Nobody really takes PETA seriously, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t occasionally pipe in an effort to remain relevant.

This time, it’s about Mario Kart World, specifically, the Cow character.

From their tone, it doesn’t seem as though they object to the character itself, just to it’s choice of accessory, as indicated in their recent letter to Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa:

Dear Mr. Furukawa:

Greetings! I’m writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). PETA entities have more than 10 million members and supporters globally. We herd there’s a new star in Mario Kart World: Cow! She is already winning hearts everywhere—including ours. But one detail has us hitting the brakes: The brass ring in Cow’s nose. Would you please show empathy towards bovines and remove the nose ring? Here’s why this is so important:

Nose rings are used by the meat and dairy industries to exploit, control, and even drag animals to their deaths. These brass rings are crudely stabbed through the sensitive septum of cows and bulls, which can cause lasting pain and discomfort. The dairy industry will also clip spiked nose rings on baby cows so that the comforting act of nursing from their mother causes her pain and the baby is rejected and kicked away. To control bulls, a chain might be fastened from the nose ring to the bull’s horn for even more pain-driven control.

The brass ring in Cow’s nose glosses over real world violence and cruelty to animals. That’s why we’re asking you to give this beloved bovine a small but meaningful upgrade: Remove the nose ring and let Cow race freely- without any painful reminders of the industries that treat animals like profit-making machines.

Every animal is someone. So leave the rings to Sonic and let Cow breathe free!

They also made a graphic:

While we’re banning nose rings, let’s ban having women wear nose rings, as well. I’m kidding. Women are free to make themselves as unattractive as they wish.

But on that note, has PETA considered the opinion of the Cow on this matter? Maybe the Cow wanted to wear a nose ring. Maybe it considers nose rings fashionable. Or maybe it likes them.

For that matter, has PETA considered that the Cow in MKW is just a made-up character, and therefore can’t actually suffer? Besides, the Cow looks like it’s having the time of it’s life, riding around on motorcycles with a big smile on its face.

Personally, I doubt that Furukawa will even see PETA’s letter. But if he did, it would probably come off to him as another attempt by someone outside of Japan to influence Japanese media. And I suspect that the Japanese are getting sick of this.

When it comes to PETA and groups like it, you can’t give, even a little bit. Because if you do, that’s just going to encourage them to keep going with this kind of stuff. What you do is ignore them.

Or you ridicule them. That would definitely be a correct way to answer them.