You got to be kidding me, right? PETA wants to get rid of Groundhog's Day, the iconic Punxsutawney Phil, and replace both with a vegan sandwich.
The activist organization is calling for the end of Groundhog's Day in Pennsylvania. In the animal's place, PETA's suggesting a vegan "weather reveal cake." The organization sent a demand to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, suggesting the alternative weather reveal. Groundhog's Day is coming up on February 2.
They want the club to retire the animal and its kin to a sanctuary instead. PETA is suggesting the end of a 138-year-old tradition.
"When allowed to be themselves, groundhogs avoid humans, create intricate networks of underground burrows, communicate with one another, and even climb trees, but poor Phil is denied all of that for a tired old gimmick," PETA president Ingrid Newkirk said in a statement. "PETA is urging The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club to sprinkle some happiness into Phil's life by retiring him and giving Groundhog Day a much-needed 'cake makeover.'"
Groundhog's Day To Vegan Sandwich Day?
Groundhog's Day has been around since 1887. The annual tradition is based on superstition. If Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow then there will be six more weeks of winter. If he doesn't then it will be spring. It's hardly scientific, but it's been a source of good fun and even spawned a classic Bill Murray film.
Instead of Groundhog's Day, we would have Vegan Sandwich Day. The inside would be blue for winter and pink for spring like some bad gender reveal party.
"Yet, year after year, Phil is transported to Gobler's Knob, whisked on stage, and subjected to a noisy announcer, screaming crowds, and flashing lights against all his natural instincts," Newkirk said. "If approached in his natural habitat, he would run away in fear, not volunteer to live year-round in captivity, unable to do anything that's natural and important to him like hibernate or burrow - just to be a town's once-a-year fake meteorologist."
Of course, if the club wasn't a fan of the cake, then PETA suggested a giant thermometer that reads, "If it's still cold, it's still winter." Something tells me that the club isn't likely to give in to the demands.
