This Friday, The Offspring released the official video for the single "We Never Have Sex Anymore," and in less than 24 hours the release was already the subject of controversy.
To match the lighthearted vibe of the song, the music video features two chimpanzees acting in scenarios that mimic the daily life of a human couple going through a more "cold" phase in their relationship. The chimpanzee couple is dressed in human clothes and uses numerous accessories, such as kitchen and cleaning utensils.
The end result may be entertaining for viewers, but the project displeased PETA , a non-governmental organization that fights for the ethical treatment of animals. In a letter to The Offspring, the NGO expressed concern for animal welfare and asked the band to take the video down, arguing that the repercussions could "resurrect" chimpanzee trafficking in Hollywood.
In the text (via Blabbermouth ), PETA draws attention to the fact that the chimpanzees may have been provided by Steve Martin , who has been involved in numerous cases of cruelty against primates, including the detention of chimpanzees and orangutans in unsanitary environments for about 18 hours a day.
The setting of “We Never Have Sex Anymore” was condemned by the NGO for placing chimpanzees in “chaotic” situations, especially at the end of the clip, where one of them can be seen performing surrounded by strippers and drinking. “We miss many things from the 90s, but animal exploitation isn’t one of them,” wrote PETA. “Every minute your video remains online, it risks legitimizing a cruel industry, encouraging the trafficking of exotic animals as ‘pets,’ and reversing years of animal rights work that nearly ended the use of chimpanzees in Hollywood.”
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