It's no coincidence that Stella—who is one of the most powerful innovators in the industry—has taken top honors. She is stunningly stylish proof that it's never chic to wear fur or leather. We're sure that Stella's benevolent reign over the fashion world is a permanent position. Compassionate couture always comes out on top.
Yesterday, during her fall fashion style makeover show, a stylist mentioned that a furry vest worn in one woman's "after" look was faux. Oprah replied, "I was a PETA Woman of the Year so I hope that's faux!"
From celebrating vegan cuisine with Chef Tal Ronnen to airing an in-depth investigation of the cruelty of puppy mills, Oprah never hesitates to remind millions of television viewers to consider animals in their everyday lives.
Mais oui! The rain didn't keep members of PETA France—or nearly five hundred other demonstrators—away from a massive anti-fur march in Paris on Saturday.
Think these "grim reapers" are scary? Try watching PETA's fur exposés without covering your eyes. Betcha can't.
As a result of the march, the French television news service M6 even ran a feature against the fur trade. It also polled visitors to its Web site: So far, out of 16,000 respondents, 81 percent favor an end to the fur trade.
We all know that Stella McCartney's designs put the "hot" in haute couture. Unlike some designers who paradoxically try to revive lackluster collections by tossing in the skins of dead animals, Stella creates stunning designs without so much as a scrap of hideous hides.
In the November 2009 edition of InStyle magazine, Stella takes the gloves off when talking about the colossal fashion faux pas of wearing animal skins:
"Just say no to leather, fur and python. Everyone knows this about me, but even if I liked leather, I just couldn't wear leather pants. It's so soft-rock trashy."
Now I realize why seeing snakeskin on the runway turns my stomach—it's the Muzak of the fashion world! Well, that and because snakes are skinned alive to collect steal it. Now, someone please make sure Marilyn Manson reads this month's InStyle …
On-again, off-again fur flaunter Lindsay Lohan recently tweeted that her fur is faux:
We loved the thought of Lindsay going from fur hag to faux fab, but it looks like the tweet from this twit might have just been a passing fancy. We called a rep from her much-ballyhooed (and widely panned) fashion line to see if she's ditched fur there too. Unfortunately, the rep confirmed over the phone that those tasteless stoles in LiLo's collection have, in fact, been ripped from the bodies of animals. So it looks like Lindsay's fashion sense probably is still as dead as her career.
It just doesn't make much sense to stop wearing fur if you still peddle it, Lindsay. If your tweet means that you've turned a new page and are going to trim the fur off your back completely so that you can join the ranks of the stylish women who always forgo fur, please let us know.
It seems like Raymond, New Hampshire—a town located about an hour north of Boston—is having a wicked bad identity crisis. In the market for a serious municipality makeover, the fine folks of Raymond have launched a contest in which they're asking people from all around the world to come up with a new slogan for their town.
Our suggestion? "Every Bunny Loves Raymond!" More than just a cute slogan, we're suggesting that Raymond adopt the motto and ban the sale of all fur. It would be a win-win sitch for everyone involved: No bunny would get skinned alive for a bit of trim, and Raymond would put itself on the map by becoming the first fur-free town in U.S. history.
By adopting this slogan and declaring itself fur-free, Raymond would be thumbing its nose at designers like Armani who continue pimping pelts. It would also be reminding citizens and visitors that no bunny, fox, chinchilla, mink, dog, or cat likes the idea of winding up as somebody's collar or cuff.
… But PETA Germany's spunky supporters—including Jana from Germany's Big Brother—were still willing to brave the fall chill in Düsseldorf to call attention to Canada's seal slaughter.
These gals and other caring people distributed postcards (which were addressed to the Canadian Embassy in Berlin) urging government officials to stop the slaughter. Hopefully, each passerby who picked one up put it in the mailbox.
There's no need to wait until March 17—now's the time to dig out your funny green hat and celebrate.
That's because Ireland has just become the latest European country to ban fur farms! The ban will take effect in three years and will save thousands of animals from the horrors of fur factory farms.
On fur farms, animals who would roam hundreds of miles in the wild are crammed into wire cages only big enough for the animals to take a few steps in any direction. Hundreds of animals at a time may be kept inside sheds or subjected to stifling heat and numbing cold outdoors. While diseases and injuries are common, most animals on fur farms are denied even basic vet care.
Not surprisingly, the boredom and frustration of captivity drive many animals insane; they spin in circles endlessly, bash themselves against their cage bars, and sometimes gnaw their own tails off.
The ban means that the Emerald Isle will become even greener, too: There will be no more tons of waste produced by fur farms that can pollute waterways and release ammonia into the air.
Ireland's ban on fur farms is a true pot o' gold for animals. Meanwhile, U.S. legislators have yet to enact any federal protections for animals on fur farms—tell them it's time to take a cue from the Irish and put an end to fur-farm cruelty.
If, like me, you watch the show obsessively caught last night's episode, you probably did cartwheels in the living room when one "Divorcee Dress Challenge" client, Stephanie, insisted that Nicolas use no wool, silk, leather, or fur in his transformation of her old wedding dress into an outfit she could enjoy as a single woman. I believe her exact words were that she wanted him to be certain "no animals have to suffer."
Now if only Stephanie's snarky designer had spent less time rolling his eyes and more time fashioning a knock-out design instead of ho hum separates, he might have won the challenge. Either way, Stephanie gets top marks for speaking up for animals.
If you've stopped by your local drug store lately, I bet you've noticed all the Christmas cards and candy starting to make their way onto the shelves. It's only October, but apparently, Christmas is just around the corner. Personally, I think we should get past Halloween and Thanksgiving before pulling out the lights and ornaments, but maybe I just don't think far enough in advance.
For those of you who are ready to get a jumpstart on your holiday shopping, we have another clothing outlet you can add to your online shopping list. Women's fashion retailer Boston Proper has announced that it has immediately stopped buying fur and will be completely fur-free as of January 1, 2010!
After receiving complaints from concerned PETA members and supporters who were outraged that Boston Proper was selling fur in its catalogs and online, we immediately contacted the company and urged it to go fur-free. Boston Proper listened to our concerns about the cruelty that animals on fur farms endure, including being bludgeoned, beaten, and then skinned alive.
Boston Proper has joined forward-thinking clothing retailers like Urban Outfitters, Zappos, Juicy Couture, Polo Ralph Lauren, Gap, Forever 21, and dozens of other companies and designers in no longer supporting fur-industry cruelty.
I hope that you'll take a moment to contact Boston Proper and thank the company for its compassionate decision to go fur-free and maybe stay to browse the Web site for that perfect holiday sweater.
Mario might look tough, but he has a soft spot for animals. That's why he's taking a stand for those exploited by the fur industry and is starring in PETA's latest "Ink, Not Mink" ad.
Yesterday, Mario unveiled his ad at the star-studded opening day of this year's Biggest Tattoo Show on Earth:
Uh, which one's the real Mario and which one's the ad?
Tommy Lee, who starred in his own "Ink, Not Mink" ad, checks out the latest in the series.
