Feb14
A Brief Exchange With Queen Aretha Franklin
Posted at 04:24 PM | Permalink
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Comments (49)
One of our most popular anti-fur slogans here at PETA is “Fur is worn by beautiful animals and ugly people”. And we’ve got some great ads to back it up. But the pictures that have been circulating of Aretha Franklin at the Grammy awards last week don’t even really need the tagline to drive that point home. She looks like a walrus in a cat costume. Except, like, nowhere near as cute as that sounds.
Here’s the note that PETA VP Dan Mathews sent to Aretha, who got all in a tizzy yesterday about the fact that Beyonce called Tina Turner “the Queen” and not her.
Dear Aretha-
Music lovers may think of you as a "queen," but to animal lovers, you are a court jester. I'm sorry, Aretha, but your furs make you look like a clown. Why not shed the old-fashioned look that adds pounds to your frame and detracts from your beautiful voice? Won't you donate your furs to the poor as "queen of compassion," Mariah Carey, did? You'll get a tax credit for the donation, and we at PETA will all sing your praises.
Dan Mathews
VP, PETA
TAGGED:
Comments
dear dan.....
please mind your own friggin business..... and then just maybe, when peta gives an iota about the human race...maybe we can chat...
love and kisses, aretha
Posted by: common sense steve | February 14, 2008 04:40 PM
Oh...my gosh.
Posted by: Sarah | February 14, 2008 04:43 PM
Well said...Aretha always wears fur and she looks ridiculous.
Posted by: T | February 14, 2008 04:47 PM
My goodness...what was she thinking! Her stylist should be shot for letting her out of the house looking like that! Or at least given an electric shock up the a** just as the helpless animals that she's wearing did. IDIOTS!
Posted by: Diana | February 14, 2008 04:57 PM
WTF!!?? Some people are just plain crazy! She must have a mirror in that changing room!?
Posted by: Carla | February 14, 2008 05:05 PM
Shameful!!! All that talent but no compassion.
Posted by: Ana | February 14, 2008 05:09 PM
It's not the fur that makes her look bad. The dress is awful. If anything, the coat would help her look better by hiding the dress, if it were closed!
Telling a woman with weight problems that furs add to her frame is not a smart tactic. Her assistant isn't likely to let her see such a letter, and if she did, her reaction would more likely be one of anger, hurt, or getting defensive than actually paying attention to anything else said.
Posted by: Mabel | February 14, 2008 05:19 PM
Don't people get how cruel fur is? It is not a sign of wealth but a sign of cruelty!
How hard is it to say, I simply will not wear fur???
Posted by: Jaclyn | February 14, 2008 05:22 PM
It still amazes me at how disconnected some people can be when it comes to wearing fur. I often wonder how many people who wear fur have actually seen the process of making their "fabulous" fur coats. It would really bother me if someone continued to wear fur after seeing an animal skinned alive for such a false sense of luxury.
Posted by: Michael | February 14, 2008 05:22 PM
That was...a bit harsh, but he has a point there.
Posted by: Deepshikha | February 14, 2008 05:25 PM
The true meaning of soul is the part of us that is immortal. So how come so many so called soul singers strut around in the mortal remains of animals that have been tortured and abused. These people sing their hearts out about sufference but it seems to me the true meaning of the word is lost on them. Divas indeed!! If you call yourself a soul singer you would never wear fur!!
Posted by: Maureen | February 14, 2008 05:41 PM
id say she looks like a fish (due to the pattern of the black dress :p
Posted by: Caboose | February 14, 2008 05:45 PM
Brilliant, and she isn't the only one. The majority of the "hip-hop community" wear fur. It disgusts me.
Posted by: Isabella | February 14, 2008 06:01 PM
that does make her look fat!
Posted by: rose | February 14, 2008 06:16 PM
she looks like a huge white 'furry walrus'.. minus the whiskers// (and flippers)..
