• Miss Australia Goes Faux

    Written by PETA

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    Miss Australia Jesinta Campbell poses after winning the Miss Congeniality Universe award during the Miss Universe pageant at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada August 23, 2010. REUTERS/Steve Marcus (UNITED STATES - Tags: SOCIETY ENTERTAINMENT) FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS

    For any of you who caught the Miss Universe pageant last night, you'll be relieved to know that it was faux sheepskin that Miss Australia Jesinta Campbell was wearing. After PETA Australia alerted Campbell to the cruelty of mulesing—a crude mutilation that involves cutting large chunks of flesh from the backsides of Australian lambs with instruments resembling gardening shears—Campbell decided to wear faux sheepskin instead of the real thing as part of her national costume.

    "I am confirming that Jesinta Campbell Miss Universe Australia will be wearing only synthetic sheepskin on her national costume," Deborah Miller, national director of Miss Universe Australia, told PETA Australia.

    As thanks, PETA sent Campbell a box of vegan chocolate sheep. Her kindness was rewarded again when she placed second runner-up and won the pageant's "Miss Congeniality" award. Who says nice girls finish last?

    Written by Alisa Mullins

  • How Would You Accessorize Miss Australia's Weird Outfit?

    Written by PETA

    3 Comments
    SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 17: Finalist Jesinta Campbell of NSW celebrates after being announced winner at the official crowning ceremony for Miss Universe Australia 2010 at the Sofitel Wentworth Hotel on June 17, 2010 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

    You've seen Hollywood's fugliest. Now, take a look at the Uggliest from Down Under: The proposed national costume for Miss Universe contestant Jesinta Campbell, aka Miss Australia, is making people wince.

    PETA Australia has asked Campbell to abandon her plans to wear a ghastly get-up that includes a sheepskin shrug and last year's Ugg boots during the upcoming Miss Universe Pageant in Las Vegas. Unless she's lived in a cave, she has to know that most lambs in Australia are subjected to "mulesing"—a mutilation in which huge chunks of flesh are cut from lambs' backsides. And to help her out in case she sticks to her decision to wear this itchy, woolly outfit, PETA Australia is sending her what it believes is the perfect accessory for her costume: a pair of mulesing shears.

    Personally, I'm optimistic that Campbell will come around to compassion. When I was her age, my most prized possession was a black leather motorcycle jacket—until I learned about how cows suffer in meat and milk factories. Just as I abandoned my leather vice to become pleather nice, Campbell can go from abominable to fauxnomenal.

    Written by Karin Bennett

  • Miss Universe Changes Her Mind

    Written by PETA

    22 Comments

    Powerlineblog/Creative Commons
    Riyo_Mori_Miss_Universe.jpg
    It doesn’t always work out like this—but every now and then, when you let someone know that what they’re doing sucks, they just listen to your concerns, think about the issue in a new way, and make a positive change. When you spend your days dealing with people like Beyonce Knowles, who can sit and watch footage of animals being skinned alive as if it were the latest episode of Total Request Live, it’s incredibly refreshing to hear a story like this one about Miss Universe:

    Apparently, after receiving a letter this week from PETA Asia Pacific’s Jason Baker, which explained (in gory detail) exactly how fur coats are made, Miss Universe, aka Riyo Mori, has agreed to stop wearing the stuff. We’re still waiting for confirmation from her that she’s gotten the message loud and clear, but this news sounds really promising.

    Now, if the woman officially recognized as the hottest chick in the entire universe can do her stuff without draping herself in dead animals, you’d think a cheap fur-hag like Beyonce could figure out that you can have a killer look without actually killing anything. You’d think.

    Anyway, just thought I’d share that piece of good news from The Philippines. I’ll let you know once we get confirmation from Miss U that she really has given up fur for good.


  • Steve-O: I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur

    Written by PETA

    91 Comments

    I know. I know. Steve-O would rather go naked than do just about anything. But it’s still cool that wearing fur makes that very long list. In fact, Steve-O feels so strongly that killing animals for their fur is just plain wrong that he jumped—literally—at the chance to star in these new ads.

    full_go_naked_steve_o.jpgfull_ink_not_mink_steve_o.jpg

    While Steve-O is famous for putting himself in all sorts of painful situations, he’s totally clear about what he thinks of hurting animals. "Abuse yourself all you want," he says, "just leave animals out of it. Don't wear fur." Check out what else Steve-O had to say in this video from the photo shoot.


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