Eager for more? Go watch the behind-the-scenes interview to see what Mario has to say to anyone who wears fur.
I really hope that Michelle Obama was able to take in Pink's sold-out show at the D.C.-area Patriot Center last night.
Before launching into "Dear Mr. President," Pink showed some love for the current missus: "Let's get political for a second. Since we're near D.C., I have to give a shout-out to Michelle Obama, who has announced that she is officially fur-free. I love an animal-lovin' first lady!"
Even when she's on the road, hard at work, our pal Pink is never too busy to give props to people who are doing their part to protect animals.
If real fur really is frowned upon at furry conventions—as we were recently told by the chair and CEO of Anthrocon, the world's largest furry convention—San Jose's Further Confusion (a.k.a. FurCon) is set to have an awful lot of frowny-faced foxes, bears, chipmunks, skunks, and other cute critters roaming around in January.
FurCon plans to allow real fur to be sold in its Dealers' Room and Furry Marketplace, which immediately raises the question "Do 'fursuiters'—people who love animal characters so much that they adopt their identities—really want to support an industry that skins animals alive?"
Since we're pretty sure the answer to that question is "No," PETA has written to convention organizers asking them to implement a permanent fur-free policy—for the animals' sake.
Furries: As the old saying goes, "When the fur flies—ditch it!" OK, maybe I made that up, but it has a nice ring, doesn't it?
Academy Award–winning actor and animal advocate extraordinaire Kim Basinger has stepped up, yet again, to speak up for animals who are skinned alive for their fur.
Kim's classic anti-fur ad was one of the first in PETA's "Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" campaign, and the issue remains vitally important to her. Today she sent a letter to leading Chinese designer Luo Zheng reminding her that there's nothing fashionable about using the skins of dead animals in her designs. Kim writes:
As you may know, this is an issue that is very dear to my heart. I have avoided wearing real fur for many years ….
PETA's heartrending investigations have documented that animals, including dogs and cats, are bludgeoned, hanged, bled to death, strangled with wire nooses, and skinned alive. Workers have been caught beating raccoons, dogs and foxes with metal rods and leaving them to convulse on the ground. Some animals are injured but still completely conscious as they are skinned, and they kick and writhe as their skin is ripped from their bodies.
As China's leading designer, Zheng could have a huge influence on the fashion world by joining compassionate, world-class designers such as Qi Gang, Stella McCartney, Betsey Johnson, Vivienne Westwood, and Todd Oldham who have already refused to use fur.
By now, you probably know what President Obama thinks about Kanye's VMA stunt.
We want the president to rest assured that PETA, for one, can sympathize with his sentiments. After all, this isn't the first time that Kanye has been insensitive to the feelings of others.
This week's "Win It" Wednesday prize is ThinkGeek.com's fantastic (and fake) "Jellyfish Mood Lamp," a mesmerizing, humane alternative to Brookstone's tiny torture chambers for frogs and snails, aka Frog-O-Spheres.
We've got one to give away. In the comment section below, copy your polite but firm letter to Brookstone explaining why you won't be visiting its stores until it clears its shelves of Frog-O-Spheres. The writer who submits the most compelling defense of frogs and snails will nab the prize.
The contest ends on September 30, 2009, and we'll choose one comment as the winner on October 2, 2009. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting.
When I first became involved with PETA, it was on an "issue-by-issue" basis—they interviewed me in my old apartment about animal abuse in the circus as I sat on a leather sofa. At that time I was a meat-eater and told them I believe that if anyone is going to wear the flesh or fur of an animal, they should at least have the decency to eat the meat of that animal. That comment led to my involvement in PETA's "Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" campaign. The following year, I chose to stop eating meat (and stop wearing or purchasing anything made out of leather); however, citing reports that Jesus Christ fed lots of people with fish, I continued to eat fish. Most recently, for just over a month now, I've kept to a strictly vegan diet and I've not felt "hard-done-by" at all. I have been really enjoying making a project out of seeking out an extremely healthy diet of raw, organic, vegan foods—and I plan on continuing to do so.
—Steve-O
Visit his Web site to continue reading about why Steve-O chooses to work with PETA and the impact he's making in the lives of animals.
We told you we'd be back. After nixing plans to protestVogue's Fashion Week party out of respect for our pal Charlize Theron, we showed up at last night's "Fashion's Night Out" event at Macy's to make sure that villainous Vogue editor Anna "Nuclear" Wintour never forgets that animals often remain alive after being skinned for their fur:
And it's all because friends don't protest friends.
No, we haven't suddenly made amends with Anna Wintour. It's longtime PETA friend Charlize Theron who has us putting the kibosh on our protest plans.
Charlize will be on hand at Vogue's Fashion Week party on Thursday to sign copies of the magazine's September issue. But while Charlize may be gracing the cover of this notoriously furry magazine, the Oscar-winning actress wouldn't be caught dead in fur.
Don't worry—we'll still be making sure that ol' Anna hears from us. She and fellow fur fiend Michael Kors will be putting in an appearance at Wintour's "Fashion's Night Out" event at Macy's … and so will we.
The ad isn't ready yet, of course, but we couldn't resist giving you a small preview:
We worked with a top-notch team on this campaign, including celebrity photographer Joseph Cultice at Weiss Artists, stylist Cannon at Judy Casey, makeup artist extraordinaire Ingeborg at Workgroup, and fantastic hairstylist Stacey Weinstein at Loft 26.
Recently, members of PETA Asia-Pacific and Animosa stripped down to their daisies and took to their coffins outside the Giorgio Armani store in Taipei.
PETA Asia-Pacific wanted to remind the designer that the pelts, ripped from the bodies of rabbits who kick and scream before they are hung upside down and decapitated, are indeed fur—and that fur is dead.
Great news for all you PETA Files readers down under: Australian fashion designer Alannah Hill has agreed to stop using rabbit fur in her collections.
Good on ya, Alannah!
The girly-chic designer had a change of heart after hearing from thousands of PETA Asia-Pacific supporters who got fired up about fur after watching video footage that documents disgusting conditions on a Chinese fur farm.
Alannah joins the ranks of compassionate designers like Stella McCartney, Calvin Klein, Kenneth Cole, and Tommy Hilfiger, who have all sworn off fur.
Hopefully, other designers (Armani, are you listening?) will soon follow suit.
In case you were wondering, Trashley Trollsen is as wretched as ever. She was most recently caught in an article on Marie Claire's Web site exclaiming, "Crocodile is my fa-vorite!"
OK, she's not really naked in the interview below, but I did see her naked on the subway. And so can you! Proving that she's oh-so-comfortable in her own skin, the stunning star of Big Momma's House and Are We There Yet? recently bared it all on the subway for PETA's latest "Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" ad. And let me tell you: Nia Long + subway + naked = one of PETA's sexiest ads to date. What made the alluring actress get onboard our anti-fur campaign? Well, let's let Nia tell you for herself in this PETA Files exclusive interview:
"The Kermit the Frog outfit is by an incredible designer by the name of Jean[-Charles] de Castelbajac, and he does a lot of museum art fashion pieces. … I really loved this one in particular because I thought it was commentary on not wearing fur, 'cause I hate fur and I don't wear fur. We were all laughing in the house about how it looks like a pile of dead Kermits."
