The iconic Baltimore oceanic gastro-destination has been in a feud with PETA around Baltimore since at least August 2018. At the time, right ahead of blue crab season, the animal-rights group purchased a billboard urging people to stop eating crab.
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“I’m me, not meat,” said the message on the that first advertisement, which also had an image of a blue crab. “See the individual. Go Vegan.”
Jimmy’s responded with a social media troll campaign against PETA, making posts calling out the company like one tweet with a picture of their headquartes and saying “Come out and show your face.” Another showed a plate of their steamed crabs with a caption that simply read “Good morning @Peta” (the group responded by calling this post childish and linked to vegan “seafood” options in the area).
Funny about all that “vegan” pseudo-swill: they always have to sell it to saner sorts as JUST LIKE bacon, JUST LIKE steak, JUST LIKE hot dogs, seafood, etc etc etc. One would think that if fescue grass, tree bark, and noxious weeds were really all that tasty and appealing, they could stand on their own merits. Apparently not, though.
Jimmy’s then escalated by purchasing a billboard with a parody of PETA’s original crab billboard, with an image of a steamed crab and a message that read “SteaMEd Crabs. Here to stay. Get famous.
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The feud escalated from there, with PETA and the family-owned, Baltimore eatery slinging sarcastic tweets and critical posts at the other on social media while waging a war of public words outside the digital realm across Charm City billboards.
The most recent entry in the culinary, culture war clash came Friday, after Jimmy’s unveiled a pair of billboards that take aim at PETA’s most recent plea for people to abandon pescatarian preferences.
The final jibe is the best, I think.
(Jimmy’s co-owner Tony) Minadakis said this back and forth with PETA has been going on for more than four years, but it has not affected his business.
“Stop trying to force it down people’s throats. If you want to eat. vegetables to each their own,” said Minadakis.
Jimmy’s has also launched a new line of t-shirts parodying PETA, with the stylized text reading “People Eating Tasty Animals” and featuring the restaurant’s logo.
All proceeds from the shirt sales are going to the Saving Grace Animal Rescue of Maryland.
