Visitors to Atlantic Avenue will have to answer for their purchases to an AI-powered robotic calf developed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
On Wednesday, Dec. 18 at noon, the robot, named Charli XC Cow after popstar Charli XCX, will confront shoppers outside Urban Outfitters and nearby stores on Atlantic Avenue with an icebreaker imported directly from a nightmare: “Are you wearing my mom?”
PETA designed Charli, which has a 3D-printed head and looks like a half-baked mechanical horror from HBO’s “Westworld,” to raise awareness of the brutal conditions that cows endure by the fashion industry in the production of leather.
Per a news release from PETA, Charli will inform shoppers of the mutilations and violent deaths that are behind every leather jacket. Cows are emotionally complex creatures that are capable of advanced social behavior, developing deep attachments, and mourning loss. The leather industry has a well-documented history of subjecting them to unimaginable horrors such as skinning, dismemberment, de-horning and castration without the use of painkillers while they are still conscious.
“Every leather item represents a lifetime of suffering and a sad, bad death for cows,” said PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman in the news release. “PETA is encouraging shoppers to keep cruelty out of their closets by opting for animal- and climate-friendly vegan materials that no one had to die for.”
Fortunately, there’s a way to get on Charli’s good side. Simply let her know that your clothing, shoes and accessories are made with vegan leather and Charli will perform a celebratory dance.