… now that Russell Simmons has shown her just how cruel the fur industry is. After Russell showed Brooke the video footage from our investigation of Chinese fur farms, she had some great stuff to say.
During the World Swimming Championships in Rome on Sunday, Olympic gold medalist Ricky Berens turned up the heat when he dove off the starting block, ripped the back of his swimsuit, and gave the audience quite a show. Despite this em-bare-assing wardrobe malfunction, Berens kept right on swimming.
Now that we've gotten a sneak peak, it's pretty obvious to us where that butt belongs: starring in one of our iconic "I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" ads. So, while Ricky (and his bum) have the spotlight, we've asked him to consider joining others like Steve-O and fellow Olympic swimmer Amanda Beard, who have gotten naked to help the animals who are skinned alive for fashion.
I have a feeling that Ricky is going to like the idea of adding "champion for animals" to his growing list of accomplishments, but feel free to leave a comment and let him know you want to see that booty in full glory. If he agrees, we'll be sure to post pictures for all you ladies.
Since most of Europe has denounced the shameful slaughter of baby seals loud and clear, you'd think that Canada's government would finally get a clue and take action to end the annual bloodbath, right?
Think again.
Sorry to say, but once again, instead of enacting the ban that good people around the world—including a great many in Canada—are demanding, the Canadian government continues to pour all its efforts into keeping the massacre going. Until the last minute, it was still lobbying the E.U. to change its mind.
Canadian bureaucrats can be pretty thickheaded, but we are determined to keep the pressure on them until they can't ignore it any longer. That means pushing the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic Games to get involved, buying American maple syrup instead of Canadian, and spreading the word to get other folks involved too!
PETA's "Grim Reapers" recently greeted tourists at a crowded tour-bus stop in Toronto to reveal frightening facts about Canada's shame: the cruel slaughter of baby seals for their fur. Their scary outfits didn't stop tourists from high-fiving them—and tour bus operators were eager to point out our demonstrators to their passengers.
I'm dying to know: Which fugly fur wearer does our "Grim Reaper" most remind you of?
A few select copies of the book were outfitted with covers made from real fur—pieces of the more than 20,000 fur coats that have been donated to PETA by fur-wearers who have had a change of heart. It seemed like a fitting way to illustrate how far the animal rights movement has come in the past 25 years—and the kind of change that people can bring about by putting the advice in Ingrid's book into action.
And boy, did that fur jacket ever get the attention of TV and radio producers who received complimentary copies! Many of them were so intrigued that they decided to have Ingrid come on their shows to explain why a person would put a $7,500 fur coat in a box and mail it to PETA. (Hint: This video probably plays a part.)
Of course, most of the fur coats that are donated to PETA are used in "bloody" protests outside (and sometimes inside) designers' boutiques, spooky protests at fashion shows, and slightly silly "fur is a drag" parade entries. They are also torched in fur funeral pyres, donated to wildlife rehabilitators to use as bedding for orphaned and injured wildlife, and even given away to the only humans who have any reason to wear fur—homeless people and refugees of wars and natural disasters.
Have a musty old fur cluttering up your closet? Click here to find out more about PETA's fur donation program.
Check out this snippet of Ingrid's article, and then head over to The Huffington Post, read the rest, and leave Ingrid a comment:
This week, Sir Paul McCartney and his daughter Stella introduced the concept of "Meat-Free Mondays," coincidentally the same name as that of a program that PETA Europe is also working on in British schools. As a vegan who was once busily eating her way through the animal kingdom, from mussels to calf's brains on toast, it's a message that I wish I'd heard far earlier, just as I wish that when I wore my first fur coat, there had been an animal rights activist there to hand me a card saying, "Your coat was stolen from its original owners." Thirty years ago, a good animal rights "nag" was hard to find.
Georges Laraque (or "Big George" to friends and fans) is known for duking it out on the ice as the star enforcer for the Montréal Canadiens, but these days he's fighting for animal rights.
"Fur is no longer being viewed as a way to floss and show off your status or bank account—it is now a billboard of cruelty on people's back."
—Russell Simmons, globalGrind.com
He's the founder of Phat Farm, so if anyone knows style, it's got to be Russell Simmons. In his recent globalGrind blog post, Russell gave a shout-out to Tila Tequila, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, and Michelle Obama for speaking out against the fur industry and credited the ladies with marking "a shift in human consciousness." Wow, Russell, we couldn't have said it better ourselves!
I don't know who those people are that have it in their hearts to skin an animal while [he or she] is still alive, but I hope that by promoting fur alternatives I'm doing my part to stop that needless suffering. You will never see me wearing a fur, and if you do, rest assured it's FAKE. If you love animals, you cannot justify wearing them. It's that simple. Remember, hot girls fake it … for the animals. I should know, cause I'm hot. Lol.
Yes, Tila, you are hot! And your heart of gold makes you even sexier (if that's possible). I would like to be the first to officially suggest that the charity work you are considering should include joining other sexy celebs such as Eva Mendes and Khloe Kardashian and using what your momma gave ya to rock our "Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" campaign.
Yesterday, we broke the news that France's first lady, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, had written to PETA Senior Vice President Dan Mathews to assure him that although she wore fur back in her modeling days, she now refuses to wear even the smallest bits of fur.
Did you hear that? It was the collective sigh of relief from raccoons, foxes, and minks—as well as human fur foes everywhere. It turns out that France's first lady and international style icon Carla Bruni-Sarkozy refuses to wear fur.
PETA Vice President Dan Mathews contacted Bruni-Sarkozy after seeing photos that showed her wearing what appeared to be real fur. She wrote back, "I do not wear, buy, or own fur …. Every designer who kindly lends me clothes for public appearances can tell you that I do not accept … fur pieces, even when they're only a small part of the outfit."
The first lady—who admitted to wearing fur during her modeling heyday—also made it clear that if the photos are recent, the fur is fake.
"By officially rejecting fur in the fashion capital of the world, this political and style idol will make people everywhere think about how old-fashioned and cruel it is," said Dan in a statement issued to the media.
With some free shoes from Stella McCartney, courtesy of PETA, on the way to Carla's doorstep, we're hoping she will swear off leather for good too.
Listen up, ladies! You know how there's a never-ending list of female celebs willing to take it off to save animals, but sometimes men seem to be in short supply? Well, we're proposing that one more gentleman be added to the ranks of guys like Steve-O and David Cross, who have participated in our "Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" campaign: rapper and producer T.I.
Before T.I. reported to prison last week to serve his sentence for federal weapons charges, he sought some advice from PETA friend Martha Stewart on how to pass the time while incarcerated.
Well, if we don't just have the best idea ever.
Just after Martha was released from jail a few years ago, she narrated a public service announcement explaining the truth about the fur industry. So we've sent a letter to T.I. asking him to join Martha in the fight against the fur industry by posing for one of PETA's iconic ads after his release.
