Only a handful of days after releasing their anti-Mario propaganda regarding the series classic Tanooki suit, a media coordinator for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has come out claiming the stunt was just a playful prank. According to a quote taken from Shakira Croce, the scandalous image (seen above) was meant to be “tongue-in-cheek” and was intended to bring attention to the real life use of raccoon fur skinning in some areas of the world.
While we won’t say anything regarding PETA, there’s no denying that the media campaign in question is more than just a tad crass and very misrepresents the beloved video game mascot. Everyone knows that Mario should be depicted as covered in gore from turtles and whatever-the-heck-Goombas-are, but not raccoons.
[Original source via Kotaku]