The People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals (PETA) is asking for Jason Bateman to stop promoting a dairy company on his SmartLess podcast, for which he co-hosts with Sean Hayes and Will Arnett.
The request by the non-profit, which came in the form of a letter to the actor and his representatives, slammed him for spreading what the organization calls ‘false and misleading marketing claims’ about Organic Valley during a March 18 episode featuring John Oliver.
In particular, PETA took issue with the advertisement where he claims the company sells items that are ‘ethically sourced from small family farms where cows spend lots of time grazing outside an organic pasture.’
‘Despite this representation, animals used for such dairy production are not “ethically sourced” and are harmed in the process,’ the animal rights organization maintained in the letter obtained by TMZ.
PETA went on to claim how ‘cows used for mass consumption dairy products are typically hooked up to machines and milked two or more times per day, rather than being allowed to suckle their calves, it read, before adding, ‘To ensure a constant supply of milk, these cows are repeatedly and artificially impregnated – not a pleasant experience – to ensure milk production.’
Jason Bateman, 55, and his SmartLess podcast were put on notice by PETA for spreading what it calls ‘false and misleading marketing claims’ about big dairy during a recent episode
The animal rights organization took issue with the advertisement where Bateman claims Valley Organic sells items that are ‘ethically sourced from small family farms where cows spend lots of time grazing outside an organic pasture’
The non-profit went on to describe the milking process as a ‘vicious cycle’ where cows suffer ‘frequent mistreatment’ resulting in various traumas.
‘Cows on farms supplying dairy, even on organic farms such as Organic Valley’s, are forcibly separated from their newborn calves shortly after birth,’ the letter continued.
‘This traumatic separation inflicts immense stress upon the cows, who form strong maternal bonds – mother cows can be heard calling for their calves for days after being separated.’
Founded in 1980 by Ingrid Newkirk and Alex Pacheco and stationed in Norfolk, Virginia, the activists went on to claim how ‘female calves are subjected to the same cycle as their mothers, while male calves are generally taken to feedlots where they await slaughter.’
After sharing about how females are sent to slaughter once the cow’s milk production drops, members went on to write about how it’s ‘common in the commercial dairy industry for cows to be forced to spend long periods of time standing on concrete floors in their own filth.’
As a result, PETA says the mistreatment creates various ailments and health conditions, like respiratory like respiratory issues, udder infections, and hoof injuries.
Not wanting the public to be misled, PETA is pushing for Bateman to stop running the dairy advertisement on his Smartless podcast.
The publication claims to have reached out to Bateman and his team but haven’t heard back just yet.
‘Cows on farms supplying dairy, even on organic farms such as Organic Valley’s, are forcibly separated from their newborn calves shortly after birth,’ the letter continued. ‘This traumatic separation inflicts immense stress upon the cows, who form strong maternal bonds – mother cows can be heard calling for their calves for days after being separated’
PETA says the advertisement for Valley Organic appeared on the March 18, 2024 episode
The SmartLess podcast, which features Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett, recently signed a new three-year deal to move to SiriusXM that’s set to begin later this summer
The SmartLess podcast launched back in July 2020, and within a year Amazon’s Wondery acquired exclusive rights to the show in June 2021 on a three-year deal.
Pouncing on its success, SiriusXM has now bought the rights to the podcast that’s said to be another three-year contract worth more than $100 million, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
As part of the deal, SiriusXM will provide exclusive content from the podcast for its subscribers, including early access to new episodes of SmartLess and SmartLess Media podcasts Just Jack & Will, Bad Dates and Owned.
‘This groundbreaking new collaboration showcases our power to drive growth for an established podcast while bringing unique value back to our subscribers through exclusive content and events,’ said Scott Greenstein, president and chief content officer, SiriusXM. ‘I’m looking forward to new SmartLess listeners discovering this one-of-a-kind trio’s inimitable style on SiriusXM, and for current fans to see what magic happens when we team up together.’
The new deal between SmartLess and SiriusXM begins later this summer.
