A heated debate erupted on GB News over a controversial anti-dairy advertisement, with host Bev Turner challenging the emotional content of the campaign.
"It's very emotional and it's designed to shock", Bev said, questioning the advert's intended impact.
Ben Freedman, campaigns manager from Viva!, defended the message, stating: "I think, very sadly, a lot of people don't realise the violence and death that's prevalent in the dairy industry".
Freedman claimed that dairy cows are made pregnant annually for five years, with calves being taken away from their mothers.
The groundbreaking advertisement, set to be the first anti-dairy campaign shown in UK cinemas, depicts a dramatic scene of a mother and her baby.
The 62-second film opens with a mother tucking in her newborn before a ghoul-like figure appears and takes the child.
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When the mother demands to know what happened to her baby, the figure responds: "You can't keep your baby because we want your milk".
The ad then transitions to footage of UK dairy farms, showing a calf separated from its mother.
Dairy farmer Kelly Seaton strongly contested claims about male calf treatment in the industry.
"Shooting boy calves is not a practice that goes on. The idea we are shooting them is a myth", she stated.
Seaton defended the industry's progress, saying they had worked "incredibly hard" to ensure the number of male calves born is "a lot less".
Her response directly challenged Freedman's earlier assertion that male calves "are shot" in dairy farming operations.
Bev challenged the campaign's premise, stating: "Milk is good for us. Don't you want kids drinking this instead of Coca Cola and lemonade?"
Freedman advocated for plant-based alternatives like oat or almond milk, emphasising kindness in consumer choices.
"I'm being kind to my kids when I feed them milk. This is what they need to grow", Bev responded.
She accused the campaign of manipulation, adding: "These aren't facts, you're trying to brainwash the next generation to make people think people like Kelly are cruel".
The controversy highlights the stark divide between animal rights activists and dairy industry defenders over farming practices.
While Viva!'s dramatic advertisement aims to expose what they claim are harsh realities of dairy production, farmers like Seaton insist these portrayals misrepresent their industry.
The unprecedented cinema campaign has sparked debate about the use of emotional imagery to convey messages about animal welfare.
The dispute centres on whether such emotive content helps inform consumers or, as Bev suggests, serves to "brainwash" audiences about dairy farming.
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"It's very emotional and it's designed to shock", Bev said, questioning the advert's intended impact.
Ben Freedman, campaigns manager from Viva!, defended the message, stating: "I think, very sadly, a lot of people don't realise the violence and death that's prevalent in the dairy industry".
Freedman claimed that dairy cows are made pregnant annually for five years, with calves being taken away from their mothers.
The groundbreaking advertisement, set to be the first anti-dairy campaign shown in UK cinemas, depicts a dramatic scene of a mother and her baby.
The 62-second film opens with a mother tucking in her newborn before a ghoul-like figure appears and takes the child.
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When the mother demands to know what happened to her baby, the figure responds: "You can't keep your baby because we want your milk".
The ad then transitions to footage of UK dairy farms, showing a calf separated from its mother.
Dairy farmer Kelly Seaton strongly contested claims about male calf treatment in the industry.
"Shooting boy calves is not a practice that goes on. The idea we are shooting them is a myth", she stated.
Seaton defended the industry's progress, saying they had worked "incredibly hard" to ensure the number of male calves born is "a lot less".
Her response directly challenged Freedman's earlier assertion that male calves "are shot" in dairy farming operations.
Bev challenged the campaign's premise, stating: "Milk is good for us. Don't you want kids drinking this instead of Coca Cola and lemonade?"
Freedman advocated for plant-based alternatives like oat or almond milk, emphasising kindness in consumer choices.
"I'm being kind to my kids when I feed them milk. This is what they need to grow", Bev responded.
She accused the campaign of manipulation, adding: "These aren't facts, you're trying to brainwash the next generation to make people think people like Kelly are cruel".
The controversy highlights the stark divide between animal rights activists and dairy industry defenders over farming practices.
While Viva!'s dramatic advertisement aims to expose what they claim are harsh realities of dairy production, farmers like Seaton insist these portrayals misrepresent their industry.
The unprecedented cinema campaign has sparked debate about the use of emotional imagery to convey messages about animal welfare.
The dispute centres on whether such emotive content helps inform consumers or, as Bev suggests, serves to "brainwash" audiences about dairy farming.
Find Out More...