Breast Milk Ice Cream, Anyone?
PETA's bold suggestion leaves them once again looking like boobs.
In these times of trouble and turmoil, financial crisis and contentious presidential campaigns, it’s nice to know we can always find some humor among the news stories. In this case, we turn once again to PETA, which provides us with some unintended comic relief.
PETA sent a letter to the founders of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, asking them to use human breast milk in their products instead of cow’s milk. Yes, you read that correctly. From the PETA website:
September 23, 2008
Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, Cofounders
Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Inc.
Dear Mr. Cohen and Mr. Greenfield,
On behalf of PETA and our more than 2 million members and supporters, I’d like to bring your attention to an innovative new idea from Switzerland that would bring a unique twist to Ben and Jerry’s. Storchen restaurant is set to unveil a menu that includes soups, stews, and sauces made with at least 75 percent breast milk procured from human donors who are paid in exchange for their milk. If Ben and Jerry’s replaced the cow’s milk in its ice cream with breast milk, your customers — and cows — would reap the benefits.
[...]
The breast is best! Won’t you give cows and their babies a break and our health a boost by switching from cow’s milk to breast milk in Ben and Jerry’s ice cream? Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Tracy Reiman
Executive Vice President
Naturally, one’s first reaction would be that this must represent nothing more than a publicity stunt designed to bring attention to the fact that PETA thinks giving cow’s milk to humans is evil. But, then again — this is PETA we are talking about, the group who wanted to put up posters saying that giving meat to children is tantamount to child abuse, that hands out comic books to children portraying their mothers as murderers. They are not exactly known for their tact.
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Michele Catalano lives, writes, and takes photographs on Long Island.
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40 Comments
1. Chris in Toronto:Just the thought of it grosses me out.
Oct 4, 2008 - 3:27 am 2. RightwingHippyChick:Even a nullipara can lactate(some adoption folks apparently do this to bond with their adopted babies) and IIRC men also can be induced to lactate, so any PETA member can surely volunteer and join in, all in the name of equal opportunities. The PETA males will finally become proper honorary wimmen this way, what is not to laud…
Oct 4, 2008 - 4:46 am 3. Freedom is just another word...:I have breastfed two children for 3 years total.
That being said, gross Peta. Human milk can have alot of human-to-human infections in it. Think Ben & Jerry’s is going to take on that chance? Besides, you only get about 20 ounces a day. Not economically feasible.
Oct 4, 2008 - 5:19 am 4. Ed Wallis:The human equivalent of Ethanol gasoline?!
EEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww………..
Oct 4, 2008 - 5:33 am 5. DoktorNo:Excuse me, I need to puke right now…
What next? Cannibalism? Hey, if people will eat each other, they will produce less CO2, and it could stop global warming!
Oct 4, 2008 - 5:56 am 6. PETA's Latest Demand: Get Rid Of Cows:[...] This this piece by Pajamas Media’s Michelle Catalano (a great conservative blogging powerhouse who left the political blogging scene a few years ago) she tells you what ingredient the always provocative PETA suggests replace cow’s milk. [...]
Oct 4, 2008 - 6:08 am 7. RE:It’s an absurd notion.
I hope Ms. Catalano chooses more substantive topics to write about in the future. This is stupid.
Oct 4, 2008 - 6:14 am 8. Wacky Hermit:Maybe the laws are different in Switzerland, but in America many states have laws against selling breastmilk, as it is considered either a bodily fluid or a food that hasn’t been processed in a health-department approved kitchen. I remember hearing a local news story a while back about one lady who got in trouble for advertising her extra frozen breastmilk in a classified ad. I don’t know if there are any restaurants in America that could get away with serving a breastmilk menu without bringing the Health Department down upon themselves.
Oct 4, 2008 - 6:17 am 9. B Dubya:Sorry girls (chanelling Pam Anderson).
Oct 4, 2008 - 6:32 am 10. Qulmos:Can’t get milk from silicone.
Faux secondary sexual characteristics.
Faux humanity.
The real deal in self loathing projection though.
Nothing I say could possibly completely describe the disgust I feel at this idea.
But then again, on the other hand, maybe this kind of outrageous action will help PETA shoot themselves in the foot yet again and ruin themselves even more.
