Does loving vegetables lead to "Veggie Love"?

You'd think an ad that features women in lingerie caressing nutritious vegetables might appeal to the same demographic that watches football, right? But that wasn't the thinking of the suits at NBC, who PETA says rejected the pro-vegetarian ad - along with the $3 million payment that would have come with it - for airing during the Super Bowl XLIII broadcast, claiming that the ad "depicts a level of sexuality exceeding our standards."

But thanks to Fox affiliate KCBA-TV, which serves the Monterey-Salinas-Santa Cruz market, viewers in the salad bowl of the nation are seeing what the rest of the nation missed. The 30-second spot has been on KCBA-TV each night this week during TMZ.

According to PETA, the ad features models fondling vegetables to a pounding beat and concludes with the message "Studies Show: Vegetarians Have Better Sex." The scenes are amusing and sensual: A blindfolded woman erupts with delight after spending a little quality time with asparagus; a woman performs a seductive dance with a gourd; and another woman is so smitten that she joins a steaming "orgy" of mixed vegetable soup.

Why would vegetarians make better lovers? For one thing, many vegetarians are slimmer than meat-eaters. Also, heart disease and obesity can make their victims sluggish and fearful that sex can cause a coronary. Cholesterol and saturated fat restrict the flow of blood to all the body's vital organs - not just to the heart.

"Our 'Veggie Love' ad is the perfect way to counter the onslaught of commercials for artery-clogging fried chicken and bacon-laden double cheeseburgers," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "After all, the best thing that you can do for your health, animals, and the planet - not to mention your love life - is to go vegetarian."

And obviously, not think too mightily about objectifying women to suit your message.

For more information, visit PETA.org. To see the ad, click here.