloon and even a metallic version of himself. These lighthearted and whimsical transformations give Mario different abilities and make his games fun to play. The different forms that Mario takes make no statement beyond the games themselves.”
Honestly, this campaign is incredibly ridiculous. I’m not saying this as a Nintendo fan. Rather, this is how I feel coming from the perspective of someone thinking logically. I truly feel as though PETA is reading into what is an innocuous, enjoyable element of a Mario game. If the organization wanted people to be informed about raccoon dogs and the dangers they face, I really feel as though they could have (and should have) gone about this in a different way.