Oct 4, 2008 - 7:33 am 11. Amanda:I am an avid breastfeeding advocate. Not only is breastmilk best, but it is the biological standard and a baby’s birthright. There are many mothers in this world who deal with the heartbreak of not being able to provide breastmilk for their babies. There are preemies who need breastmilk in order to survive, when their requirements exceed that of chemically processed formula. Generous mothers spend time pumping and donating extra breastmilk for these precious babies. But the only national milkbank is for-profit and makes it difficult for moms to get donated pasturized breastmilk.
Oct 4, 2008 - 8:02 am 12. Dan:And PETA thinks we should take this valuable resource away from babies who need it in order to make ice cream?! That goes above and beyond crazy, even for PETA.
Human milk is quite sweet and tasty, but I can’t imagine that it makes great ice-cream since it is far lower in fat than cow’s milk – the fat makes ice-cream tasty. The best milk for ice-cream is whale milk – whales only have one breast and I’d dread to see PETA’s reaction to milking whales.
Oct 4, 2008 - 8:16 am 13. Fat Man:As usual, the real issue is missed. The real issue is why does the MSM feel obligated to give Ingrid Newkirk a sounding board? The mental hospitals of the world are full of people who have messages that are just as important, and just as well thought out as PETA’s. Why doesn’t the MSM publicize their delusions instead? Why are we wasting valuable electrons on this non-issue?
Hint. Try thinking about the Agenda, and the Narrative.
Oct 4, 2008 - 8:48 am 14. mr:if PETA were serious, they’d pledge to compensate Ben/Jerry for any profits not realized if this suggestion is followed. no pledge, then PETA is viewed as not serious in their request.
Oct 4, 2008 - 11:01 am 15. WR Jonas:Fat Man is absolutely correct. Every lunatic blathering or meeting of madmen is breathlessly announced by the media. I don’t suppose that any editor ever thought about not affording these weird creatures the free publicity.
Oct 4, 2008 - 12:59 pm 16. WTF?!?:Their stock in trade is abnormality and absurdity. The greater the deviancy the more attention it arouses.
Of course the idea of resisting this insanity never occurs to them.
So…
PETA is against the “exploitation” of cows, but the exploitation of women sits just fine with them.
Nice.
Oct 4, 2008 - 2:53 pm 17. schnargley:I don’t think this idea sucks. I think it is a wonderful! It will save cows needless sffering and humiliation at the hands of their cruel, compassionless oppresive masters, and at the same time will produce many jobs for women. We will have new and wonderful flavors from the social-conscience minded Ben & Jerry’s corporation such as:
Knocker Neopolitana
Oct 4, 2008 - 4:54 pm 18. schnargley:Pamela Anderson Marshmallow Nut
Twin Peaks Cream Dream
Titilating Tangy Mangoes
Swinging Strawberry Slurpees
Jugger Nut Nip Supreme
Wicked Watermelonlicious
More Flavors..
Udderly Scrumptious Scream
Milky Way Heaven
Nubian Chocolate Milk Maid
Michele, please keep us abreast of the situation.
Oct 4, 2008 - 5:09 pm 19. schnargley:Thanks For the Mammaries Momalade
Oct 4, 2008 - 5:11 pm 20. sam in Toronto:Luscious Love Lump Swirl
Dolly Parton Pineapple Coconut Bomb
this is just another example of PETA putting animals before humans
It sickens me to see how animals have been elevated to a level above humans, and are not where they should be … for our use … albeit that they are treated humanely
Remember the “Holocaust on plate” ads a few years back … that shows the type of sick people that we are dealing with
Oct 4, 2008 - 5:34 pm 21. kabud:why not:):):)
Oct 4, 2008 - 6:34 pm 22. sam in Toronto:btw … I support another PETA, People Eating Tasty Animals
Oct 4, 2008 - 6:48 pm 23. Lisa Paul:PETA would be a continuous source of hilarity if they weren’t so scary. This is the group whose fringe members bomb cancer research labs and are quite comfortable killing scientists if they save a few lab rats.
Before I could hone in the the jokes, I also had an uneasy flashback to a friend who is involved with a charity that donates breast milk to HIV/AIDS orphans in Africa. It’s the difference between life and death for these babies.
PETA is increasingly losing whatever fan base they ever had with their insensitive stunts.
Oct 4, 2008 - 7:15 pm 24. Duude:If Ben and Jerry’s agrees I’m going to send my resume as an extraction engineer.
Oct 5, 2008 - 12:38 am 25. Joshua:I think I speak for at least half your readers when I say –
Seriously, whose tits are those in the thumbnail photo a the top of the page?
