Could the band Cage the Elephant change its name before they play the halftime show at the Detroit Lions and New England Patriots NFL game in Munich, Germany, this weekend?
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), an animal rights group, has sent the band a letter asking them to do so, it revealed in a Monday press release.
“Become ‘Free the Elephant’ across its social media accounts for a week to spotlight Okha, a 56-year-old ailing elephant who has spent most of her life forced to perform in the circus under the threat of punishment – and rally support to help retire her to a reputable sanctuary,” PETA said.
Before we get deeper into PETA’s claims, let’s get some background about Cage the Elephant. They are a rock band that formed in Kentucky during the mid-2000s. In 2008, they became well known with the hit song “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” and have since gone on to win Grammys.
According to Wonderfront music festival the band includes brothers Matt and Brad Shultz, as well as students Jared Champion and Daniel Tichenor, followed by Nick Bockrath and Matthan Minster. Regarding the band’s name, Matt Schutz told SPIN magazine in 2010 that it came from a night out in Knoxville, Tenn.
“We saw this guy with a shaved head and a long goatee yelling and screaming and talking to himself. I’m pretty sure he had some mental issues going on. He all of a sudden beelined towards us. Everyone jumped into our car and shut the doors. But I didn’t make it into the car. I was stuck outside,” he said. “I thought for sure the guy was gonna stab me or something, but then he came up to me and gave me a hug. The whole time he was saying, ‘You have to cage the elephant, you have to cage the elephant.’ Afterwards, I was like, ‘We gotta name the band that.’”
In its letter to Cage the Elephant, PETA said: “There ain’t no rest for Okha. We think you’d agree that she deserves the chance to spend her remaining years in peace with care, dignity, and respect. Lending a rendition of your iconic name for a short while could… help us come a little closer to ending animal cruelty in circuses.”
Okha “was ripped from her home and family in India when she was just a baby and is currently being hauled around in a trailer with an exhibitor, Brian Franzen,” PETA said.
By 2016, Franzen had already been a “target of activists,” according to an article published in the Minnesota Star Tribune. PETA had a fact sheet on him that listed years of animal welfare complaints at the time, but the report noted that he denied the allegations and called them “slander.”
Last month, 12 News in Florida reported that PETA planned to protest an Okha appearance in West Palm Beach. That report noted that PETA has accused Franzen of “using a metal-tipped bullhook to control elephants,” and claimed that he previously faced a felony animal cruelty charge.”
PETA repeated these claims against Franzen in its press release. It also claimed that “Okha is morbidly obese, struggles to lie down, rise, or even move about, and has been kept in isolation since 2022,” and said that it has organized 30 demonstrations on behalf of the elephant.
Over the years, PETA has also been known for eyebrow-raising stunts such as a satirical campaign that included a website with items apparently made from human skin.
