Battle Over Jacko Butter Sculpture

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, in its latest apparent effort to undermine the efforts of serious people who are concerned about—and actually working for—the welfare of animals, is calling on the Iowa State Fair to use nondairy spread rather than butter for a planned sculpture of Michael Jackson.

Every year, the fair features a cow sculpted from butter. Officials announced the companion Michael Jackson project a few days after Jackson's death but last week decided to put the matter to a vote after some Iowans (predictably, one would think) complained that, rather than honoring a drug-addicted accused pedophile, the second sculpture should honor some deserving Iowan, as it normally does. (My objection would be that it's superfluous to make a sculpture out of a sculpture.)

"Michael devoted much of his life and fortune to children's health charities, and the notion of promoting artery-clogging butter to young passersby is quite the opposite of 'healing the world'—and enough to make Mike roll over in his golden casket," wrote PETA blogger Christine Doré.

Yes. Because the rest of the Iowa State Fair is all about healthy eating and animal rights. I imagine the booth next to the Jackson sculpture will be selling big bowls of bean sprouts. And, anyway, what does this have to do with animal rights? I fully expected that PETA's objection would have something to do with the cruelty of teat-squeezing.

"Why butter, Iowa!" yelled one commenter on the PETA blog. You might as well ask, "Why oil, Saudi Arabia!" or "Why movies, Hollywood!"