PETA is pissed off. And not their usual "I'd rather go naked than wear fur" selves. They've made a game that parodies Super Mario Bros. by having a skinned Tanooki chasing down Mario flying along in his Tanooki suit, which is dripping Tanooki blood.
When I first saw this, admittedly I was confused – I had no idea a Tanooki was a real animal. Tanuki are Raccoon Dogs, as PETA is quick to point out.
Tanooki may be just a "suit" in Mario games, but in real life, tanuki are raccoon dogs who are skinned alive for their fur. By wearing Tanooki, Mario is sending the message that it's OK to wear fur.
No wonder they're skinned for their furs, they grant everyday plumbers the power of flight! Sorry, please pardon my insensitivity. I know this can be serious stuff for many people. But something tells me that none of you are too upset by Mario wearing a Tanooki suit. And I don't know about you, but I've never thought to myself, "Hey, if Mario can wear fur, then Imma get me a fur coat!", but then again, I'm not a pimp, nor am I Sharon Stone circa 1988.
What's next, a DARE campaign out to stop Mario's excessive use of psychedelic mushrooms?
We'll update this article when and if Nintendo speaks out.
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