;1
Posted by: GC | February 14, 2008 06:24 PM
She has crossed the line.
Posted by: Judith, Freedom Fighter for Animals | February 14, 2008 07:33 PM
I noticed also in another picture, she was wearing a brown mink jacket. Man, my respect (no pun intended) for her took a serious nosedive. I just cannot understand this. Surely Aretha, you have heard about the suffering that these unfortunate animals endure. And, no offence, but it looks like quite a few animals were put to a painful death for that hideous white fur coat. Shame on you. Educate yourself on this matter. Please.
Posted by: Coleen Tew | February 14, 2008 07:54 PM
ewww
Posted by: J | February 14, 2008 08:35 PM
She looks like a caricature.
I would never have even realized that was her in the picture if I had seen it out of context.
What a horrible coat - just think of all of the beautiful animals that had to suffer so terribly, for something so completely useless.
Posted by: Michele | February 14, 2008 09:30 PM
Only people with zero fashion sense (like Aretha) wear fur. That whole thing she is wearing is atrocious!
Posted by: Nancy | February 14, 2008 10:12 PM
WOW. SHE. LOOKS. AWFUL!!!! Not only is that the ugliest thing I've ever seen, thats cruel to wear real fur, and its out of style! She needs to look at this picture for herself.
Posted by: Veronica | February 14, 2008 10:17 PM
Oh, that's TERRIBLE. And I really like her voice!!
Posted by: Canaduck | February 15, 2008 01:51 AM
look at that i do not know what to say but what a waste
Posted by: Tracy | February 15, 2008 08:27 AM
Grrrrrrrr! did you call Jenny yet?
Posted by: SNL | February 15, 2008 08:32 AM
She looks like Ursula from the Little Mermaid in this picture... Both evil and vile.
Posted by: Mike | February 15, 2008 09:45 AM
I think you should send you a copy of the picture of the animals being skinned for their furs.
Posted by: Cathy Shipp | February 15, 2008 10:25 AM
How horrible that these gorgeous animals died for this fat slob. Typically, it can take up to 70 animals to make one fur coat, but in this case it looks more like 140 if you know what I mean.
Posted by: Billy Brown | February 15, 2008 11:12 AM
I have no R-E-S-P-E-C-T for her now.
Eff you, Aretha. I might change my mind if you give up wearing fur though =)
Posted by: Amber Falobas | February 15, 2008 12:18 PM
That is the funniest picture I've ever seen. She does look like a walrus in a cat costume.
Posted by: Megan | February 15, 2008 12:21 PM
She does look like some sort of pinniped, how clever.
Posted by: Christopher Cochran MD | February 15, 2008 12:25 PM
now i'm confused! on the fabulousfur website she is mentioned as one of their first clients - so i thought that she was sporting faux-fur????
Posted by: Mister Jingles | February 15, 2008 12:32 PM
Does anyone know anything about Tina Turner and AR? Does she wear fur, is she a vegan, etc.? I understand she is a Buddhist.
I'm wondering because Tina was born in 1939 and looks FABULOUS...Aretha was born in 1942, and...eh, not so much.
I guess we know who the true Queen is!
Posted by: BullyDawg | February 15, 2008 12:52 PM
Does she really want to add the extra pounds???
Posted by: Sher | February 15, 2008 01:19 PM
Aretha Sweetie,
Seeing that awful photo of you, you are the best anti-fur advert I have seen recently.
Leave the fur where it belongs, on the precious animals who died in agony just so you could look like that!!
Hang your head in shame.
Posted by: Mary | February 15, 2008 01:26 PM
BullyDawg: Tina Turner is a vegetarian and long time buddhist - if she is sporting fur i don't know but i don't hope so! Anyhow - i never saw her in one.
Posted by: sugar candy | February 15, 2008 03:56 PM
BullyDawg: there are some other interesting news besides Tina Turner! Mother Theresa was also a vegetarian and she had a libanese vegetarian cook named Mariam Nour! When you go to Google and write: 'Mariam Nour Vegetarian' you shall find the article! It's very interesting!
