delish / CC

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.

Bethenny—queen of sass, class, and vegan cookies (that’s right, she bakes vegan!)—will follow in the footsteps of Khloe Kardashian, Pamela Anderson, and Christina Applegate and bare some skin to draw attention to the suffering of animals who are killed for theirs.

Look out for the ad this fall. In the meantime, why not help Bethenny spread the word by wearing one of our popular "Mean People Wear Fur" T-shirts?

Written by Lianne Turner

 

mediabistro / CC

Magic 8-Ball says, "Outlook good."

According to a recent piece in the New York Post, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg paid a visit to Morton's Steakhouse in downtown Brooklyn, "but refrained from eating any meat and was 'strictly vegetarian.'"

Think Bloomberg has been talking to our friend Chris P. Carrot? Chris P. and Bloomberg are both politicians fighting to make our planet a little greener, so it only makes sense that they would run in the same circles—or at least run into each other occasionally. I know Chris P. hasn't won any elections (yet), but there's no denying that the guy's full of great advice on the green front. Bloomberg might be paying attention to Chris P. when the über-tuber says that going vegetarian is one of the best things that we can do for the environment.

Written by Shawna Flavell

Today, amid a flurry of tourists and cameras, PETA unveiled our new "Let Vegetarianism Grow on You" ad in Times Square. In the ad, the always witty Cloris Leachman wears a dress of red cabbage and leaf lettuce. The release follows last week's publication of the results of the biggest medical study ever to conclude that avoiding meat gives people a better chance of living longer. Who better to illustrate the point than Cloris, a vibrant 82-year-old vegetarian?

 

As if her performance on Dancing With the Stars wasn't proof enough that vegetarians age gracefully

 

For those of you who were unable to make the trip to the unveiling, no worries. We've got exclusive photos of the event as well as video of Cloris for ya.

 

 

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Thanks Cloris—you're now in our Lettuce Ladies Hall of Fame!

Written by Shawna Flavell

Snow is great when you're watching it through your window with a soy hot chocolate, but imagine being in harness, dragging a cart full of tourists through slush and ice all day, without even a blanket—despite temperatures in the teens—and with nothing but iron between you and the pavement. Doesn't sound like such a happy holiday to me. And when you call the ASPCA, they mumble that they really can't do much. Go figure! That's why PETA supporters Alec Baldwin, Calvin Klein, Todd Oldham, Kathy Najimy, and our very own Golden Girl, Rue McClanahan, have joined together to sponsor our holiday ad calling on New York City to ban horse-drawn carriages!

You remember our Kristen Johnston ad in which she appears as Lady Godiva on a (fake) horse? That ad reads, "Don't get taken for a ride. Horse-drawn carriages are cruel." With help from our famous friends, our ads are going to appear on the tops of hundreds of NYC taxis throughout the holiday season!

It certainly helps to have kindhearted friends in Hollywood places, especially when you're defending those with no voices of their own. Hopefully, this will remind anyone looking for a ride that there are kinder alternatives! So remember, if you're lucky enough to be in New York for the holidays, make sure to save a horse and ride the subway!

 

Thanks to Alex, Calvin, Todd, Kathy, and Rue, you'll soon see this ad all over NYC.

Written by Lianne Turner

Pam wearing a ‘Ban Horse Drawn Carriages' button

The big A is in the Big Apple this week, and she's spreading a little love and gratitude for one man in particular: NYC Councilmember Tony Avella. Yes, the wonder woman of animal protection (aka Pam Anderson)—who is in town promoting her new E! television show Girl on the Loose (which premiers on E! this Sunday at 10:00pm)—took a little extra time to give the city a much-needed reality check. The actor sent Avella roses and a note expressing her appreciation and support for his sponsoring of a bill that would ban horse-drawn carriages in the city.

Here's what Pam had to say:

Nice work, Pam! Boarding a horse-drawn carriage in a busy city like New York City is as senseless as playing a game of Russian roulette. City noises such as construction, loud music, and even car horns easily spook horses, putting not only horses but also passengers, car drivers, and pedestrians in danger.

Conditions are very cruel for these working animals. Horses are exposed to drastic weather changes and a lack of shade during summer months, and they often do not receive veterinary checkups on a routine basis. Consider this: If you dislike walking on the hot sand during the summer, you better believe that working horses don't enjoy stepping on the city asphalt—which can climb up to 30 degrees warmer than the ambient air temperature. Then try breathing exhaust fumes as you pull a cart.

To show your support for this bill, trot (geddit?) on over to our action alert and contact NYC's VIPs to let them know what you think about horse-drawn carriages. Also check out our NYC Horse Drawn Carriage MySpace page and friend us already!

Written by Jennifer Cierlitsky

Photo Credit: Patricia Schlein

Last night was another red-carpet moment for animals. Alec Baldwin hosted the premier screening of Blinders—the latest documentary to give viewers a critical inside look at the inner dealings of the horse-drawn carriage industry. Director Donny Moss exposed the archaic industry for what it is—a living hell for horses. Forced to spend their days breathing in exhaust fumes, walking on hard pavement, and risking their lives because of weather extremes and idiotic NYC drivers that somehow passed their driver's tests, these horses are prevented from doing anything that is natural and important to them. Moss began to record the daily lives and living conditions of horses pulling carriages in and around Central Park after noticing the onslaught of recent injuries to horses in the carriage industry.

Says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk of the documentary, "From the stench inside the horses' minuscule stalls, where horses sleep standing up in piles of their own waste, to the hostile streets of Manhattan, where horses live a nose-to-tailpipe existence, Moss doesn't blink in documenting how horses live long after tourists' 30-minute rides are over."

Chrissie Hynde, Pink, and Lea Michele have all thrown their support behind a carriage-horse-free NYC; now it's your turn. Throw your blinders in the trash and jump on the bandwagon ... so to speak, of course.

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky