PETA: Turn 'Silence Of The Lambs' House Into Museum For Wearing Skins Of Slain Animals
PERRYOPOLIS, Pa. (KDKA/AP) - An animal rights group wants to convert the Fayette County house used in the film "The Silence of the Lambs" into an empathy museum, where visitors could wear the skins of slain and abused animals.
The group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) says in a release that it has written to the real estate agent handling the sale and wants to create a museum. The building was home to psychotic killer Buffalo Bill in the 1991 film.
PETA says by wearing animal skins, people would be reminded that animals also are "made of flesh, blood and bone."
In the letter to the real estate agent, PETA Executive Vice President Tracey Reiman says:
"We're interested in the possibility of converting the home into an empathy museum for animals abused and killed so that others may wear their skins. Although 'Buffalo Bill' is a fictional character, many (animal) victims today undergo similar experiences. Do you think that the house could be turned into a local museum that inspires visitors to practice compassion with every piece of clothing that they buy?"
Scott and Barbara Lloyd listed the Layton home for sale last summer. It's located about 28 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. The asking price then dropped from $300,000 to $250,000 earlier this month.
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Scott said when the real estate agent first looked at the letter from PETA, "she thought it was spam."
The couple says they want their house to stay just that, a home.
"At this point, I don't see any merit in it at all. It looks like a publicity stunt to me," said Scott. "There's a lot of hunters and others who would not be thrilled with a PETA museum here."
The Lloyds did say that if PETA wants to offer them a half a million dollars for the place, they'd be happy to sign on the dotted line.
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