White House Fuming Over Michelle Obama PETA Ad

Image courtesy PETA.org.

Michelle Obama didn't give consent for PETA to use her image.

Michelle Obama once publicly noted that she doesn't wear fur. The animal rights organization PETA has taken advantage of the First Lady's anti-fur statement and slapped her face on a new ad...but word has it the White House has their claws out. Here's why.

As the First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama is not to participate in any endorsement of a product, organization or campaign. So the PETA ad in which she appears "Fur free and fabulous!" alongside Oprah Winfrey, Tyra Banks and Carrie Underwood pushes the boundaries of Presidential permission. 

PETA president Ingrid Newkirk has acknowledged this, stating that PETA wouldn't have bothered to seek Michelle Obama's consent because they understand that she can't make an endorsement. Newkirk said the following about the organization's use of Michelle Obama's image: "The fact is that Michelle Obama has issued a statement indicating that she doesn't wear fur, and the world should know that in PETA's eyes, that makes her pretty fabulous." Her colleague Dan Mathews agreed, saying, "By rejecting fur, these style icons demonstrate to the world that fur is old-fashioned and cruel."

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We get it -- but do they really want to mess with the White House? Read our story from earlier this week on how the Food Network has also embraced the Obamas into mainstream pop culture...and the embarrassing faux pas that were committed along the way.