Written by PETA
As if I needed another reminder of how disgusting meat is, my pal Joel Bartlett sent me this. It’s called the Stinky Meat Project and basically, this guy puts some raw meat on a plate, puts it out in the sun for a couple of weeks and records the results with a daily photo. Think it sounds disgusting? Well, wait until you see what happens, or more accurately, what doesn’t happen to hot dogs after sitting out in the sun for 18 days.
Joel was so inspired that he is trying to implement a vegan version of this idea, which he is calling the Stinky Feet Project. Joel is looking for someone willing to wear the same pair of socks every day for a month and he will record the results daily with a photo. If you’re interested in participating, you can reach Joel here. I wish I could tell you I was joking . . .
Any other Big Love fans in the house? I just started watching the show a couple of months ago and now I’m totally addicted. Who knew that a run of the mill everyday suburban family—of polygamists—could be so darn interesting? It definitely helps that my future wife Chloe Sevigny (dare to dream . . . ) is one of the wives on the show, but still. OK, I admit it. I’m a little bit obsessed. But believe it or not, that’s not the point of this post.
A couple of weeks ago my already big love for Big Love became even bigger when an episode featured the oldest son of the family, Ben, being pressured by a friend to go vegetarian. Then last week, there was this whole bit about cruelty to chickens and how they’re abused on factory farms. It was great to see animal rights issues inserted into the plot line of a show on national TV. Especially a show starring Chloe Sevigny.
A huge deal? Maybe not. But it’s small things like this that bring a smile to this lowly blogger’s face. Thanks Big Love . . .
The Burberry campaigners at both PETA and PETA Europe have been extra busy lately. It seems like every day I have photos of some new demonstrations they’re rocking in my inbox.
Check out this shot from a “Burberry: When Plaid Goes Bad” demonstration on the boardwalk in Atlantic City. And here’s a great news story from the demo as well.
Not to be outdone, PETA Europe activists dressed up as bunnies and took to the streets for this beautiful demonstration at Burberry’s annual meeting in London yesterday.
Props to everyone involved in both demos. Great job. And fyi, if you’re interested in being contacted when there are events like these taking place near you, you can sign up for PETA’s activist network here.
Last night, PETA's Lisa Lange made an appearance on The O'Reilly Factor to talk about the "racy" alternative to Pamplona's hideous Running of the Bulls. The story brought tons of new people to the Running of the Nudes website last night to see what all the fuss was about, just in time to see all the amazing new pictures that’ve been put up there.
You can click the image above to check out the updated site, and if you let me know what you think of the new pics, or of the Running of the Nudes concept in general, I'll pick one commenter to win one of the highly coveted Running of the Nudes novelty pens, starring a naked (depending on which way up you hold the pen) Annamarie Lytle.
Just as an FYI, while all comments are welcome, if you leave a rant about Running of the Nudes being a shameful display of skin that's corrupting our nation's youth, I will assume that means you don't want a nudie pen.
P.S. I just got word from those laugh-a-minute party animals up in our Legal Department that if you want to be entered to win the pen it means you’re down with our terms and conditions.
Finally! Yesterday afternoon, four months after similar legislation passed in New Mexico, Louisiana's governor, Kathleen Blanco, signed a bill that will make hers the final American state to ban cockfighting, effective next August. Just to hammer this one home, that means that cockfighting will be outlawed throughout the United States by next year. Yes, there are a couple of nagging questions, like "Why do we have to wait until next August?" and "Why the hell was cockfighting ever legal first place?" but this is really, really good news for roosters, and for everyone who has been working so hard to protect them from this horrible abuse.
Props in particular go to Rep. Harold Ritchie, D-Bogalusa, who worked on this bill for more than a year to push it past the numerous people who stand to lose money if cockfighting is outlawed. And congratulations, of course, are due to all the activists who have given their precious time over the years to make this a reality. Go team!
As you probably know, we’ve been in touch with Al Gore and the Live Earth folks about the whole meat production/global warming/environmental destruction connection. Well, I just found out that the video at this link was shown at the NYC Live Earth event last weekend, so it looks like they got the message. Pretty cool if you ask me.
And fyi, you still have time to enter our contest to win a $50 iTunes gift card by checking out the button below.
As you may know, we’re launching the first-ever worldwide virtual anti-fur protest within the virtual community Second Life in conjunction with Stella McCartney this week. It all kicks off today, in fact, so I wanted to give you a quick recap of what’s going on, along with some exciting new additions . . .