In the letter, we let T.I. know that we understand how he'll "[experience] firsthand what it is like for the millions of minks, rabbits, and other animals who are confined to filthy sheds on fur farms. But unlike inmates who are freed when they finish their sentences, these animals are beaten, have their necks broken, are electrocuted, and are often skinned alive for their fur."
Hopefully, T.I. will give it some thought and decide to show us his birthday suit after losing his orange jumpsuit.
While I'm told there was thunder booming throughout London early yesterday morning, the real storming was taking place around St. Paul's cathedral, where 100 PETA Europe demonstrators sprawled across the steps wearing nothing but blood-red paint and bear masks.
The naked demonstrators were there to protest the continued use of real bearskin for The Queen's Guards' ceremonial caps. Bears killed for the caps may suffer for days in traps or die of blood loss or infection after being shot. When mother bears are killed, their orphaned cubs are easy prey for predators—if they don't starve to death first.
Desert temperatures rose even higher as PETA's hot "cops" patrolled the Las Vegas strip, where they educated tourists about how animals suffer when they are killed and skinned to become boots, belts, and bags.
Honeymooners, bachelor partygoers, and even some casino employees lined up to talk to and pose for photos with our "fashion police," who were armed with information about alternatives to fur, leather, and exotic skins.
Watch out, fashion felons. PETA's peace officers are on patrol.
After one construction worker promised the "cops" he would give pleather boots a try, they let him go with a warning—to stay away from animal skins in the future.
With the weather warming up, a lot of fur-wearers will be retiring their pelts to closets and vaults until autumn. But that doesn't mean that "fur season" is over.
Consider this—right now, the following is happening around the world:
Also in Canada, mother bears are in danger of being shot—leaving their cubs to starve to death—so that their fur can be used to make pointless ceremonial caps for The Queen's Guards in the U.K.
Animals on fur farms are being packed into tiny cages, going insane from stress and captivity, or being poisoned, electocuted, or even skinned alive.
Elsewhere, wild animals—or perhaps your cat or dog—are caught in cruel steel-jaw traps, terrified and in anguish.
But while those winter coats are forgotten about for a few months, there are some people who will still have fur on their mind this summer, including the entire nation of Israel. Israeli Knesset Member Nitzan Horowitz has introduced the world's first nationwide bill to prohibit the fur industry. If it becomes law, this bill would prohibit the production, sale, and importation of all fur products throughout Israel. Very cool news for a hot season!
Check out PETA Asia Pacific's site to encourage continued support for this historic bill. And if that just whets your appetite for some serious warm-weather fur-fighting, check this out too.
Heads up, Pittsburgh: A menagerie of costumed wolves, rabbits, foxes, and other fake fauna are about to converge on your city.
And no, it has nothing to do with PETA.
Actually, it's all about Anthrocon—the world's largest "Furry" convention. OK, so if you don't know what a Furry is, I know you're dying to ask. In a nutshell, a Furry is a person who is totally into animal anthropomorphism (assigning animals human traits). I mean totally into it. We're talking loving fictional animal characters so much that they often wear mascot-like costumes of their fave animals (think Crayola-colored cheetahs in cargo pants).
Which is where PETA came into the picture. Don't get me wrong, we weren't trying to harsh their mellow. We just wanted to make sure that convention-going "Fursuiters"—as they like to be called—weren't parading around in the pelts of real animals. Here's the letter we sent to them:
Their response?
Dear Shawna:
Real fur is frowned upon at all furry conventions, in the same sense that leaping in front of speeding locomotives is frowned upon at comic book conventions.
Yours truly,
Samuel Conway, Ph.D. Chairman and CEO Anthrocon, Inc.
When I was in college, Bravo was one of the only channels I watched in my NYC apartment. I spent hours glued to Project Runway marathons, but the most addictive show was always The Real Housewives of New York City. The housewives were full of can't-turn-away drama, and I secretly hoped to catch one of them casually walking down my street.
While I'm no longer in NYC, I'll still be getting the chance to see a housewife in the flesh (and nothing else) very soon. Bethenny Frankel has agreed to pose for PETA's newest "I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" ad on the roof of one of New York's iconic skyscrapers.
Queen Bee fur hagAnna Wintour didn't really think we'd let her spread her fashion drivel gospel to the masses unfettered, did she?
As the Vogue editor prepared to give a talk at the New York City 92nd Street Y about the "cultural impact" of her rag magazine last night, two PETA members disrupted the event to let attendees know about the ethical impact of Wintour's relentless promotion of fur.
As one fur foe unfurled a banner from the balcony reading, "Anna Wintour: Fur Shame," a second activist addressed the crowd, saying, "I apologize for the interruption, but I need to let you know that this woman is contributing to the suffering of millions of animals every year through her continued endorsement of the fur industry, even though she knows that the animals in question are beaten, anally electrocuted, and frequently skinned alive."
The protesters rabble roused until security escorted them out. We're hoping that the audience now realizes that Ms. Wintour's days as Vogue's editor should be numbered.
The Canadian Parliament, in a mad scramble to respond to the very recent European Union ban on seal products, put forth a motion on Wednesday that the 500 members of the Canadian Olympic team wear seal skins as part of their official uniforms. Um … gross! Luckily, sanity prevailed, and the head of the Canadian Olympic Committee, Chris Rudge, quickly shot down the idea.
While we are tickled that the Olympic Committee gave the inexplicably bloodthirsty Canadian MPs the smack down they so richly deserved, we felt the need to warn the committee that we are going to continue to do everything we can to call attention to the seal slaughter in the months leading up to the Vancouver Olympics. Check out our letter here.
The Montreal Canadiens' star enforcer, Georges Laraque, is brawny and brainy. He's vegetarian and steers clear of pigs, chickens, and other commonly consumed animals, a decision he made after seeing the animal-friendly feature film Earthlings. Not only that, but he teamed up with dozens of members of Concordia Animal Rights Association (CARA) this weekend to protest outside the North American Fur & Fashion Exposition of Montreal.
There are a lot of sexy individuals on People's Most Beautiful list (OK, to be precise, there are 100), but People's done us proud with it's number one: Christina Applegate.
Award-winning actor Michael Sheen, who so convincingly played Tony Blair in The Queen, is the latest compassionate celebrity to join PETA Europe's Unbearable Cruelty campaign.
While the real Tony Blair is still keeping mum on the issue of skinning bears, Michael recently sent a letter to Prime Minister Gordon Brown (the actual Gordon Brown, not an actor), calling for an immediate end to the killing of Canadian black bears for the Royal Guards' fur caps.
In his letter, Michael points out the UK's Ministry of Defence's unfulfilled promise to use an animal-friendly fake to replace the skins used for the caps and adds, "Not only is the purchase and importation of bearskins from Canada a deplorable waste of military funding, it is also a waste of animals' lives."
