Ad for Red Meat Insulting to Hare Krishnas

February 9, 2004

Source: The New Zealand Herald

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3548208&thesection=news&thesubsection=general

On February 9, 2004 The New Zealand Herald reported, "An advertisement featuring a group of dancing, chanting butchers praising red meat was 'extremely derogatory and insulting to Hare Krishnas', the Advertising Standards Complaints Appeal Board has ruled. The New Zealand Beef and Lamb Marketing Bureau appealed the original decision in March 2003 by the Advertising Standards Complaints Board on grounds that too much weight had been given to the number of complaints (which included a petition), without any consideration of their individual merits. The act allowed for 'humorous and satirical treatment of groups within the community', the advertiser argued in a letter to the chairman in May last year. There was no independent evidence to support the link drawn by the board 'between the chanting and singing the praises of red meat as belittling both followers of Hare Krishna and vegetarians' belief in not eating meat', the submission read."