Animal rights organization PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) remains committed to its cause of defending those cannot speak for themselves in human tongue, but one of its stranger targets in recent days is Majesco's Cooking Mama video game series for the Nintendo Wii and DS. Lampooning the franchise with "Cooking Mama: Mama Kills Animals", an unauthorized flash game of their own, PETA lambastes the inclusion of meat dishes in Mama's virtual menus. Mama surely promotes the inhumane treatment of animals destined for slaughterhouses and subsequently, human consumption! Or least the turning of a blind eye away from the reality of where meat come from, and their cost to the animal kingdom.

PETA's discontent clearly reached series publisher Majesco, who takes the opportunity to promote their new Cooking Mama World Kitchen game defend poor Mama from accusations of ignorance.

Mama wants people to know that World Kitchen includes 51 recipes from around the world, ranging from vegetarian fare like miso soup and rice cakes to international delicacies like ginger pork and octopus dumplings.

"I would never put rat in my Ratatouille," said a feisty Mama while beating some eggs. "Like any accomplished cook, I create my recipes to appeal to a broad range of tastes and preferences. My only goal is to ensure you leave the table well fed."

And, while Mama is not a vegetarian, she fully supports the humane treatment of animals, particularly for her canine protege Max who makes his doggie debut in World Kitchen.

Mama knows best, especially if she's got backup from Max.  We certainly wouldn't want to blow out of proportion a situation which saw a worthy cause leveraged against perhaps the wrong target. So let's lighten up a little while doing what we can to appreciate the ethical treatment of livestock through animal rearing.