Yes! Michael, if you ever actually run for prime minister, count on my vote. (Well, you know, if I were British … and if prime ministers were actually voted for …)
Read Michael's letter and, if it bothers you that cubs are orphaned when their mothers are killed for hats, then please take action now!
Dancing With the Stars—not only a staple of my DVR schedule but also a place to find some serious PETA reppin'. Judge Carrie Ann Inaba and celeb dancers Holly Madison and Steve-O have all starred in some intensely sexy ads for PETA, and even though our faves have already been kicked off, the cast has stepped it up a notch with this fantastic spoof of our "Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" ad series. Check it out … it's almost funnier than the time Steve Wozniak attempted "The Worm":
Victoria Day—which is basically the Canadian equivalent of Memorial (aka "Woohoo, Summer's Almost Here!") Day—isn't until May 18, but I'm thinking about our northern neighbors today. I've sent PETA's e-card by Canadian editorial cartoonist Graeme MacKay to 16 people so far, in order to urge them to take action to end the seal slaughter in Canada. See if you can top my 16. (BTW, there's no prize for the challenge, only victory—for seals!)
Joining the ranks of Charlize Theron and Friday Night Lights actor Aimee Teegarden, the award-winning singer/songwriter took time out of her busy schedule to speak up for animals who are killed for their fur by appearing in our ad alongside the almost unbearably cute Izzy. Feast your eyes on this:
With a heart as beautiful as her voice, Missy wants to remind everyone that the fur industry is hell on Earth for animals. In the wild, animals trapped in steel-jaw traps can suffer in pain for days, often gnawing at their own limbs in an attempt to break free. On fur farms, animals spend their lives in cramped, dirty cages, frantically pacing and circling endlessly before workers snap their necks or kill them with poison gas or electrocution.
Compassionate animal guardians can't imagine seeing their four-legged friends endure such suffering, and they can't imagine that anyone could get paid to inflict such suffering on other animals, either.
Yes, Angelina Jolie was spotted wearing what appeared to be a chinchilla-trimmed hat and cape on the set of her latest movie, spurring one of the best blog headlines that we've seen all week. But our L.A. staffers—knowing that Angelina is a longtime fur foe—were on it faster than Liza Minelli can open a bottle of Scotch, and they've received word from the film's publicist that (phew!) the chinchilla is actually synchilla.
Don't worry, Ange, we knew a big-hearted U.N. Goodwill Ambassador like yourself would never wear the skins of achingly adorable little animals who go "coo, coo" when they're excited and like to hold things in their cute little pinkish-gray hands. We just knew it.
… including baby McCartney (named after you-know-who).
Our gaggle of PETA chicks caused quite a stir in Youngstown, Ohio, where they told the "naked truth" to passersby outside a KFC. Even the manager of the KFC was sympathetic, telling them that his son had just gone vegetarian.
Mickey and Minnie are up to their old tricks, this time at a Lowe's in Houston, Texas. A construction-induced traffic jam proved to be a mouse's best friend, providing a captive audience who eagerly snapped up all our leaflets.
It was an embarrassment of riches for Houston, which was also blessed with one of our much-coveted veggie hotdog giveaways featuring PETA's Lettuce Ladies.
Deputy Dog, I presume?
More babies! This mother and munchkin who were passing by just happened to be wearing coordinating PETA T-shirts. What are the odds?
And finally, we travel to South Korea, where PETA Asia-Pacific stole all the thunder from Seoul Fashion Week.
I'm sure you all remember Khloe's sexy ad, which we unveiled not too long ago. Well, on Keeping Up last night, she really went above and beyond by showing—on national television—the gruesome and heartbreaking video footage that caused her to go fur-free. Hopefully, many of the millions of people watching were touched and inspired to make the same compassionate choice. After seeing a fully conscious animal having his or her skin ripped off, it's hard to sport that fur coat.
On the show, Khloe admitted that she had a hard time stripping down for the ad because of insecurity about her body. When you're tall and curvy and from a family full of petite models, that's definitely understandable. But lucky for us, animals, and the rest of the world, she laid her insecurities to rest and rocked the you-know-what out of the shoot. She summed it up best at the end of the episode when she said of the shoot, "It really helped me be comfortable in my own skin. In turn, I really hope this helps animals keep their skin."
That's what the Canadian government has the unmitigated gall to call "humane." I kid you not.
Help stop this senseless massacre. Click here and here for a list of easy actions you can take for seals today. And please encourage your friends, family, and everyone you see on the street to do the same.
As a woman and an as-proud-as-you-can-be resident of New Jersey, I have to say that this latest piece of news frightened me right down to my … toes. The New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling was seriously considering a ban on any and all waxing of our lady-parts—particularly "Brazilians"—after two women wound up hospitalized with infections they contracted following their, ahem, extreme waxes. The idea of a ban has been dropped but that’s not stopping us here at PETA. As you know, we are decidedly anti-fur—at least when it comes to fur that's been stolen from animals—and think women should have the right to shed as much fur as they want!
I mean, let's face it—if you're popping into the back room of your nail salon for a $15 Brazilian, you're probably going to get what you pay for, but that's no reason to consider a universal ban on waxing.
With that in mind, we're dispatching our lovely Leopard Ladies to the garden state to speak up for every woman's right to go as bare as she dares—and, more importantly, to call attention to a much grosser type of fur trim. You know, the stuff you see on the coats and jackets of people who don't know any better? And what better way to get tongues wagging about this very important issue than a billboard—specifically, this billboard:
Look out, Trenton! This will hopefully be coming soon to a billboard near you.
Just a stone's throw away from my favorite New York City restaurant is an Urban Outfitters store, whose aisles I've been known to peruse after a hearty meal of soul "chicken" and homemade "ice cream" (all vegan, of course!). Imagine my shock when, during a recent visit, I spotted fur in Urban Outfitters. Not acceptable. It's 2009, and with major retailers such as Calvin Klein, Liz Claiborne, Polo Ralph Lauren, Gap, Nike, JCPenney—and just about everyone else under the sun—going fur-free, Urban Outfitters should have known better. But we all make mistakes … unfortunately.
Well, after several personal e-mails to Urban Outfitters' CEO followed by a PETA action alert, I'm happy to report that just a few months—and a few thousand e-mails—later, Urban Outfitters has become fur-free! In an e-mail I received from the company late last week, a representative wrote, "[T]here is no fur in our stores, and this will continue to be the case."
Kudos to Urban Outfitters for making this compassionate decision, and kudos to all our great supporters who help us win victories for animals by participating in campaigns like this one.
After 30 years, Legends!—the infamous Broadway-play-that-wasn't—will finally be making its debut on the New York stage.
While the original, ill-fated touring productions featured such starlets as Carol Channing, Joan Collins, Linda Evans, and Mary Martin as aging rivals parading around in furs, the PETA-friendly revival will feature Whoopi Goldberg and drag legends Charles Busch and Lypsinka in some pretty spectacular faux furs. Hmm—the productions that used real fur never made it to New York, but the fur-free production has … weren't we just talking about curses?
