A trade group for ranchers in South Dakota complained about Joan Jett’s placement on the state’s float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Other celebs who support PETA have been on parade floats without controversy
- Jett says she wants to be on another float because of “people’s political agendas”
- “We were rightly concerned about her representing South Dakota,” ranchers’ rep says
- Jett supports PETA, which says “the meat trade can’t stand any scrutiny of its cruelty”
(CNN)Â — Rock star Joan Jett was removed from a parade float representing South Dakota in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade after ranchers protested her appearance, saying she’s a vegetarian and a critic of their livestock production.
Jett is a supporter of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the world’s largest animal rights group that promotes a vegetarian diet and condemns factory farms and ranches.
“I’ve decided to switch from South Dakota to another float because people’s political agendas were getting in the way of what should be a purely entertainment driven event,” Jett said in a statement Saturday. “I will remain focused on entertaining the millions of people watching, who will be celebrating a great American tradition.”
The trade group for ranchers in South Dakota complained about Jett’s placement on the state’s float for the New York parade, CNN affiliate KEVN reported.
“So, of course, when we learned that about Miss Jett, we were rightly concerned about her representing South Dakota and a state that is so heavily reliant on agriculture and livestock production to drive our economy,” Jodie Anderson of the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association told the station.
A Macy’s spokesman said Jett and her Blackhearts band will be moved to another float, and another undetermined performer will take Jett’s place on the South Dakota float, the affiliate said.
A PETA leader said the controversy reflected what the group deems as problems in the cattle industry.
“Thanks to South Dakota’s reactionary ranchers, people across the country have learned why Joan Jett supports PETA. The meat trade can’t stand any scrutiny of its cruelty,” PETA Senior Vice President Dan Mathews said in a statement.
Many celebrities who support PETA have appeared on previous Macy’s parade floats or performed without controversy, PETA spokeswoman Moira Colley said. They include “Glee” actress Lea Michele, Jay McGuiness of “The Wanted”, singer Jay Sean, Alan Cumming and Carrie Underwood, Colley said.
You would think after getting their asses handed to them in an ice storm, and their buddy ol’ pals Thune and Noem not helping them in disaster aid they would want anything BUT controversy. Nope. Keep crying and keep voting for conservatives.
Wonder what them ranchers think about this short list of vegetarians?:
Garth Brooks
Shania Twain
Trisha Yearwood
[…South Dakota Tourism Secretary Jim Hagen has said that many people mistakenly assumed state officials selected Jett to appear on the float. None of the artists the state proposed were available or willing to appear in the parade, so Macy’s selected Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, he said.
The state pays $175,000 to support the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and have a float in the event, and $5,000 of that goes to pay expenses for the artist on the float, officials have said.]
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/11/17/joan-jetts-appearance-at-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-stirs-up-controversy/
As a friend of mine (not from here) noted to me, it takes some pretty dense individuals to think that raising this issue was somehow a net win.
Nobody cares what Joan Jett eats. It’s not like she was going to be wearing a “Meat Kills” t-shirt underneath her leather coat. And even in her comments to the press, she sounds perfectly reasonable – she’s just an entertainer trying to entertain, doesn’t understand why people would politicize the event, etc.
So now, instead of nobody talking about PETA during the parade, the hosts will get to talk about it twice: once during the South Dakota float, and once during whatever float Joan Jett gets moved to.
Maybe one of these idiot ranchers could explain to me how that’s a victory for them.
If you can get hold of the Rapid City papers first stories about this exercise in rube-ism, you will see that the most prominently quoted rancher is one Larry Rhoden. Rancher. State legislator. US Senate candidate running to the right of Marion Rounds. And I think this phony protest was drummed up by him in an effort to get noticed. An effort he ran from when his two supporters over here pointed out how bush league the whining was.
BTW, Joan Jett has played the Corn Palace Festival, Deadwood Jam, Ribfest and….the South Dakota State Fair, the state’s largest ag and cattle showplace
thc- Joan Jett played at SD State Fair and Ribfest? Does that make her a hypocrite? Just wondering 🙂
One of the only times I’ve gone to Ribfest, little Joan Jett was performing. My what a big problem she must be for the right wingnut brigade. They must spend so much time with their cows they only learn how to beller…
It’s a frickin’ float for gosh sakes. My goodness people, can we please start putting our time into shit that actually matters!?!
From another news source…
South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association President Cory Eich, who farms and ranches near Canova in eastern South Dakota, said Friday that he thinks it was a mistake to select Jett because her stands don’t mesh with the state.
“Coming from such a rural state where livestock is such a part of our life, we didn’t think it was appropriate,” he said.
Eich said his association “didn’t go looking for a fight,” but once Jett’s affiliation with PETA was brought to the group’s attention, officials felt they had to respond accordingly.
“I wish it never would have gotten brought out,” he said.
Dan Mathews, PETA’s senior vice president, said that he’s happy with the publicity generated by the controversy.
Gee, what is the other AG industry in SD? Uh, I don’t know, VEGETABLES & GRAINS!
Thank goodness vegan Joan Jett has been given top priority over every thing, especially that little EB-5 investigation, cuz that is so not important.
And we wonder why the rest of the nation thinks we are a bunch of inbred hillbillies.
scott – that’s not just a thought – that’s a perception.
I don’t think Trisha Yearwood is a vegitarian judging by what she cooks in her Food Network show.