This is why people don’t take you seriously.

One of my guilty pleasures is listening to the synth-pop dulce tones of the Pet Shop Boys on my ipod.  Their tenth studio album, Yes, is being released in the US today.  Most people don’t realize that they did much after their 80’s hits heyday.  They were nominated for a Best Dance Recording Grammy in 2007 for “I’m With Stupid.”  (They lost to Justin Timberlake’s “SexyBack”.)  So while they’re not in the forefront of US pop culture, they’re still popular on the dance scene and overseas. 

While they may never be as popular here in the US as they were in their “West End Girls” days, I’d say it’s safe to say they’re making a decent living.  So when PETA came in and asked them to change their name of over 25 years from Pet Shop Boys to Rescue Shelter Boys, they lost all credibility with me.  If this was such an important issue for them, they would have spoken up sooner, say at the height of the Pet Shop Boys’ popularity?  It only further enhances PETA’s image as a fringe group desperate for attention that people just don’t take seriously.  Now I don’t advocate beating your dog like Michael Vick, but PETA coming in now is only a desperate cry for attention.  At this point, the band’s name is a household name, even if most know of them as a one-hit-wonder of sorts. 

Every time PETA does one of these publicity stunts, they only further their image as a bunch of screwballs.  While most people in the US don’t necessarily agree with its Vegan position, PETA doesn’t help their cause when they make stupid statements like this.  And they won’t be taken seriously if they continue to do so.