How, you may ask, did this production get to be so animal-friendly? As PETA Senior Vice President Dan Mathews explains, "When Lypsinka heard about all the mink that was going to be used in the show, she asked PETA to help make sure that the fur was as fake as the leading ladies." Dan introduced the producers of Legends! to Donna Salyers' Fabulous-Furs, and the rest is fabulous costuming history.
This one-night-only revival of Legends! opens and closes tonight in New York's Town Hall, and the proceeds will benefit Friends in Deed, a crisis center for people with life-threatening illnesses. If you happen to be in the New York area and want to help out a good cause—and see some truly ravishing leading "ladies"—tickets may still be available through the organization's Web site.
"Stolen for Fashion" follows an alligator and a bunny (voiced by Pink and Ricky Gervais, respectively) as they confront the people who stole their skins. It's the first and only animal rights video using CGI (computer-generated imagery), so it's pretty special, just like these awesome T-shirts.
The tee comes in milky red and black amethyst, so if you win, you'll have to let us know which color you want, in addition to the size.
How do you win? Leave us a comment letting us know why you think people should only wear their own skin. The three people who post the most creative answers will each take home a "Mean People Wear Fur" T-shirt.
The contest ends on March 25, 2009, and we'll choose the three most creative comments on March 26, 2009. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting. Check back every Wednesday for new prizes. Good luck!
After years of pressure from animal rights activists nationwide—including PETA—JCPenney has finally decided to stop peddling pelts.
PETA first wrote to JCPenney about its support of the cruel fur industry in 2001, and we have kept the pressure on the company ever since, including sending complaints to the company over its mislabeling of fur items.
In making this decision to become fur-free, JCPenney joins dozens of other major companies—including Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Gap, Polo Ralph Lauren, Wet Seal, and Forever 21—that also refuse to sell the fur of abused animals. Like most modern retailers, these companies know that the fur trade is violent and bloody, and they refuse to support it. They know that animals who are trapped and farmed for their fur are often beaten to death, drowned, anally electrocuted, and skinned alive. They know that today's shoppers don't want to support this abuse, and they have responded by refusing to sell any fur, including fur trim.
Three cheers for JCPenney and everyone who helped persuade the company to become fur-free!
If you want to help PETA win more victories like this one, please take part in our current campaign to convince Giorgio Armani to become fur-free by using this automated form to write a letter to his company.
Our cup runneth over with the latest season of Dancing With the Stars. As if last season, which featured spunky octo-vegetarian Cloris Leachman, weren't enough, this season we have two PETA supporters to root for.
We need your help with this one, dear PETA Files readers. Post a comment below letting us know which animal-friendly hoofer you think has earned the most PETA props.
With only three days left until the International Day of Action Against the Canadian Seal Slaughter (for the math-impaired, that's March 15), we're gearing up to show our snowy neighbors to the north that the world is watching as they prepare for their annual massacre of hundreds of thousands of baby seals. People are understandably outraged that baby seals are bludgeoned and skinned alive for their fur, and some people are directing that anger into creative ways to spread the message and get others involved. Check out this Claymation video that some folks with a rather wicked sense of humor put together:
We're not condoning violence in any way, but according to this video, even the Abominable Snowman is ticked off at Canada's seal killers.
Don't worry, even if you're not the creative type or can't make Claymation videos, you can still speak up for seals. Click here to write to the Olympic Organizing Committee and the Canadian Prime Minister to demand that they help bring an immediate end to the seal massacre.
Barbie turns 50 this year, so of course sista-girl had to come correct with a groovy new vibe. Ever the trend-setter, the Queen of Pink is sporting a new look called Totally Stylin' Tattoos Barbie. That's right, as the perpetual 18-year-old reaches the dawn of her golden years, she's steppin' out inked up, tattoo gun in hand.
Barbie's a girl after our own hearts, not only for embracing ink over mink (Barbie is officially fur-free, after all) but also for her knack for attracting media attention. Even though some parents are miffed at Barbie's new look, she's still flying off the shelves. So to congratulate Her Plastic Highness on selling out in stores across the U.S., we humbly suggest that these ridiculously adorable tattoos would look stylin' on Barbie, or even you for that matter. You can click here to get a PDF file that can be printed on clear-label paper to create "tattoos" for Barbie and click here for a kid sized version.
And who knows? Now that Babs is showing her friskier side, maybe she'll even be interested in taking a cue from a few of her virtual sisters and baring some plastic to save animals' pelts.
BARBIE is a registered trademark of Mattel, Inc. Mattel has no affiliation with PETA and does not endorse, sponsor, or otherwise support PETA's activities.
Comment below to win or click here to order a baby seal plush now.
How do you win? Post a comment below letting us know what you're doing to help stop the seal slaughter. The response that shows the most initiative will win a plush seal pup.
The contest ends on March 25, 2009, and we'll contact the winner on March 27, 2009. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting.
Not feeling lucky? You can go ahead and buy a plush pup now. Or two or three. No need to feel guilty for splurging—all the money goes to a good cause!
Pink and Stella McCartney took time out of their busy schedules this afternoon to unveil our new TV ad, "Stolen for Fashion," at Paris' fashion week. In the 30-second spot, a loveable alligator, voiced by Pink, and a feisty rabbit, voiced by U.K. funnyman Ricky Gervais, confront the fashion felons who stole their skins. Check out pictures of the unveiling below:
Pink and Stella McCartney
Pink and PETA VP Dan Mathews
Oh, and if you haven't seen the ad yet, check it out here. Don't forget to post a comment below letting us know what you think!
With Watchmen hitting theaters recently, comics are having yet another moment in the pop-culture sun. And if you're a fan of the indies, you probably know Bluewater Comics. You may have read their "sequels" to some of your fave Hollywood mythology films—like The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad, Clash of the Titans, and Jason and the Argonauts—or you might be more familiar with their monthly books, such as 10th Muse. But I bet you didn't know that the people behind Bluewater are huge PETA supporters. Although, based on how awesome they are, I'm sure it's not exactly a shock.
Our friends at Bluewater have just created the latest ad in PETA's "Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" series, featuring four of their biggest stars—Emma Sonnet from 10th Muse, Diana Moore of JudoGirl, Scarlet of VSS: Nemesis Rising, and Isis from the Legend of Isis—posing au naturel to protest the cruel fur industry. Check out the ad below:
Why are the lovely ladies of Bluewater taking it up (er, off?) with the fur industry? Animals on fur farms spend their entire lives in cramped, filthy cages and are killed by neck-breaking, head-stomping, or anal or vaginal electrocution.
Who's the next comic book character you want to see in an ad for PETA? Let me know by posting a comment below. Personally, I'm voting for my man Hellboy (I just finished Darkness Calls and it was great!).
With the start of the annual Canadian seal slaughter just a few weeks away, PETA took to the frozen Rideau Canal in Ottawa to help stop the killings. Skaters looked on in wonderment as activists recreated the "crime scene" from an attack on a baby seal. Check out these photos from the demo:
If you haven't witnessed the seal slaughter firsthand, you'll have to trust us that it looks a lot like this bloody mess—but with seal babies' corpses and wailing mothers nearby.
