Written by PETA
We learned that Taraji P. Henson rocks when she proved that she'd rather go naked than wear fur by starring in a sultry PETA ad, and tonight the Oscar and Emmy-nominated actor and singer will be honored on BET's Black Girls Rock, in part for her work for animals.
Photo: Don Flood for ArtMix • Hair: Kim Kimble for Margaret Maldonado Agency • Makeup: Mylah Morales for Celestine Agency
Taraji used to wear fur, but one look at a video showing animals being skinned alive for a bit of fur trim was enough to make her clean the corpses out of her closet. In a behind-the-scenes video from the photo shoot for her PETA ad, Taraji said, "I don't think a living being should suffer for the sake of fashion, period. End of story." (I told you she rocks.)
If you're wondering what to watch tonight, why not settle in for an evening of inspiring TV and support the lovely, compassionate Ms. Henson (who can also be seen in the new hit CBS show Person of Interest). Black Girls Rock will air on BET at 8 p.m. Eastern Time (check local listings for other time zones).
Written by Heather Faraid Drennan
Rocsi Diaz, the bubbly and beautiful host of BET's 106 & Park is known for bringing viewers the hottest music videos straight from the streets of Manhattan. But the Honduran mamacita recently stepped away from the streets to hang out on the beach with one of her adopted dogs, Chi Chi, and she used this R&R time to shoot a new peta2 "Adopt an Animal" ad. Check it out:
Rocsi also sat down in front of the cameras and used her veejay personality to encourage people to help dogs and cats by rescuing them from the streets or adopting them from shelters—and by having them spayed or neutered.
Want to see the interview and hear what the Midday Mami has to say about companion animals? Head on over to peta2.
Written by Heather Moore
Well, he's not a real prince, but animals might disagree! While we're sure that nothing can top winning PETA's coveted Sexiest Vegetarian Alive title (which he nabbed in 2006), pop royalty Prince is set to add yet another statuette to his mantelpiece: a lifetime achievement award from BET.
In our opinion, Prince deserves a lifetime achievement award based on his empathy for animals alone. Refusing to eat "anything with parents," this cover boy for compassion recently served a sumptuous four-course vegan dinner to Ebony magazine staffers who were visiting his home to do a cover story on him.
He also refuses to wear animals—and he's not shy about it. In the liner notes to his 1999 CD Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic, Prince explained why the jacket he's wearing in one of the album-cover photos is faux wool:
"If this jacket were real wool, it would have taken 7 lambs whose lives would have begun like this … Within weeks of their birth, their ears would have been hole-punched, their tails chopped off and the males would have been castrated while fully conscious. Xtremely high rates of mortality r considered normal: 20 2 40% of lambs die b4 the age of 8 weeks: 8 million mature sheep die every year from disease, xposure or neglect. Many people believe shearing helps animals who would otherwise b 2 hot. But in order 2 avoid losing any wool, ranchers shear sheep b4 they would naturally shed their winter coats, resulting in millions of sheep deaths from xposure 2 the cold."
Years later, when a fan tried to give Prince a leather coat during a concert in Washington, D.C., he demurred, "Please do not kill a cow so I can wear a coat!"
Prince also once famously declared: "We need an Animal Rights Day when all slaughterhouses shut down." His response to people who ask why he worries about animals in the face of widespread human suffering? "Compassion is an action word with no boundaries."
Prince, congratulations on your richly deserved award.
Written by Alisa Mullins
No one likes to be stuck in traffic, but commuters on Hollywood's famous Sunset Strip at least have some eye candy to help them pass the time: Olivia Munn, au naturel, in PETA's sexy anti-circus billboard.
In an exclusive PETA interview, the G4 Attack of the Show host, star of the upcoming NBC comedy series Perfect Couples,and new "Senior Asian Correspondent" for The Daily Show says that she was "brought to tears" after seeing PETA's undercover footage of Ringling Bros. trainers beating elephants with bullhooks. Olivia is asking her fans to join her in boycotting the circus. "Everyone at home," she says, "if you have a Twitter or MySpace or Facebook or … your own blog, you have to get the message out."
You heard the lady: Please tell everyone you know why circuses are no fun for animals.
Written by Paula Moore
We are not responsible for the elevated state of culture in the U.S., but …
Inspired by a Delaware ice cream shop's "booger" ice cream flavor, PETA is encouraging the shop to offer two other unusual treats: "dog poop" and "kitty litter" nondairy ice cream, with a portion of the proceeds used to help combat the dog and cat overpopulation crisis. By promoting spaying and neutering and reducing the number of litters born, we can also reduce the number of wonderful dogs and cats in animal shelters awaiting good homes.
