Joan Jett sang about her "Bad Reputation," now the former Runaways singer-guitarist is getting flak for supporting the animal rights group PETA. Ranchers in South Dakota are irked that the Joan Jett & The Blackhearts will represent the state at this year's annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Joan Jett is a vegetarian and animal rights advocate who is a member of PETA. Ranchers and farmers in South Dakota don't think she's a good fit for the state that relies so heavily on cattle raising.

Joan Jett supports People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which promotes a vegetarian diet and criticizes livestock production practices.

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts are set to represent South Dakota at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, an annual event in New York City.  Joan Jett will perform on the float promoting the state's tourism and the Black Hills' Mount Rushmore National Memorial.

Cory Eich, the president of the South Dakota Cattlemen's Association doesn't think Joan Jett is a good fit. Eich is a South Dakota farmer and rancher. He says Jett's animal activism doesn't jibe with South Dakota's cattle industry makes up a huge part of the economy

Eich told The Rapid City Journal "To me, it seems like a huge blunder. I guess I couldn't disapprove more. I don't understand what they were thinking."

Jim Hagen, the secretary of the South Dakota Tourism office said the state didn't pick Joan Jett to perform on the float. Macy's chose Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.

Hagen said "It's not because of any ill will Macy's is trying to create or anything. They were just trying to do what they thought would be a great artist for us." A recent rain and snow storm hit western South Dakota in early October killing cattle by the thousands.

Joan Jett's spokesperson Kristen Foster said the singer has played in South Dakota countless times. She said Jett just accepted the offer as a South Dakota fan and supporter.

In an email, PETA's senior vice president, Dan Mathews, said "We're surprised that ranchers want to draw attention to themselves by being crybabies over the appearance of a vegetarian icon such as Joan Jett on the state's float."

Hagen said the South paid $175,000 to have a float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Joan Jett gets $5,000 from that. "It's never been about the artist for us in terms of who's on that float. It's about the fact that Mount Rushmore and South Dakota can be seen and heard by tens of millions of people."

Last year Don McLean, who sang the classic "American Pie" appeared on South Dakota's float. The year before that Neil Diamond appeared.