A voice from above says: "Stop the Seal Slaughter!"
Lord knows you don't want this muck on your skates—or on your hands.
First, they brought us The Miracle Beer Diet (a weight-loss fad sweeping college campuses across the country). Now, the folks at Liv Films—the evil geniuses behind some of the hottest and most hilarious videos ever to hit YouTube—are back with what I consider their masterpiece: "Go Naked or Wear Fur?"
Inspired by our popular Jenna Jameson ad, this hilarious short features Mona Gillen (the hot half of the husband-and-wife team behind Liv Films) battling Totally Traci (don't ask, just watch) as Mona tries to prove to PETA why we should let her flash her flesh for a "Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" ad. Mmmm, let's see: She's hot, she's vegan, she loves animals, she likes to get naked, and she's pleading to work with us. Yeah, we think she has what it takes. As Mona requests in her video, we did get in touch with her and her hubby Jed (the writer/director) and are looking forward to working together on future projects. So keep an eye out for that. Until then, here are a couple of things that you can do to keep busy:
Well, you gotta give the guy points for trying. Courageous Canadian Senator Mac Harb introduced a bill on Tuesday to ban Canada's annual slaughter of hundreds of thousands of baby harp seals, but he failed to find even one other senator with a backbone (or heartbeat) to support it. Despite the fact that most Canadians—and everyone else on the planet—think that the baby seal massacre is as revolting and indefensible as, well, clubbing a baby human and stealing his or her candy, Canadian government officials, who apparently live in sound-proof igloos, inexplicably continue to defend it.
Senator Harb's bill marks the first—but hopefully not the last—time that a Canadian politician has proposed banning the seal slaughter. It was inspired by a pending EU ban on the importation and sale of most seal products. Even Russia—Russia, people!—is poised to ban its own seal hunt, which Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has described as "such a bloody hunt, and it is clear that it should have been banned a long time ago." Yes, Vladimir "Tiger Tamer" Putin. That Putin.
Canada, when Russia starts making you look like a big, blustering bully, you know you've got an image problem.
Happy "Win It" Wednesday to you! With Canada's annual seal slaughter looming this month, we decided that a real hero for seals should be featured in our weekly giveaway. Musician and animal rights activist Morrissey has refused to play shows in Canada until the government agrees to stop letting hunters smash in baby seals' skulls. The former Smiths frontman just released his ninth solo album, Years of Refusal, and we snagged three limited-edition vinyl copies to pass along to you.
How do you win? Post a comment about your favorite thing that Morrissey has done for animals. The three people who post the most heartfelt answers will each win a copy of this limited-edition vinyl.
The contest ends on March 18, 2009, and we'll contact the winners on March 20, 2009. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting. Check back every Wednesday for new prizes. Good luck!
Whether they're for humans or Cylons, one thing that Battlestar Galactica fans can agree on is that Jamie Bamber (aka Lee "Apollo" Adama) is frakkin' hot! (Also that he made a better commander than president—or maybe that's just me …) And as luck would have it, Jamie's beauty isn't only skin deep, as he recently proved by showing some of said skin to help bears keep theirs. When he learned about the cruelty behind those furry hats worn by the Queen's guards, he was quick to step up and pose for our sexy new "Bare Skin, Not Bearskin" ad. There's just something about a man who's not afraid to expose cruelty (and a little skin) to the public.
Whether he's fighting for justice on TV or in the real world, one thing's for sure: Jamie Bamber is a hottie with a heart! Can't get enough of Apollo? We're giving away a Battlestar Galactica DVD to one lucky commenter! To enter the contest, post a comment below and let us know what you hate most about fur.
You can enter the contest by posting a comment before March 11, 2009. We'll contact the winner on March 12, 2009. By commenting, you are agreeing to the contest terms and conditions and our privacy policy.
Oh, and speaking of sexy Battlestar Galactica cast members … let's not forget the gorgeous "Angel for Animals" ad that Tricia Helfer—or Six, to BSG fans—did on behalf of her feline friends. She's the hottest "toaster" in any universe.
While most of us would never dream of bashing in a helpless baby seal's skull, there are people out there who don't even think twice about it. More than 205,000 seals were killed last year in Canada's annual seal massacre, which is why we sent a "baby seal" to Ottawa, Ontario, to ask the locals for hugs instead of clubs. Check out these photos to see PETA's baby seal in action:
Want to help stop the Canadian seal slaughter? Let the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Organizing Committee know how you feel here and ask your friends to do the same.
As all you fashionistas out there are probably aware (and everybody else probably isn't), Giorgio Armani opened a boutique in New York City this week. Paris Hilton and Kanye West (the man who has an employee whose sole—pun intended—job is wrangling the rapper's 400-and-some-odd shoes) were thrilled. Bunnies on fur farms? Not so much.
Of course, we couldn't let Armani's little shindig go off without a hitch, so we sent a veritable brigade of bunnies to fight for their liberté and egalité. As you'll note in the photos below, they were an oddly cheerful bunch, even though they had to stand outside in the cold for upwards of four hours—until the last scrap of red carpet was rolled up. At that point, they lined up in formation and marched down the street waving their signs, followed by a contingent of photographers who must have thought they'd died and gone to Easter Bunny heaven.
I wonder—if 16 giant white bunnies show up on a Manhattan sidewalk, does that mean that spring is only a couple of weeks away …?
Yesterday, PETA held a press conference in Vancouver to announce our ramped-up campaign against the Canadian seal slaughter. We'll be running the campaign up to and through the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, which will be held in the city. Our goal is to switch some of the focus from Canada's Games to Canada's shame—the annual massacre of hundreds of thousands of baby seals. To illustrate the worldwide outrage over Canada's despicable seal slaughter, our international affiliates also held protests in Australia and France yesterday.
Another year has come and gone, and still our snow-covered neighbor to the north continues to back the annual massacre of baby seals—the largest and bloodiest marine-mammal hunt on Earth. With the start of Canada's seal slaughter only weeks away, we held a press conference in front of Vancouver City Hall to kick off our campaign to stop sealers from bashing the heads of hundreds of thousands of baby seals.
Vancouver will be home to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, which will put Canada on center stage for much of the coming year, and we plan to put its shameful hunt there, too, for all the world to scrutinize. We have written to the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee asking for their help with persuading government officials to outlaw the hunt.
At the risk of incensing the GEICO caveman, we rounded up some "Neanderthals" to protest outside bunny butcher Giorgio Armani's Chicago boutique earlier this week. As you'll note in the photos below, they carried signs reading "Only Cavepeople Wear Fur," but I think even cavepeople would balk at supporting the disgusting rabbit fur industry, as Armani does. We've revved up our campaign against the cold-hearted designer after he broke his pledge to remain fur-free and started using rabbit fur trim on skirts, jackets, and even toddlers' snowsuits, of all things.
Our cavepeople got a warm reception in chilly Chicago. The staff of the Park Hyatt Hotel, which shares the same building as Armani's boutique, assured us that the hotel is fur-free.
