PETA Is Mad at Mario, From the Mario Bros.

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PETA is very mad at Mario—the videogame character from the Mario Bros.—for wearing those Tanooki suits. (Super Mario 3D Land just came out, so no, this isn't PETA picking a fight with the '80s.) If you're memory is a little foggy, Mario wears a Tanooki suit, also known as a a Raccoon Dog, to fly, become a statue, and to do a bunch of other stuff. Peta is so irked that they've made a flash game over it. The website reads:

When on a mission to rescue the princess, Mario has been known to use any means necessary to defeat his enemy—even wearing the skin of a raccoon dog to give him special powers.

Tanooki may be just a "suit" in Mario games, but in real life, tanuki are raccoon dogs who are skinned alive for their fur. By wearing Tanooki, Mario is sending the message that it's OK to wear fur. Play Super Tanooki Skin 2D and help Tanooki reclaim his fur!

And just to reiterate in case it's not totally clear, but Mario is not, in fact, a real person.
· PETA Goes After Mario Bros. [Buzzfeed]
· Mario Kills Tanooki [PETA]