The doggy flavor would resemble its namesake, but would be made with rich, velvety soy chocolate ice cream laced with chunks of dark chocolate. The kitty flavor would be mint with chunks of vegan brownie. Sounds like one kind of litter and poop that I'd love to scoop! What about you?
Written by Lindsay Pollard-Post
I'm a handbag addict, but my cravings are always easily met thanks to a seemingly endless assortment of skins-free styles. Naturally, when I saw the Kerin handbag that's this week's "Win-It" Wednesday prize, I needed it, stat. Feast your eyes:
My birthday's coming up, so I'll have to drop some not-so-subtle hints if I want to add this leather-free looker to my collection (fingers crossed), but you don't have to be a June baby to score it. All you have to do is come up with a clever caption for this photo.
Is that certain someone giving kisses to a vegan fashionista—or blowing a raspberry to a fashion offender dressed in leather? Either way, we've got one bag to give to the respondent who delivers the cleverest caption. Please don't be chintzy with your brilliance—really bowl us over!
The contest ends on July 7, 2010, and we'll pick the winner on July 9, 2010. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting.
Good luck!
Written by Karin Bennett
What do reggae star Matisyahu, the Israeli government, and fur have in common? The compassionate Jewish singer, who recently became vegan because of his disgust toward factory farms and to strictly adhere to Torah principles, has written a heartfelt letter on behalf of PETA to Israeli government leaders urging them to support a bill currently in the Knesset that would ban the fur trade in Israel. If the bill passes, Israel would be the first country to prohibit the production, sale, and importation of all fur products (with the exception of shtreimels, traditional fur hats worn by some Hasidim).
Matisyahu rightfully points out that stomping, beating, and bludgeoning animals violates the fundamental principle of tza'ar ba'alei chayim, which forbids gratuitous cruelty to animals.
In light of our recent undercover video about Chinese fur farms, it's time right now for governments and the public to turn their backs on fur.
Written by Jennifer O'Connor
Thanks go out to all the vigilant animal defenders who contacted us about a recent episode of MTV's The Hills, which showed a caged tiger pacing in a parking lot outside of Les Deux, a Los Angeles nightclub. During the show, Kristin Cavallari squealed that she wanted to touch the big cat. Had she done so, she might have been headed to the emergency room instead of the dance floor.
Back in May, we were alerted to this dreadful situation by an anonymous tipster, and we wrote to Les Deux. We pointed out that while tigers in the wild roam for miles as they hunt and raise their young, imprisoned animals can only pace back and forth as they go crazy from their unnatural confines. Their lives are filled with frustration, anxiety, and fear.
We're glad to report that PETA heard back from Lonnie Moore, who assured us that Les Deux will never again feature such a display, and added, "I am embarrassed and disappointed it ever happened in the first place." Plus, the Dolce Group, owner of Les Deux, has placed a statement on its Web site reading, "Dolce Group has enacted a policy that prohibits the exhibition of exotic animals at all of our businesses. The recent episode of The Hills which features a tiger at Les Deux was filmed prior to enacting an official policy. We have assured PETA that this will never happen again."
This is a perfect example of why it's so important to reach out to and enlighten others about animal issues. Please take a minute to thank Moore for his compassion. Then take a moment to learn about other ways you can help animals.
I love to play blackjack, but when it comes to poker, I can't remember if a flush beats a full house or vice versa, so I usually breeze right by those tables.
But you can bet I'll be watching to see how a high-stakes vegetarian prop wager made between poker pros Phil Ivey and Tom "durrrr" Dwan on High Stakes Poker plays out. Dwan challenged Ivey to go vegetarian for a year, and Ivey accepted the million-dollar bet, noting that he'd been thinking about going meatless anyway.
Considering all the health and environmental benefits that a vegetarian diet offers—plus the endless possibilities for mouthwatering animal-free cuisine—that million-dollar prize will be a cinch for Ivey to win.
Up for a little side bet of your own? Take our 30-day vegan challenge—I bet you'll feel healthier than ever before.
PETA's longtime friend and supporter, Bob Barker, along with some "Barker PETA Beauties," joined our own Ingrid E. Newkirk today to cut the ribbon on the start of renovations to our new Los Angeles office, aptly named—what else?—the Bob Barker Building.
Bob Barker donated $2.5 million to help us open our new location, and time after time after time, he has shown his unwavering support for animal protection. For decades, he influenced millions of people every day by ending each taping of The Price Is Right with his message to spay or neuter companion animals—a message that his successor, Drew Carey, also uses for his sign-off.
We're grateful to have Barker's continued support—and we're delighted to name PETA's new Los Angeles office in his honor.
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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.