Written by PETA
Queen Bee fur hag Anna 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.
Written by Shawna Flavell
This week, we approached the city of Ashland, Ohio, with a little business proposition after we learned of the city's efforts to find a more cost-effective way to run its curbside recycling program.
We sent the director of city services a letter offering to offset the program's costs by paying to place our Lettuce Ladies' "Vegetarians Do It to Save the Planet" ad on the city's recycling trucks:
With all the bottle-sorting going on in Ashland, its citizens might be interested to learn that they can cause far more damage to the Earth with the foods they eat than they can by chucking some bottles onto a garbage heap. In fact, the production of 1 pound of meat generates the same amount of greenhouse-gas emissions as does driving an SUV 40 miles. Of course, we're not suggesting that anyone stop sorting those bottles, but why not also try a meat-free diet that won't hurt animals or the environment?
Written by Jennifer Cierlitsky
Thanks for all of your wonderful comments on this Win It Wednesday. The winners of the OPI nail polish are Alicia Webster, Jamie Bevia, and Jill Brown. Congratulations!
It's flip-flop season, and it seems like everyone is busting out a fancy pedicure. I think I can safely say that we all want pretty feet without contributing to the horrors of animal testing, so it's a good thing (for us and for animals) that OPI nail polish is cruelty-free. For this week's "Win It" Wednesday, three of you can have fashion-forward tootsies on us.
How do you win? Tell us about your favorite kind of animal-friendly footwear. Whether it's your vegan TOMS or your worn-out Chucks, we want to know. Three lucky people will each win a set of OPI nail colors from South Beach's spring collection.
The contest ends on May 27, 2009, and we'll choose the three most fashion-savvy comments as the winners on May 29, 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!
Written by Lianne Turner
"The government does not want us to call it the swine flu. They're calling it the 2009 H1N1 virus. The reason for the change is they want people to know you can still eat all the pork you want without any risk to your health, except diabetes, obesity, and heart disease."
That's Jimmy Kimmel's take on swine flu, as quoted in the New York Times.
And, if you're inclined to take a trip down Memory Lane, here's Jimmy Kimmel's take on PETA's Alicia Silverstone and Super Bowl ads.
We love Jimmy!
TV talk-show host Montel Williams' daughter Wyntergrace is a real peta2-type girl, and she rocks. She's only 14 years old, but she's heading to Washington, D.C., this week to ask Congress to change the Child Nutrition Act to require public schools to provide healthy vegetarian options to students.
Wyntergrace has also written a letter to Sasha and Malia Obama asking them to join the campaign and sign her petition. She points out that while they are lucky enough to attend a private school where healthy options are available, most kids standing in line in public school cafeterias have to pick from fat-laden hamburgers, high-calorie chicken fingers, and greasy pizza.
What ever happened to equality?
We hope that Sasha and Malia join Wyntergrace in her fight. Congress has needed to step up on this issue for a while, and the support of the first daughters might be just what our representatives need to make them stop dragging their feet.
Written by Liz Graffeo
With the world worried about swine flu, we're ready to turn up the heat—by heading to the steps of the U.S. Capitol to re-create a real-life hog factory farm if our permit is granted. Along with audio of piglets who scream as they endure castration, tail-docking, and ear-notching without any painkillers, our proposed exhibit will include the following:
We've submitted the permit requests and asked to set up shop next week. Now, like the neighbors of the smelly hog farm in LaGloria, Mexico, that's in the news or the folks living next to that smelly hog farm in Tewksbury, Delaware, we're just holding our breath—and hoping to get our permit so that we can bring a dose of reality to Washington's visitors, residents, and lawmakers!
Keep your fingers crossed, and hopefully we'll see you at the Capitol!
Written by Karin Bennett
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":
Written by Christine Doré
Happy "Win It" Wednesday, everyone. This week, we're celebrating the launch of the new and improved Sea Kittens game, in which you can choose your own sea kittens, dress them up, name them, and share them with your friends.
It's super fun to create your own sea kitten, but it's pretty hard to cuddle with a computer screen (not to mention staticky). Luckily, our lovely merchandise team came up with a solution: the brand new "Sammy the Sea Kitten" plush toy!
Sammy enjoys playing Marco Polo, hanging out with his friends, and not being eaten.
How do you win? Go play the new sea kitten game and then leave us a comment describing your new sea kitten's wardrobe. Don't forget to name him or her. The three most inventive creations will take home the prize!
The contest ends on May 13, 2009, and we'll choose the winners on May 15, 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!
A recent article on UsMagazine.com notes that Octomom Nadya Suleman is considering adding another member to her brood.
No, she's not thinking about having any more babies (at least as far as we know). She's considering bringing a pig into her home.
Actually, into her home isn't quite correct. She wants to buy a pig, put a diaper on him or her, and have him or her live outside—because of the smell.
Pigs are intelligent, social creatures with complex needs. Throwing such a sensitive animal into a mix of 14 kids who won't understand him or her—and expecting him or her to live outside—is no way to treat a family companion.
So, we've written Nadya to ask her to reconsider her plans. Instead of adding another mouth to feed, we hope that she'll focus on the 14 that she already has.
And if compassion doesn't change her mind, hopefully the fear of pig flu will.
Lots of people are still hopping mad and flat-out disappointed that the first dog, Bo, came from a breeder—and who can blame them? After all, people working in animal shelters (the ones who are experts in the overpopulation crisis) know that buying from breeders spells certain death to an estimated 4 million dogs and cats each year—dogs and cats who didn't need competition from litters that were produced simply for a profit. These hardworking people are the ones who personally have to say goodbye to the dogs they come to know, love, and care for—because there aren't anywhere near enough decent homes for them all.
So, here's an idea that we and others such as Jana Kohl have proposed to the Obama family: Keep Bo company by adopting a second non-allergenic dog, this time from a breed rescue, a pound, an animal shelter, or from the lists of homeless animals on the Internet. There's no doubt that the Obamas mean well, or they wouldn't have given a donation to the humane society, got Bo fixed, or arranged that complicated "He's a reject from someone, no one bought him" deal. So, hopefully, they'll learn from their missteps.
Please, offer words of encouragement on this topic by writing very polite letters to President Obama. His family is just like yours: They just didn't "get" that a rescue means a rescue.
If you have a general question for PETA and would like a response, please e-mail Info@peta.org. If you need to report cruelty to an animal, please click here. If you are reporting an animal in imminent danger and know where to find the animal and if the abuse is taking place right now, please call your local police department. If the police are unresponsive, please call PETA immediately at 757-622-7382 and press 2.
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