PETA's Cashmere Goat Video

Overview

PETA's Cashmere Goat Video refers to a viral video of a public performance by PETA activists in which one activist, dressed as a farm worker, tore wool off a screaming female performer posing as a cashmere goat. Online, the clip has been perceived as unnecessarily sexual, inspiring viral reactions and jokes about PETA in mid-September 2023, including references to its past controversies.

Background

On September 15th, 2023, PETA UK posted a video of a performance by two activists outside of the London Fashion Week. The male performer, dressed as a farm worker, used a comb and his hands to tear wool off a virtually topless female protestor as she screamed, leaving "bloody wounds." The video garnered over 9,700 reposts and quotes, 4,200 likes and 6,300 bookmarks on X^[1] in three days (shown below).

🔊 This is the sound of pain.Tied down, screaming in pain whilst workers tear the hair from their bodies. Cashmere is TORTURE for goats. #LFW#LondonFashionWeek pic.twitter.com/heQWGyGDGO

— PETA UK (@PETAUK) September 15, 2023

On the same day, PETA^[2] notably released a blog post about the performance in which it said "Cashmere is torture for goats."

The video did not draw significant attention until September 17th, 2023, when a quote post of it went viral on X. On that day, X^[3] user @cloudyday167 quoted the video, writing, "I really think this is just a fetish group and they’re using animal rights to be able to do it publicly." The post (shown below) received over 21,300 retweets and 210,000 likes in one day.

I really think this is just a fetish group and they’re using animal rights to be able to do it publicly https://t.co/pQbrMxVFtB

— Stormy Day (@cloudyday167) September 17, 2023

Online Reactions

Following the post, the video became as subject of viral discussions on X, with more quote posts going viral on September 17th, 2023. On that day, X^[4] user @dyingscribe quoted the video, writing, "You trying to make me feel empathy or get my dick hard." The post (shown below) received over 4,800 retweets and 48,200 likes in one day.

You trying to make me feel empathy or get my dick hard https://t.co/GEEzZoUSv0

— Poe's Law, Esq: Poe's Lawyer (@dyingscribe) September 17, 2023

Later that day, YouTuber Justin Whang made a post about the video on X.^[5] The post (shown below) garnered over 4,400 retweets and 79,900 likes in one day.

This clip has definitely altered the trajectory of several people’s lives, but not in the way peta intended https://t.co/UcG6kvcmxe

— Justin Whang 🐙 (@JustinWhang) September 17, 2023

Later on September 17th, YouTuber Shoe0nHead replied to the video with a screenshot showing an unusually large number of bookmarks under it (shown below).^[8]

The viral spread of the video was followed by articles in Daily Mail,^[6] Sportskeeda^[7] and other media.

Search Interest

External References