PETA's salad dressing too spicy for Springs trash cans
A shapely blonde in a lettuce-leaf bikini spoiled a proposal that could have restored trash service in the city’s neighborhood parks.
Colorado Springs and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals failed to flesh out a deal for the animal-rights group to pay to advertise on trash cans, which were pulled from nearly 140 neighborhood parks earlier this year as a cost-saving measure.
PETA proposed an ad featuring a bikini-clad blonde and the slogan, “Meat Trashes the Planet. Go Vegan. PETA.”
In Colorado Springs, the message — and the nearly naked bombshell — proved too hot to handle.
City spokeswoman Sue Skiffington-Blumberg said the trash cans are placed in public parks that cater to families and children.
“The verbiage promoting a specific agenda — ‘anti-beef’ — was not appropriate and the lettuce leaf bikini was not rated for general audiences,” she said in an e-mail.
Kristina Addington, a PETA spokeswoman, said the image in the ad is essential.
“It helps brings attention to the ad,” she said. “It’s a fun way to get people excited about going vegetarian.”
Addington said the offer to the city wasn’t a publicity stunt and that it still stands.
“We would absolutely put our ads on the trash cans if they took us up on this offer,” she said. “It’s a win-win. It helps us by promoting a vegetarian diet, but it’s definitely going to help the parks in Colorado Springs.”
The advertising proceeds would have allowed the city to restore trash service in at least some parks.
On March 15, Mayor Lionel Rivera sent Tracy Reiman, PETA’s executive vice president, a one-page letter thanking the group for its proposal, saying the city “would welcome your support and assistance with this budget issue.”
But the mayor told Reiman that PETA’s proposal didn’t meet the city’s rules.
“Your suggested trash can layout does not fit within the guidelines we have established for sponsorship in our Parks and Recreation Department,” he said. “That does not mean the door is closed. PETA would be welcome to help us with trash disposal in our parks and get commercial credit for doing so within the guidelines we presently have.”
Reiman e-mailed the mayor a response Friday.
“Thank you for your consideration of PETA’s offer to pay to place ads on trash cans in Colorado Springs’ public parks,” Reiman said.
She said the ad’s image and slogan are key to PETA’s message.
““If you should you decide to allow text and images on the trash cans in the future, please contact me so that we can move forward with the sponsorship. Thank you, and best of luck during these difficult economic times.”
Skiffington-Blumberg said it’s “disappointing we couldn’t find a win-win.”
“We have interest from other organizations and individuals that are willing to work with us for the greater good, so onward!” she said in an e-mail.
Under a new adoption program offered by the city, residents are doing trash duty at dozens of parks -- without bikinis.
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