PETA2 visited campus last week to showcase a controversial virtual reality experience where students experienced what PETA2 claims it is like to be a prey animal, prompting outrage from students.
The virtual reality experience to promote veganism, called “When They Came For Us,” was a seven minute VR video game where students were abducted by an alien, and had to argue with her for their life. This video game was created using Open AI, so each person’s experience was unique. There were three outcomes to this; you were freed early, freed at the end of the experience, or the alien let you go to reconsider her choices in eating humans.
PETA2 clarified that regardless, the students would not die or be eaten at the end. However, some students reported feeling anxious.
“I asked to take it off and they made me do the entire simulation even though I was uncomfortable and honestly scared,” third-year Italian and human developments and family sciences student Grace Gagner said. “It was a monster making me beg for my life.”
PETA2 signed up to be at the Memorial Union as a paying vendor, and was booked as a “traveling national informational exhibit.” The Memorial Union Reservations staff were told they would be bringing a traveling exhibit to explain their work and promote the proper treatment of animals.
PETA2 is the youth-outreach branch of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and travels around the country visiting college campuses promoting the organization. PETA is known for extremist beliefs and actions to promote veganism. Students commented on PETA spreading information such as that shearing sheep is harmful, and that milk causes autism.
“It was very uncomfortable and did not change my opinion on not being vegan,” Gagner said. “Not only did I have to say that I promise to be vegan, but I also had to promise that I will promote veganism to everyone in my life in order for the simulation to end.”
They chose an alien as the captor for the fact that it is a species with similar powers over humans as humans have over animals, said Christian Maxey, a tour administrator for PETA.
“We hope the interactivity helps people develop empathy for animals by engaging in the ways they may try to justify their own actions and guide them to make compassionate choices like eating vegan or not wearing animal skins,” Maxey said.
One student who reported trying the virtual reality experience described it as “cool” but felt that it labeled them as a bad person for not leaning toward veganism.
“I didn’t like it they basically hounded me for not being vegan and when I told them it was for medical reasons they said that it wasn’t a valid reason and told me that I would be better off being vegan,” said the third-year student.
At their booth, tour administrators including Maxey handed out stickers, ribbons and pamphlets with vegan recipes and information about the video game and organization. There was a TV showing a video encouraging students to “open your eyes and see the individual,” with videos of animals. They also had a sign with a number to text to sign up for texts about PETA, including petitions.
PETA2 tour administrators offered a number of positive quotes about the video game experience and the organization during the interview, where students said how much this experience affected them. The tour administrators offered student names and emails who signed up for their email along with the quotes.
PETA2 stated they had no negative reactions to their appearance, but students interviewed in a Google form published by The Good 5 Cent Cigar showed students felt negatively about their presence. The form was sent out on Friday, gathering responses for three days, and totalled six responses.
“This is the worst way to advertise the environmental conservation movement, they need to get a f—–g grip and get the f–k off our campus,” second-year student Carolyn Milaszewski said. “They are doing more harm than good and that’s coming from an environmental economics and wildlife conservation biology double major.”
