"I better go, Ive got some branding to do - I love the smell of sizzling cattle in the morning!"

Yeah right. Each to his own. Whatever presses your button!

By the way, was it consensual?

Umm PALE, I said I like BRANDING cattle in the morning, not eating it!

Pale
I don't think you do.
PC's got nothing to do with it. It's called perspective and tilting at windmills. To call it a 'moral' problem is over the top. That would raise issues that raises like individuality, ownership, a say in their fate etc at best it’s well…idiosyncratic.
Do current practices give us reason for concern? Yes, but that is an emotional, culturally defined anthropomorphic judgement not a matter of absolutes or morals. (Calling it the latter is hyperbolic, semantically and philosophically incorrect. Others who don't share your culture aren't wrong....just from a different culture. Only arrogance assumes you're right and everyone else is wrong. Even I don't intend to do that! Unless of course you're a latter day Francis of Assisi, then you wouldn't have a computer. Your concern does you proud but to attempt to elevate this conversation as it is...to a moral outrage is well… misguided. Again that doesn’t mean we should attempt to make incremental improvements.

To all the decent hard-working people involved in advocacy for the humane treatment of animals, who wonder why people dismiss them as crazed kooks, allow me to present exhibit A: this thread.

Again, PALE, it is the methods you use, rather than your goals, I find objectionable. I genuinely am interested in practical methods for improving animal welfare, which is why I find your comments on these threads, which tend to give a very poor impression of the competence of such organisations, so objectionable. You end up hindering more than helping.

In 350 words I can't begin to scratch the surface of the myriad of ways this can be demonstrated as idiocy, but I'll have a stab at it.

It's. A. Movie.

A movie with a great deal of plot about cattle farming in a period when it was more brutal. Depicting the truth of this period is *not* advocacy in favour of it.

Many people have causes. I happen to believe that your cause is worth pursuing, though there are worthier issues. For example, I'd think preventing murders is more important.

Using this line of logic, actors in films which contain murders should refuse to do them.

I know your response - you could theoretically reasonably advocate that movies that 'advocate' murder should be banned, however one must define what advocating is.

The only example you have provided is that the film recieved support from tourism Australia. This equals advocacy by your definition, but frankly, that's inadequate. The film represents a strong opportunity for tourism, hence the support. To refute this, you'd need to dispute this is an opportunity for tourism.

All of which, is a long way from your central thesis regarding Nicole Kidman, but the dodginess of this theory means I'm having to wander a long way to find arguments logical enough to refute.

Admit it. You saw the movie, then got all worked up after you saw that scene and didn't really think this through.

Take the advice offered by other posters - focus on your core goals and don't alienate people with such weird tangents.

Hi PALE.
The film was a study of another time and another place...a different era.
A long vanished world now.
I think the herding of the cattle onto the ship was more implied than actual.
A very large amount of graphics was used in the film to simplify production; and to create atmosphere.
I didnt see the branding sequence. I shut my eyes, but I think they do it differently today with other methods than a hot iron.
Overall I thought the film quite remarkable, as have many others who saw it.

Too Funny:

I think even Gibo has a better understanding of movie as fantasy than does PALE.

TRTL - exactly what you said, I can't even work out what PALE's last reference to me was even supposed to mean - except I suspect it wasn't complimentary. As you said PALE alienates those who actually support many of her goals - I know because I am one of those people who find the lack of logic demonstrated by PALE very concerning as it supports the 'loony tunes' stereotype of animal welfare activists.