It’s going to be amazing, with a full schedule of exciting events all taking place on the newly created PETA/Stella McCartney island. The island, inspired by the English countryside, will feature roller skate, bicycle and rowboat rentals, a topiary maze where you can get massages and check out Stella’s new organic and cruelty-free CARE skin care line. Entertainment will be provided by live dj sets and of course, food will be available through Linda McCartney veggie burgers stands. Both Stella and PETA will have dedicated tree-houses, where visitors can check out Stella’s latest fashion shows and see PETA’s most recent anti-fur ad campaign images, anti-fur videos and a PETA 25th anniversary birthday cake. And there will be a contest for the best new anti-fur slogan based around the iconic PETA tagline “I’d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur.”
OK, so all of that stuff is pretty cool, and none of it has ever been done before in the animal rights movement. But check out these exciting addions: a virtual naked Pam Anderson photo-op, a screening of Pam’s KFC video and check this out, a screening of the new video for Paul McCartney’s song ‘Dance Tonight’.
Here’s the full schedule of events and activities. The first schedule is for US visitors and the second for UK/European visitors.
Daily
Protest marches take place at 8am and 1pm.
Thursday 12th July:
12 Noon: Island opens
1pm: Competition for guests to create the best anti fur slogan, based around the iconic PETA slogan ‘I’d rather go naked than wear fur’ launches.
2pm - 6pm: Outdoor celebration and picnic to celebrate the island launch.
Tuesday 17th July
2pm: Pamela Anderson will make a guest appearance on the island for one hour. Pamela will pose naked for a photo op behind a ‘rather go naked than wear fur’ banner and then visit the PETA tree house to introduce her PETA Kentucky Fried Cruelty video.
Thursday 19th July
2pm: Screening of the new Paul McCartney video for ‘Dance Tonight’
Saturday 21st July
2pm: Wheelbarrow race.
Sunday 22nd July
2pm: Winner of anti-fur slogan competition announced:
The best 3 slogans will win Stella McCartney prizes. First prize: 2 tickets to the Spring Summer 2008 fashion show in Paris in October. Second prize: a Fall / Winter Appaloosa bag. Third prize: a full set of CARE by Stella McCartney, the first luxury organic skincare line, containing 100% organic active ingredients.
Monday 23rd July
9am: Winning anti-fur slogans uploaded in main island areas.
Friday 27th July
2pm: Sack race.
Sunday 29th July
7am: Final protest. Island closes with a celebratory wrap party with live dj.
Daily protest marches take place at 13.00 and 18.00 (GMT).
17.00 (GMT) Island opens
18.00 (GMT) competition for guests to create the best anti fur slogan, based around the iconic PETA slogan ‘I’d rather go naked than wear fur’ launches.
19.00 - 23.00 (GMT) outdoor celebration and picnic to celebrate the island launch.
Tuesday 17th July at 19.00 (GMT)
Pamela Anderson will make a guest appearance on the island for one hour. Pamela will pose naked for a photo op behind a ‘rather go naked than wear fur’ banner and then visit the PETA tree house to introduce her PETA Kentucky Fried Cruelty video.
Thursday 19th July at 19.00 (GMT)
Screening of the new Paul McCartney video for ‘Dance Tonight’
Saturday 21st July at 19.00 (GMT)
Wheelbarrow race.
Sunday 22nd July at 19.00 (GMT)
Winner of anti-fur slogan competition announced:
Monday 23rd July at 14.00 (GMT)
Winning anti-fur slogans uploaded in main island areas.
Friday 27th July at 19.00 (GMT)
Sack race.
Sunday 29th July at 12.00 (GMT)
Final protest. Island closes with a celebratory wrap party with live dj.
This Monday, Morrissey played a sold-out show at the Norva, a few blocks from PETA HQ here in Norfolk, Virginia. I tried, desperately, to get tickets—but that's another story. According to my more fortunate colleagues who did attend the show, Morrissey stopped three songs in and announced, to thunderous applause, that he was "very gratified." He continued, “You haven’t even heard what I’m gratified about yet. I’m very gratified to be so close to the international headquarters of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.” The audience responded with enthusiastic cheers, which is a good sign that Morrissey's fans are all either exceptionally animal-friendly or just very polite. But the best part of the show came near the end, when Morrissey started riffing on Madonna and her fondness for fur:
“I wouldn’t be surprised if she made that African boy into a coat and wore him … for 15 minutes, and then threw it away.”
Zing! The story found its way onto VH1's The Sizzler last night—you can check that out here.
Just in case you weren’t aware, our Morrissey’s a big fan of animals.
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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