Written by PETA
Happy Win It Wednesday, everyone! All winter long, I've been relying on my handy PETA lip balm kit to fight the drying effects of cold air. This week, you get a chance to win a set of lip balms of your very own.
They come in five fun flavors, so you can choose between "Viva Las Vegans" Vanilla Bean, "Cut Out Animal Experimints" Peppermint, "Go Faux Fabulous" Fruit Smoothie, "Animals Out of the Act" Tangerine, and "PETA Compassion" Fruit, depending on your mood. Or you could just do what I do and throw one in the purse, one in the car, one in the desk drawer, and so on.
How do you win? Post a comment with your idea for a new PETA lip balm flavor—and don't forget to give it a fun animal rights-themed name. The three most creative suggestions will take home the prize.
The contest ends on March 11, 2009, and we'll choose the three best comments as the winners on March 12, 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
After hearing about the death of Travis, the captive chimpanzee who was shot after mauling a woman in Connecticut, Oscar winner Anjelica Huston—who has long been an advocate for the compassionate treatment of great apes—issued the following statement:
I was saddened to hear about the incident involving the chimpanzee, Travis, and my heart goes out to the woman who is now lying in a hospital bed as a result of this horrific attack. Recently, I narrated a video for PETA about the abuse that chimpanzees and other great apes endure when they are ripped away from their mothers when only days old to be used in commercials (as Travis was) and movies. Although I was sick when I heard about this most recent incident, I wasn't surprised. I sincerely hope that this tragedy will make people realize that great apes should never be kept as pets or exploited for films, television, or advertising. Their lives are miserable from the day that they are taken from their mothers: They endure abusive training—usually beatings—until they are cast off to roadside zoos or meet a violent end, as Travis did in this tragic case.
If you haven't watched Anjelica's video yet, you can view it here:
You can help prevent future tragedies like this one by urging Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell to ban the private ownership of chimpanzees.
Written by Alisa Mullins
Judging by the response to our "Sexiest Vegetarian Next Door" contest, neighborhoods across North America are practically infested with nubile young herbivores (I'm sure my neighbors think the same thing every morning when they see me pop out the front door in my footie jammies to grab the paper). Out of hundreds of entries, we've narrowed the field down to 32 finalists—16 lovely young ladies and 16 hunks of (veggie) beefcake.
Just to whet your appetite, here are a couple of sample showdowns between some of the finalists:
The evil geniuses behind Skinny Bitch have yet another convert in Chicago resident Sheena. Since switching to a vegan diet, Sheena reports that she has lost weight and gained energy and stamina. Maybe it's just us, but even her smile looks energetic.
A Minnesota resident who was apparently photographed during warmer months, Amber is a professional photographer who volunteers with a local boxer rescue group. She says she loves knowing that, in addition to making her feel stronger both mentally and physically, her vegetarian diet shrinks her carbon footprint.
Nathan is an avid weekend warrior who credits his vegetarian diet with improving his performance when skiing and playing tennis, beach volleyball, and soccer. The Toronto resident switched to a vegetarian diet while volunteering to help build a school in Ghana, West Africa (awwww), because he couldn't bring himself to even think about eating the farmed animals who lived side-by-side with villagers.
A loan-modification specialist, Chris is a hero not only to animals but also to struggling homeowners. What's not to love? The Oregon native went vegetarian six years ago after reading Diet for a New America by John Robbins and has noticed a marked improvement in his health, including increased stamina, high energy levels, and clear skin.
Post a comment below to let us know who gets your vote—and don't forget to check out the other contestants here.
All across our great nation, bikini-clad PETA members have been out in full force, snatching media attention and educating the public about cruelty to animals. If only math classes used such brilliant strategies, we'd all be calculus whizzes!
From the International Putrid … excuse me, Poultry Expo in Atlanta to the slushy streets of Flint, Michigan, our bevy of beauties shared the facts with fascinated passersby. Take a peek at the action:
Impressive work, ladies! You braved the cold to help our voiceless friends. From my warm office, I raise my soy hot cocoa to you.
Written by Missy Lane
Apparently, NBC has something against girls who love their veggies. After we submitted our proposed Super Bowl ad, which features a comely crop of models demonstrating their fondness for fresh produce, NBC nixed the ad, saying it "depicts a level of sexuality exceeding our standards." No joke, this is straight from NBC—so stop fondling your fruit salad right now and read the list of shots NBC requested we cut before they’d reconsider:
Wow, that list even made us blush! You can read the full NSFW letter from NBC here and then watch the video to see what the controversy is all about. Not as pure as eating apple pie, but it sure does drive home the fact that vegetarians make better lovers. And I'm pretty sure that most Super Bowl fans would find the ad a lot more appealing than the impotence and other not-so-sexy effects that a steady stream of chicken wings and burgers can have on their love lives.
Why so grouchy NBC? Sounds like someone’s not getting enough um…vegetables. I’m thinking network execs could really benefit from a broccoli booty call.
That said, what do you think about our sexy Super Bowl ad? Do you agree with NBC's decision to reject it?
Written by Amy Elizabeth
PETA's Lettuce Ladies are on the road again! And this time they're kicking America's poor eating habits to the compost heap.
The lettuce-clad ladies are hittin' the streets to greet folks with delicious and free Tofurky sandwiches. Their goal: to get people to turn over a new leaf and go vegetarian for the new year. Check out these photos from the road:
The Lettuce Ladies don't have to be the only sexy veggies roaming the streets. If you make PETA's 30-Day "Pledge to Be Veg" before the end of the month, we will donate money to a program that plants fruit trees! Now, you can help yourself, the environment, animals, and the hungry just by making one simple change to your diet. That's a pretty sweet deal.
