No Way to Treat a Relative

by Pamela Anderson

King Kong is my hero. He’s big, muscular, sensitive, a terrific actor—and he’s not real. The use of computer-generated imagery has really taken off in Hollywood. So why has Madison Avenue suddenly gone bananas for real apes? Chimpanzees are our closest living relatives, with at least 95% of the same DNA. We’re closer to them than they are to gorillas, so when I see chimpanzees being used as on-screen comedians, dressed up in silly costumes to sell credit cards, I think, “Is this any way to treat a relative?”

This issue has been on my mind a lot lately. It started when my kids went on a field trip to what was billed as an exotic animal refuge in Malibu. I excitedly tagged along only to find that it was like a shabby petting zoo that rents lions, tigers and a fascinating pair of chimpanzees to productions like “The Gong Show” to perform pathetic tricks under lights in front of loud crowds—conditions that are very stressful.

I chose to have that kind of life; these animals didn’t. In the wild, baby chimpanzees and their mothers are inseparable, and moms carry babies with them as they forage, and sleep in the same nests with them at night. Chimpanzees start climbing and eating on their own when they’re three years old, but never stray far from mom. They’re not independent until seven, so it broke my heart to learn that the chimpanzees used in ads and shows are babies, snatched from their mothers when they’re infants so they’ll be manageable in front of the camera. While it’s possible to train animals using only kindness, as Jane Goodall pointed out, “[T]his requires the kind of time and patience which is usually lacking in the fast moving world of ‘show biz.’”

A primatologist who spent 14 months working undercover for a facility that trains great apes for film and TV saw trainers kick and punch the animals to make them obedient. Bright, energetic chimpanzees were reduced to frightened zombies who cowered in fear of being struck again. These same chimpanzees were later seen at an “animal sanctuary,” which compassionate people were charged $200 to visit. Most abuse by “animal trainers” goes on behind closed doors, where the PR teams who dream up ad campaigns featuring costumed chimpanzees—and the consumers buying their products—never even see it.

That’s just the beginning. By the time chimpanzees are seven, they’re stronger than Vin Diesel and can pull your head off. When they can no longer be disciplined, they’re abandoned like trash. Zoos don’t want them and the few sanctuaries for abused apes can’t possibly take them all. So they’re sold to tawdry attractions, or breeders who churn out even more chimpanzee babies for “entertainment.” A performing chimpanzee’s life consists of about seven years of being lugged around sets and then 40 years of being caged, often in solitary confinement. I’ve vowed never to be involved with a production that uses live apes because I don’t want to be a part of this cruelty, and I bet you don’t either. Let’s drop the curtain on ape “actors” by sticking to animatronic animals or willing human performers for our ads. It’s not like there’s a shortage of struggling starlets willing to embarrass themselves if it means getting on TV.
 
Ms. Anderson, an actor, is honorary chair of PETA.

What You Can Do
CareerBuilder promotes cruelty to great apes through its commercials that feature chimpanzees dressed in suits, ties, and dresses while “working” in an office setting. Please contact CareerBuilder as well as the advertising agency that created the commercials, Cramer-Krasselt, to explain to them that great apes who are used for commercials suffer behind the scenes and to ask that both companies sign PETA’s pledge agreeing not to use great apes in any future work:

Richard Castellini
Vice President for Consumer Marketing
CareerBuilder Inc.
8420 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Ste. 1000
Chicago, IL 60631
1-866-438-1485
773-399-6313 (fax)
http://careerbuilder.com/share/AboutUs/ (scroll to the bottom and click on “feedback”)

Peter Krivkovich, President and CEO
Cramer-Krasselt
225 N. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60601-7601
312-616-9600
312-616-3839 (fax)
pkrivkov@c-k.com