Can PETA capture a black audience with Waka Flocka Flame?

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Atlanta rapper Waka Flocka Flame, adorned in nothing more than a jewel-encrusted Fozzie Bear chain, stands boldly nude in a new ad by PETA which proclaims “Ink not Mink.”

Waka is actually the first rapper to pose for the animal rights organization, which is known for their radical promotion of animal rights. They frequently run ad campaigns featuring celebs naked, proclaiming they won’t wear fur. This latest ad campaign “Ink not Mink” seems to target a more urban crowd, featuring heavily tattooed celebrities like Mario, Gilbert Arenas, and Chad Ochocinco.

Targeting black people to stop wearing fur makes sense for PETA, but the question is: will it work?

PETA has always been a controversial organization, one that’s easier to dislike than support. Their radical campaigns for animal rights have included comparing animal abuse to slavery and the Holocaust, often appearing to place animal rights above that of humans. Founder Ingrid Newkirk once said of her organization, “We are named People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, there are plenty of other groups that worry about the humans.”

Not exactly the group motto that draws crowds. I’m sure if you did a demographic draw of PETA members, black people’s presence would be low to nearly non-existent. Is it that black people don’t care about animals? I don’t think that’s the case, but fact is it may take a lot of work to get a people still trying to overcome 250 years of slavery and another 100 years of government-sanctioned oppression to prioritize getting equal rights for Lassie too.

We may love our pets, but it’s a rarity to see a black person kiss their dog on the mouth, or end up one of those people who treat a pet like it’s a child. In the African-American community a line is definitely drawn between man and beast, and that’s the line that PETA strives to erase.

That Waka Flocka is posing nude for PETA smacks of desperation for both parties. Waka hasn’t been around enough to wield a great deal of influence over the hip hop community, especially in regards to wearing fur. No one relies on him for intelligible rap verses, let alone opinions, so his collaboration with PETA could actually do more harm than good. In a behind-the-scene video interview, Waka explains his participation: “I love animals. As a kid, I had dogs, fish, iguanas, lizards…I don’t want nobody to skin my puppy.” While I can see where he’s going with that…it’s painfully clear that articulation isn’t his gift.

On his part, Waka’s participation in the ad feels a bit like media whoring in hope of gaining some crossover appeal. While the photo may have raised his celebrity profile as a whole, the unflattering angle has actually made Waka a punchline. I guess the unspoken rule is if you’re going to pose nude, you better have something people want to see (or imagine).

If PETA wants to reach black people, it’s going to take more than a couple of nude photos to raise awareness. Not wearing fur is a legitimate goal that PETA puts out to culture, but enacting it is a whole other issue. Fur and hip hop have always been intricately intertwined, one of the ultimate status symbols of wealth. Bigger name celebrities would at least bring a greater awareness to the cause, opposed to Waka Flocka Flame’s participation merely serving as a confusing and somewhat humorous distraction.