If you're fed up with Armani's support of an industry that rips the skin off the backs of rabbits, use this form to tell Armani to drop fur now!
All across our great nation, bikini-clad PETA members have been out in full force, snatching media attention and educating the public about cruelty to animals. If only math classes used such brilliant strategies, we'd all be calculus whizzes!
From the International Putrid … excuse me, Poultry Expo in Atlanta to the slushy streets of Flint, Michigan, our bevy of beauties shared the facts with fascinated passersby. Take a peek at the action:
These ladies took up positions in their battery cages outside the International Poultry Expo to remind people that chicks suffer in the egg industry.
Our fierce "bunnies" braved freezing flurries in Flint to get out the fur-free message.
In South Carolina, this painted lady told circusgoers that wild animals don't belong behind bars.
The reception for our pro-chicken "chicks" was anything but chilly in Tucson, Arizona.
Impressive work, ladies! You braved the cold to help our voiceless friends. From my warm office, I raise my soy hot cocoa to you.
Carey Hart has so many job descriptions that he's practically a one-man employment agency. He's a professional freestyle motocross rider, successful business owner, AMA team owner, and reality TV star, and now he can add one more line to his résumé: anti-fur model for PETA.
That's right! Hart's got heart. He's so passionate about the fur issue that he's starring in our latest "Ink, Not Mink" ad. OK, enough from me, now feast your eyes on this:
Phew, I know, he's definitely easy on the eyes. We've also got some fantastic interview footage in which Carey calls fur-wearers "petty" and "shallow" and also describes how ex-wife, Pink, got him involved in animal rights.
You didn't think that was all we had to offer, did you? Just for a little extra somethin', we're giving away a FOX jersey autographed by Carey himself. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment telling us what you think about people who wear fur. The contest ends on February 15, 2009, and we'll pick the lucky winner on February 16, 2009. Make sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting.
We were blown away when we read that Jess Origliasso, one-half of the gorgeous pop duo The Veronicas, feels the way she does about the nasty fur trade.
Not only is Jess fur-free, but she certainly ain't shy about lettin' the world know it. She told Confidential, "Death for these animals is a horror story—the most common method used for killing foxes is electrocution. I can't speak for Lisa [her twin and bandmate], but I admire the approach to the eye-catching photo shoots PETA [does] to get the important message out there." Wow! Well-worded, and thanks for the shout-out!
She's so bold with her animal rights message that she's even worn a faux fur jacket that reads "F*** Fur." In-your-face sass like this makes her fans set down their soy mochas, snap their necks, and say "Daaaaaang!" at how fly this girl is.
After once-fur-hag Donna Karan stopped designing fur, we decided to shine the spotlight on someone who hadn't got the message: Giorgio Armani. After he said he had been convinced to stop using fur but then reneged on his promise, we've started running Pinocchio Armani campaign tours to point out his lies and, more importantly, the blood that he still has on his hands.
Our campaigners and local members lined the sidewalk outside the famous Bellagio Hotel this week with traffic-stopping signs reading "Fur Is Dead" and "Pinocchio Armani." Check it out:
Do you have a message for Armani? Leave a comment to let us know!
You may know (and love) O.A.R.'s hit single, "Shattered (Turn the Car Around)," but did you know that their name stands for "Outrageously Against Real fur"? OK, I made that part up. It's really "Of a Revolution," but after hearing frontman Marc Roberge's awesome anti-fur radio PSA, I seriously think that they should consider changing it.
Now on a three-month tour supporting the band's hit release All Sides, Marc took time out of his busy schedule to give us his thoughts about the fur industry and so much more in this exclusive interview:
PETA:What made you want to participate in PETA's anti-fur campaign?
Marc: I just think that any person with a head on their shoulders who learns the truth about the fur industry through this campaign should have a hard time justifying spending their money on fur.
PETA:What are your thoughts about the fur industry, particularly regarding the fact that animals—including dogs and cats—are often skinned alive just to make things like trinkets and fur-trimmed clothing?
Marc: I just find it so hard to believe that people find this practice acceptable at all, and they flaunt it. Makes me sick, to be honest. Do people crave attention that much? It is laughable that someone can't see how barbaric wearing fur truly is.
PETA:Do you have any animal companions? If so, what are their names and how did they become a part of your family?
Marc: I have three dogs at home, and they run the show. Two terrier mixes and an 11-year-old pit bull have me wrapped around their little paws. They keep us walking all the time, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Our pit was facing the end of the road in an animal shelter in Maryland, so we had to get her out of there and bring her with us when we moved north. I will never forget how happy she was to get in the car with us. To this day, she loves riding in the car.
PETA:What other animal issues are important to you, and why?
Marc: I'm sure everyone reading this would agree that all animal issues are important to all of us. Cosmetic animal testing will always be something that kills me, though. It is just plain wrong.
PETA:Do you have any advice for your fans who want to help animals but aren't sure where to start?
Marc: I guess anyone can start getting involved by volunteering at [an animal] shelter. My wife did that growing up and it definitely shaped a caring side of her that grows deeper every year.
Around about now, I'm thinking that you're probably eager to snatch up a new O.A.R. T-shirt and autographed poster. All you have to do to enter to win this and other great gear is post a comment by February 7 telling us what you've done to fight fur. We'll contact the winner by February 8. Note that by commenting you are agreeing to our privacy policy and terms and conditions.
When we found out that Safari Club International, the largest big-game hunting organization in the world, would be in Reno, Nevada, on the same day as our anti-fur demonstrators, we figured that we'd be facing a tough crowd. Our fearless crusaders nevertheless showed up bright and early to let people know that animals caught in steel-jaw traps can languish in pain for days. What happened next was just downright ridiculous.
First, a couple of Reno Police Department cops showed up (unfortunately not in hot pants) to scope out the scene. Things settled down pretty quickly—that is, until a fire truck and ambulance came charging down the street, sirens blaring, and stopped directly in front of our demo. Apparently, a "concerned citizen" called 911 to report bleeding girls in distress. Cherry on the cake? Amidst the chaos, a detective from Homeland Security showed up to take the ladies' names.
Secretly, we were kind of hoping the cops would show up (we have a thing for police in short shorts), but we definitely weren't expecting such an eventful welcome. Well, the whole thing was eventually sorted out and laughed off as a misunderstanding, but let's just say this was one demo that "The Biggest Little City in the World" will never forget.
All throughout the inauguration yesterday, our costumed campaigners were mobbed by curious bystanders, including online celebrity "Obama Girl"! While she was shooting her new video, Obama Girl asked members of our crew to dance with her on camera … and of course we said "Yes." So, be on the lookout for that on YouTube—but here's a little sneak-peek to get the party started:
Wearing nifty Ghostbuster-esque backpack dispensers, we served soy hot cocoa to people who made the compassionate decision to forgo fur that day. Baracky Raccoon and his friends also tooled around in fur-free branded pedicabs.
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Harper's Bazaar
Well, you gotta give the guy points for trying. Courageous 
