. Betting that people would consume fewer fish if they were known by the cuddlier name of "sea kittens," People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has requested that Phish temporarily change its name to Sea Kitten for tonight's and tomorrow's shows at Wisconsin's Alpine Valley Music Theater.
“We felt that fish needed an image overall” [sic], PETA campaigner Ashley Byrne told the Burlington Free Press. “They don’t receive the sympathy of the more cuddly animals. We thought that by rebranding fish as sea kittens, they might receive the compassion they deserve.” PETA has been advocating the change in perception since October.
Numerous catfish, however, might question its potential efficacy. And as one commenter noted: "One wonders as well where PETA was when the band THREE DOG NIGHT decided upon that highly offensive name, with its bigoted implications that dogs, more than any other animals, are prone to be involved in some sort of sordid menage a trois!"