Save Ralph: a plea to ban animal testing
- Mariely Crystal
- Apr 30, 2021
- 2 min read
Posted on YouTube by The Humane Society of the United States, the Spencer Susser written and directed mockumentary short film has garnered over ten million views in just three weeks.
Meet Ralph. A partially blind and deaf product tester rabbit for cosmetic companies . His dad was a tester as well as his mom, his brothers, his sister, and his kids. All of whom have died from testing, just as Ralph speculates he'll die too. Spend the day with him as he brushes his teeth, eats his morning breakfast, and then has his home broken into and cosmetics forcibly tested on him. Though as Ralph would say, “Testing is what we were born to do.” Right?
Save Ralph deals with the cosmetic testing of animals and is part of The Humane Society’s plea to ban cosmetic animal testing globally. The film features Taika Watiti as the voice of Ralph, and alongside him are some other recognizable voices such as that of Zac Efron, Ricky Gervais, and Olivia Munn.
Ralph tells the story of the countless animal testers who have suffered and died for the sake of cosmetics and beauty supply. Taika Watiti does a wonderful job at portraying Ralph as a lovable optimist who believes he's fulfilling his duty to the "far superior" humans. Ralph even thanks the human race for giving him his job.
Even in 2021 there are still major cosmetic companies such as Nars and L'oreal that participate in animal testing, a practice that on average only 3% of animals survive.
Save Ralph forces us to ask ourselves, how many animals did it take to make the deodorant we wear? Or that expensive lipstick we pull out for special occasions? Ralph then shows us that something we normally see as harmless, such as deodorant or lipstick has huge ramifications on tester animal species.
On the Humane Society website you can find a segment dedicated to the frequently asked questions of animal testing and learn in vivid detail exactly what's done to these animals, all without pain relief medication.
Save Ralph ends with an important message shown in onscreen text that reads, "No animal should suffer and die in the name of beauty" accompanied by this link: https://hsi.global/SaveRalph which leads viewers to a page where they can sign a Cruelty Free Pledge that works to ban animal testing globally.
Ralph's story is a closer look into the things humans take for granted, and shows us that we can, and should, do better.
