Well, if you missed 30 Days on FX last night, don't say we didn't remind you. Fortunately for everyone, George Snedeker—the hunter (and incredibly good sport) who agreed to spend a month with a family of animal rights activists, including PETA's very own Melissa Karpel—has taken some time to answer a few questions about his experience. To watch this episode in its entirety, please click here. Check our the interview below ...

1. When you were first selected to participate in this show, what did you expect the experience to be like?
I was pretty scared. I expected to be surrounded by people that just wanted to argue for a whole month. I'm not afraid of an argument, but I thought the numbers were stacked against me. All I was told was that I would be totally immersed in the animal rights movement. As far as the people I would meet, I expected a lot of angry people that yelled a lot. I figured girls and guys alike would be hairy-legged sandal-wearing hippies. For the most part, I was mistaken.

2. How did your opinion of animal rights activists change after your 30 days with the Karpels?
I realized almost immediately that animal rights activists, PETA members specifically, were very normal folks. That being said, there are some out there—just as with the factory farms—that give everyone involved a bad name. I learned about several examples of the abuse, neglect, and suffering that occur in factory farming. It's not a pretty industry, and if people were able to experience what I did, you might see a major change.

3. What were your best, and worst, experiences during the 30 days?
Living with Melissa and her family as a vegan for the month was by far the most fun. It just took a few days for us to find common ground, and then we worked from that point in a nonjudgmental way. The Karpels are a wonderful family that I was proud to be a part of throughout my adventure. I have made great friends with them, and I miss them. I am a lucky man. It's not hard to find the worst experiences—there were two. First was the initial time I spent at Animal Acres, and second was the time I spent at the UCLA protest. Without getting into specifics, I can just say that being the loudest is not always the best way to be heard. These people were deliberately offensive and were the most close-minded individuals I have ever met. On several occasions, I was verbally abused. I traveled 3,500 miles with an open mind to learn, not to be judged.

4. Are there any animal rights issues that are particularly important to you now that you hadn't thought about before staying with Melissa and her family?
I am aware that there need to be changes in factory farming, but aside from veganism, I haven't heard about a practical alternative. I personally prefer to buy my meat and produce from grocers that support the smaller local farms. The Burberry demonstration was hard-hitting, but we don't have very many fur coats in North Carolina. The one subject that I find the most offensive is vivisection. I can't give away anything about the show, but I had no idea how unnecessary it was. Tissue samples are infinitely more effective. For the sake of money, it seems people are abusing animals just because they can. They should be ashamed of themselves and pray that they never have to answer for their actions.

5. What are your views on the tactics that PETA uses to draw attention to the suffering of animals?
One area where I think PETA could use some P.R. work is separating themselves from some of the other animal rights groups out there. The term most people relate to animal rights is PETA. Anything that happens for the sake of animals, regardless of how offensive it is, gets hung on the neck of PETA. Consequently, most people think PETA people are nuts. I believe PETA does it the right way: education. ... They keep it fun and provide people with information.

6. If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently?
I can't imagine changing a thing. Our director, Jay Blumke, and producer, Matt Hobin, did their homework. It would take years for anyone else to get the entire experience that I had. I had total access. It is amazing what can happen if you walk into something with an open mind, even if it is against everything you know already. You might think you are 100 percent right on a particular subject. Here's a news flash: You don't know everything. Just watch, listen, and learn. I still can't get a hold of "bugs." Is it against the PETA tenet not to like them? I have about 1,000 red bugs (chiggers) that hate me. They're trying to eat my legs clean off. Is it OK to hate them back?

And here are some photos of George and Melissa delivering doghouses that didn't make the final cut of the episode:

Before the doghouse delivery

George and Melissa after the doghouse had been delivered

—Christine

Posted by Christine Dore

If you have plans that don’t involve watching 30 Days, first of all, how dare you? I told you it was going to be on. And second of all, you should immediately cancel them. ‘Cuz the show’s going to be really interesting, and it has my friend Melissa in it. And a very funny hunter dude named George.

For those of you who were already planning to watch the show, well, I’m glad that some people are listening to me. You guys get a gold star. To recap:

1.) Cancel plans

2.) Watch 30 Days on FX at 10:00pm on June 17

3.) Give self gold star.

Cool?

--Christine

Posted by Christine Dore

You’d be surprised, actually. I know that my friend Melissa Karpel and her family (who were the activists in this case) certainly weren’t expecting things to turn out the way they did. The reason this all came about was for Morgan Spurlock’s series, 30 Days, in which people from opposite sides of an issue spend a month together to see what will happen (in one of the episodes, for instance, a woman who believes homosexuality is a sin moves in with a gay couple raising a family).

But what I like best about this show is that it’s not one of these cheap reality TV stunts that are designed to have people at each other’s throats—it’s a very thoughtful look at how reasonable people with strong convictions on opposite sides of an ideal adjust to spending time with each other. And the upcoming show, starring George Snedeker and the Karpels, is a wonderful example of the philosophy behind 30 Days in action.

You don’t see them, because I don’t publish them, but I get a number of fairly abusive comments on this blog from people who have decided that they think animal rights is a waste of time, and feel the need to try and insult and belittle people who have devoted their lives to helping animals—but for every ignorant person like that, there’s a George Snedeker, who, while he may not share our convictions, is willing to listen with an open mind and engage in a genuine discussion about the issues. I won’t spoil the show for you by telling you how it turns out, but you should definitely check it out if you get the opportunity. It’s on FX on June 17 at 10:00pm. I’ll post again when it’s airing as a reminder. In the meantime, here are some pics:

<