PETA Pushes Alice in Chains to Change Their Name, Proving No One is Safe from Their Outreach Department’s Fever Dreams

At the risk of getting animal rights ninjas bursting through my window later tonight, I’m just gonna come out and say it — PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) pulls some dumb shit to get themselves into the news cycle. Remember when they demanded Major League Baseball no longer use the term “bullpen”? How about how they suggested renaming fish as “sea kittens” to discourage people from eating seafood? Well, they’re back at it again, only this time they’re pushing for legendary grunge act Alice In Chains to throw away 35 years of branding in some weird attempt at saving a circus elephant.

Earlier today, the animal rights group put out their name change request in an effort to help get a 56-year-old disabled elephant named Betty freed from her current life of performing in 300 circus shows a year. It’s a noble purpose, sure, but they want Alice In Chains to change their name on social media for a month to “Betty In Chains.” Not sure how that translates to an animal being freed, but here’s what PETA Senior Vice President of Communications Lisa Lange said about it:

“By the time grunge swept Seattle, Betty had already spent nearly twenty years suffering as a circus prop, and every day that passes with her being hauled from town to town and forced to perform brings her closer to the brink of death. PETA is encouraging Alice in Chains to get loud for Betty with a temporary name change that reminds everyone to Stay Away from animal-abusing circuses.”

It’s a nice symbolic gesture for sure, but what good does it ultimately do? Who knows. Like a lot of their awareness campaigns, it feels like they’re just latching onto something and doing some performative good deed that doesn’t have a concrete throughline from action to desired result.

Still, PETA put out an open letter to the band explaining their position on the name change, using some song name-based puns to get their point across:

“Dear Jerry, Sean, Mike, and William,

“Coming to you with a wonderfully strange request from us at PETA. Would Alice in Chains be willing to go by Betty in Chains across social media — for a month — to spotlight a dear elephant who literally spends her life in chains?

“In a nutshell, we’re turning up the volume on our efforts to rescue an elderly, disabled elephant named Betty, who is being forced to perform in roughly 300 circuses each year. Betty’s over 56 years old, was taken as a baby from Thailand, and has been used in circuses for more than five decades. An elephant expert who recently examined Betty warns that she faces a fatal collapse if not immediately retired to a reputable sanctuary.

“By lending (a version of) your iconic name, you could set the stage for freedom, amplify her story to millions, and change the course of history for all animals used in circuses. Will you help us show the world that Betty’s not fighting this battle alone?

“Let’s make some noise,
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)”

There’s been no response from Alice In Chains at this time.

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