Oct 5, 2008 - 1:22 am 26. Dark Helmet:Just think of the line at Star Bucks in the morning at the dispensor…. wow.
Oct 5, 2008 - 6:16 am 27. NahnCee:I wonder how many people who belong to PETA also belong to MADD. It seems like the same mind-set and addiction to senseless bullying.
Oct 5, 2008 - 9:50 am 28. Dark Helmet:‘I wonder how many people who belong to PETA also belong to MADD. It seems like the same mind-set and addiction to senseless bullying.’
Are you freaking retarded?
Oct 5, 2008 - 2:36 pm 29. Dolly:I never understood why the drinking of human milk by adults is considered abnormal. It is perfect food for humans, it’s not like anyone is getting hurt, and it would seem to be a good way for women to earn a few xtra bucks. Are there any anthropologists out there who could let us know if this is a universal taboo?
Oct 5, 2008 - 4:31 pm 30. tom:Joshua wrote
I think I speak for at least half your readers when I say –
Seriously, whose tits are those in the thumbnail photo a the top of the page?
~ why gawk at a plastic surgeon’s handywork
Oct 5, 2008 - 8:10 pm 31. Gregory:Presumably, Dolly, because it is a privilege that should be limited to the children and husband of said woman? I mean, go ahead and try to say that your father is drinking your breast milk.
Not a pretty picture, is it? And is it any better when you say ooh, now some total stranger is doing it? Hmm.
At least, that’s how I’d feel about it.
Oct 5, 2008 - 11:32 pm 32. Victor:Lessee–milk, in the US, is anywhere from 3.25% to 4% milkfat. Cream is at least 35% milkfat…and now you know the difference between icecream and icemilk. Human breast milk is anywhere from 3-5% milkfat (per Wikipedia) and is unsuitable for icecream. But it could be used for icemilk.
Small point. The real point is PeTA is nuckin’ futs.
Oct 6, 2008 - 6:20 am 33. jvon:I joked during college that I would happily stop eating animals if vegetarians would volunteer to be served up as food instead. No takers. To me, that would have solved two problems…
This breast milk thing is just more ridiculous than anything else. No, it isn’t going to happen. People aren’t going to release all their pets into the forest either, or any number of other silly ideas that the PETA people have.
I think the situation in Switzerland exploited a legal loophole, which will be closed very quickly.
Oct 6, 2008 - 12:14 pm 34. beemer:As a former nursing mother, I can’t imagine any woman considering this for more than a millisecond. The discomfort, the swelling, the leakage, not to mention the physical changes to our “assets” (you other nursing mothers would know what I mean)- its just not worth it except to provide for your own children.
Regarding the PETA releasing pets into the wild- my husband jokingly always tells our cat to go to the end of the driveway and turn left…he always comes back, sometimes with company. Cats simply do not willingly want to live without the human touch (or the comforts of a home). Lord knows we’ve had our share of those free-rangers, ending up on our doorstep, and often staying. And before you worry about our wandering cat, we live well out in the country and he rarely leaves the yard, or the foot of our bed for that matter.
Oct 6, 2008 - 9:48 pm 35. Joshua:Tom wrote:
I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of tits I believe to be “nice tits”; and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know a nice rack when I see one and, frankly, I don’t really care who made it.
Oct 6, 2008 - 11:34 pm 36. Amphipolis:I don’t think it will work. As I recall, our children insisted on having their mother’s milk warm.
Oct 7, 2008 - 5:41 am 37. Bucky Katt:“What next? Cannibalism? Hey, if people will eat each other, they will produce less CO2, and it could stop global warming!”
Hah..my motto- Save a cow, eat a vegetarian! ;0)
Oct 8, 2008 - 11:15 am 38. William Malicoa:TOKER53:
Oct 8, 2008 - 1:12 pm 39. LOIS:Hey beemer,
yourself and the other Nursing Mothers aren’t the only ones who notice what happens to your assets. They aren’t called Knockers because they Stand out there like a Teenagers. Not that I ever noticed.
why use human breast milk; that is a very unhygienic thing to do
Nov 30, 2008 - 10:13 am 40. Jamie Inman:Hey, I named my blog before I read this stupid story. I mean, great story about a stupid idea. I am dying to hear Ben and Jerry’s response.
Dec 24, 2008 - 5:39 am