Perhaps you've seen cows running down beaches like the bovine version of Pamela Anderson before? You might have observed them wearing food hygiene hats as they produce the butter we humans consume? No? Me neither. And this kind of TV advertising from Anchor: Butter Made from Cows and Muller Corner: Thank you Cows, which shows just that, is not harmless fun. When I started to investigate meat eating nearly two years ago I suppose I knew what to expect - slaughter, abuse; animals being raised in filthy enclosures with general disregard for their lives. What I wasn't prepared for was the reality of the dairy industry... I simply hadn't a clue. I can't speak on behalf of Anchor or Muller Corner, I haven't investigated these brands, but I strongly believe this kind of advertising (as I suppose all advertising is designed to do) does nothing but continue to lead general consumers down the garden path to where the elves and fairies live in a wonderland of blissful ignorance. Yes, these two adverts are creative; well put-together and many might watch whilst saying 'oh, how I love cows' - but what you really love is the idea that cows are roaming free, 'naturally' producing gallons of nutritious milk for us to 'naturally' drink. This is not the case where factory farming is concerned and the more we continue to swallow such fantastical imagery streaming over our airways, the longer the factory farmed dairy cow continues to suffer. There are undoubtedly good dairy farmers out there, but whilst the industry is still spoiled by the curd of this trade then fairytale notions of cows enjoying their 'job' or being liberated only encourages the fanciful beliefs of society to continue.For an introduction to the truth about the dairy cow aka the "overworked mother", MilkMyths.org.uk is a great place to start for factual content that isn't sentimental.