Posted by: sugar candy | February 15, 2008 04:15 PM
so many beautiful animals fur ..wasted on such an ... 'uncompassionate blob'..
sorry..but it's the truth..she's totally incompassionate.. should be less of the furry wearing stuff and reading up more on what the nightmarish hell these animals go thorugh in these fur farms..
not Soul woman ..
more SOUL-LESS..!!
Posted by: EllaC | February 15, 2008 04:38 PM
Her ego is actually bigger than her ass!! If that is possible.
She is not the queen of soul, she is the queen of nothing. She lost her soul the day she lost all sense of compassion. Another selfish "all about me", shallow celeb.
Posted by: Jackie Doty | February 15, 2008 05:05 PM
How did you find out it's a real fur and not fake? I don't know enough about fake fur to know if it's that obvious from a photo. Or maybe she gave one of those silly red carpet interviews where she told what she was wearing? After all, it would be major egg on your face to send her a public message about wearing fur that taunts her for her weight only to find out it wasn't real.
Posted by: Ashes | February 15, 2008 05:34 PM
Ya know what I relly don't care if the woman gets so big she explodes I was raised listening to her sing and I used to Admire her not now that i see her in that coat and what she said to Mr. Mathews Man what an arrogant self absorbed hypocrite she is. walks around like she is such a fine Christian yeah whatever lady. now I have no respect for her at all and all of those celebrities and designers that have stopped wearing and using fur I commend and respect you tremendously. Aretha GET OVER YOURSELF HONEY!!!! you aint that special. Beyonce was right Tina is the Queen you aint even in the Castle anymore baby.
Hey Mr. Mathews send Aretha Franklin to a fur farm and make her watch where her furs come from.
Posted by: Rebecca | February 15, 2008 06:53 PM
BullyDawg,
If you are a practing Buddhist.
You give up meat, you most certainly do not wear furs.
One thing we did not approve of about the movie is that they never spoke of his vegetarianism. This was so important to him and his family and the people.
We must face it, the people in Hollywood that claim they are Buddhists are nothing but low liers. Shame, shame shame on them in Gandhi's name.
Peace!
Posted by: Judith, Freedom Fighter for Animals | February 16, 2008 05:57 PM
I am first of all disgusted with all the fat comments on this page. There are plenty of overweight and unhealthy vegans and vegetarians, not to mention animal rights activists out there.
That said, you made IMDb celeb news.
http://www.imdb.com/news/wenn/2008-02-19/#celeb8
Posted by: e | February 19, 2008 11:57 AM
Poor Aretha!
She does look like a walrus in a bunny costume:(
Posted by: Knena | February 19, 2008 05:14 PM
It is wrong to wear fur no matter what size you are, and it is wrong to criticize her use of fur just because of her weight. The Olsen Twins are tiny and wear fur all the time.
No one should wear fur. Period.
Posted by: baobabtree9 | February 20, 2008 02:49 PM
I am Ashamed of all of you...walruses aren't that bad! and "dear" aretha what the flip have you ever done for the human race? eh?
Posted by: ren | February 20, 2008 09:26 PM
Get over it. You will be onto someone else next week about wearing fur.
Posted by: brook | February 21, 2008 03:32 PM
Fur is so unattractive!
Posted by: Curtis | February 25, 2008 09:04 AM
aretha clotheing is a dont. horrible style and whats with the low cut syuff?
Posted by: jhon | March 11, 2008 03:14 PM
I doubt Aretha purchased the fur coats recently, more than likely when fur was more acceptable.
Leave the lady alone, there are worse things going on in the world than Aretha Franklin wearing fur...Get over yourselves.
Aretha, please don't buy any new fur, but if you've got it flaunt it!
Posted by: Derek | March 13, 2008 09:54 PM