Written by Jennifer Cierlitsky
In fact, there are two Santas! Wearing little red numbers sure to make Old Saint Nick's heart skip a beat—and to make any other dude in the vicinity pretty darn jolly—a pair of PETA's Sexy Santas recently greeted Greenville, South Carolina, and Augusta, Georgia, grocery shoppers with free soy nog, kisses under the mistletoe, and copies of our "Vegetarian Starter Kit." Their merry mission? To urge shoppers to bring comfort and joy to animals by giving meat, milk, and eggs the old heave-ho-ho-ho this holiday season. After all, it's no "wonderful life" for animals who are raised, abused, and killed for Christmas dinner.
What is wonderful is a little (s)nog under the mistletoe. Just ask this dude:
While Santa's making his list and checking it twice, you'd better believe that KFC is getting nothing but coal, coal, and more coal—and PETA's "Sexy Santas" want to make sure that the world knows why! Check us out at our demos handing out info on Kentucky Fried Cruelty!
Santa's not the only one who objects to KFC cruelty, and rightfully so! These bikini-clad hotties certainly didn't get their sexy bods by downing greasy fried chicken loaded with cruelty and cholesterol. These chicks remind everyone to ditch KFC and have a very veggie holiday instead!
Written by Christine Doré
Bet you thought Santa only came once a year. Well, don't be too sure! PETA's "Sexy Santas" are making the rounds to let fur-wearers know that they're on our naughty list this year. Check us out at these anti-fur demos handing out free candy canes and info on the horrors of fur, leather, and wool.
Some holiday shoppers might be wondering what the problem is with a little fur, but luckily our sexy Santa is here to educate them. Anyone who thinks it's OK to wear the product of innocent lives deserves a little more than a stocking full of coal, if you ask me! Hopefully some compassionate shoppers will decide to go "Ho, ho, faux" this year and give an early Christmas gift to animals on fur farms.
Speaking of the horrors of the fur industry, someone should let fur hag Donna Karan know about the torture that goes into her clothes (oh, right, we did). Check out our brand new Donna Karan Bunny Butcher site to learn more about our campaign!
When we first announced our plan to find the "Sexiest Vegetarian Soldier," we meant to end up with just one winner. But how could we come up with just one winner when there are five branches of the military that are equally deserving—and equally sexy?
That's why we've selected one winner each from the Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Marines, and Air Force. Of course, we did promise to find the single Sexiest Vegetarian Soldier, so, as much as it pains us, we did have to choose one overall winner—and here he is!
Syracuse-born Erich Allen joined the Army in 2001 and is currently stationed in Fort Rucker, Alabama, where he is attending flight school and earning his degree in History from Columbia College of Missouri. And where does this busy soldier find all his energy? From his vegetarian diet!
"Since I stopped eating meat, I have noticed an increase in my energy and I am able to better control my weight," Erich says. And as for anyone who hasn't yet figured out that the strongest animals on the planet—stallions, elephants, and bulls—are vegetarian, Erich is glad to serve as evidence of the human species' prowess!
And not only is Erich "Army strong," he's also compassionate—his own doggie companion, Vienna, was a stray whom Erich took in and made part of the family. Put that together with his ability to speak German and some Russian as well as his love of the "great outdoors," and you've got somebody who's strong, sweet, smart, and sporty—now that's sexy!
But wait—there's more! Check out the winners from the other branches of the military:
Lovely Katie, pictured here, is stationed in Barnegat Light, New Jersey. She has been a vegetarian ever since she watched a documentary on, as she says, "how they torture animals" before killing them for human consumption, and it made her "totally disgusted." On the other hand, she thinks that being a vegetarian "is the sexiest thing ever besides fighting for our country."
Bob, who is currently assigned as the Assistant Provost and Dean of Students for the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) in Monterey, California, recently returned from a three-year assignment as the Naval and Marine Attaché in Hanoi, Vietnam. He has been a vegetarian ever since the life-changing experience of seeing a dog slaughtered for food in a Vietnamese café and now volunteers at the Monterey County SPCA. He was also active in advocating for California's Proposition 2.
Jane had been stationed in California, Washington state, and Hawaii before resigning her commission as a Naval Officer in September 2008 to pursue a career in animal rescue—and not just any career! Jane has since set sail on the Steve Irwin as part of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. That's right, Sea Shepherd—the same rockin' folks we all love watching on Whale Wars! Now that's sexy—a 13-year-vegetarian who uses her abilities to go out and actively, physically save those whales.
Gina, who is stationed in Hurlburt Field, Florida, has been a vegetarian since the age of six—that's right, six—when she realized that Bambi and his mother were no different from the other animals killed for food. Even though many people told her that she wouldn't be able to maintain her vegetarian lifestyle in the military, Gina not only graduated from boot camp as a Distinguished Honor Graduate—because of her high fitness scores—but also went on to complete four marathons! She is the guardian of two animals (both rescues), has rescued animals at every duty assignment, and hopes to convince the Air Force to switch to leather-free combat boots. And if that weren't enough, she's also a former model—how could anyone argue with this kind of sexy?
Congratulations to our five sexy winners! They will each receive a basket of yummy vegan goodies, as well as a PETA T-shirt—so, ya know, the next time someone dares to doubt their vegetarian sexiness, they'll be able to say, "See this T-shirt? I happen to be the sexiest vegetarian in the whole [insert military branch]. So there!"
Written by Amanda Schinke
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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