Gelatin: The Most Disgusting Thing in History October 31, 2006

Posted by Marta | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )
Every year millions of obnoxious/adorable little children dressed like ghosts, witches, Spiderman, and Barbie invade our country's neighborhoods demanding sugar like it's crack cocaine. For decades parents everywhere have been caught up in the paranoia that someone is going to slip a razorblade into their kids' candy but there's one thing that most don't check for: bones. (Insert spooky sounding Halloween MIDI file here.) Yes, it's hard to believe, but a lot of candy out there contains animal bones, or as candy companies and their minions refer to it, "gelatin." Gelatin is a protein obtained by boiling skin, tendons, ligaments, and/or bones with water. It usually comes from dead cows or pigs, and is found in many kinds of gummy bears and other "treats." This is possibly, as the title of this blog suggests, the most disgusting thing in history. Just think about it for a second... those candies are chewy because they're made of skin and bones. Who wants to put that crap in their mouth? Fortunately there are a number of companies out there who have recognized that feeding people pig bones and cow ligaments is the stuff for horror films, and have switched to using only the vegan alternative known as agar agar. So if you've got a sugar fix, get yourself some Airheads taffy, Dots, Jolly Ranchers hard candy, or my personal favorite, Pez. Your mouth shouldn't be a graveyard.

Oh, one last thing: Just because something says Kosher or Parve doesn't mean that it isn't made from animals. Kosher gelatin is usually made from a fish source. "P" or "Parve" means the product contains no meat or dairy products, but it may contain fish or eggs. Yuck.

Happy pagan holiday extravaganza 2k6!

-Noah

WonderPig #6 October 30, 2006

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Here's the latest WonderPig comic from Phil Tutton. If you're an aspiring vegan artist, send me your work at NoahC@peta2.com and I'll post it here and on peta2's deviantART page.

Check out the past WonderPig comics below:

WonderPig #5
WonderPig #4
WonderPig #3
WonderPig #2
WonderPig #1

Happy Halloween eve!

-Noah

Win a Rise Against signed Tony Alva Skateboard October 30, 2006

Posted by Lara Sanders | Permalink | Comments ( 1 )

I just joined the Rise Against Community on Buzznet, because I just heart them so darn much. You can post all your Rise Against related photos, links, videos, and whatnot on there and check out what others have posted too. Kinda like myspace, flickr, and YouTube all rolled up into one.

AND, they are having a sweet contest to win a Tony Alva skateboard signed by Rise Against and some other lovely prizes. All you have to do to enter is join the Rise Against Buzznet group and follow the directions under "The Sufferer and the Witness" contest to enter.

I entered, even though my skateboarding skillz are limited to sitting on one and rolling down a hill. I figured that it would be good to hang on the wall, or sleep with at night.

xoxo-lara

currently listening to:

The Very Fashionable Andy Dick October 27, 2006

Posted by Patricia | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Oh, Andy.

Few people make me laugh as much as Andy Dick does. I've been a huge fan since the Ben Stiller Show days—man, that dates me—anyway, Andy goes out of his way to make sure everyone knows how he feels about cruelty to animals, especially in the fashion industry. My spies—and by that I mean PETA's own Dan Mathews—tell me that the other night Andy hosted a fashion show at Submerge as part of LA's Fashion Week wrap up. The show was actually a model "Walk-Off" ... and no, it's not wrong to think Zoolander as soon as you read that. And that brings us back to Ben Stiller, I didn't mean to do that, honest.

Work it.

So, as Andy opened the show, the king of impromptu outrageousness told the star-studded crowd, "We have a special guest here tonight from PETA, who just got back from Europe where he disrupted fashion shows that used fur. There had better not be any fur on the stage tonight!" He then proceeded to tell them all about our Fashion Week antics and invited Dan up to say a few words. Apparently the crowd went wild and actually cheered. I admit when I first heard the story I thought he was going to say that the scary fur-clad Neanderthals had pelted him with fruit or lobbed chairs at him but then I remembered that there are some good people in the fashion industry. Andy went on to mock the models as only he can and the show was fur free. Have you pledged to be?

XOXO
Patricia

Baby Seal Clubbers Must Die! October 27, 2006

Posted by Marta | Permalink | Comments ( 5 )

This is the video of the week. Claymation is so amazing!

If you haven't already, sign our petition against the Canadian seal hunt. We're trying to get 50,000 signatures before the next seal hunt, so spread the word!

-Noah

We Don't Need No Water ... October 26, 2006

Posted by Marta | Permalink | Comments ( 1 )

LET THE MOTHER FUCKER BURN!

Isn't that just glorious? We held a very special protest outside of a KFC restaurant in Washington D.C. today where we burned a life-sized effigy of Colonel Sanders and asked people to choose somewhere else to eat until the Colonel's chain adopts animal welfare guidelines for the 850 million chickens they kill each year. Surprisingly, not very many people went into the restaurant when there was a huge fire outside. Who woulda thunk it? Tons of media showed up to see what was going on, including Reuters, CNN, and ABC.

Meanwhile, in McAlester, Oklahoma ...

The wooden sculpture of Colonel Harland Sanders, founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, was found around 10 a.m. Monday in a ditch "in a remote area west of McAlester," according to Pittsburg County Undersheriff Richard Sexton.

It was stolen from the KFC restaurant at 709 S. George Nigh Expwy. in early June.

(Read more...)

Sometimes life is really great.

-Noah

free video ipod! yip! October 26, 2006

Posted by Lara Sanders | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Yesterday, I tried to download some new songs onto my ipod, and the whole thing went blank. After a mild panic attack, I figured out how to get the songs back on. It was at this point that I thought, "I really need a new ipod". The one I currently have is practically pre-historic with it's plain white color and click wheel.

If you are in the same predicament as I am, then you will be absolutely elated to hear that peta2 is co-sponsoring a contest on Fanscape where you can win a new 80 gig video ipod, filled with the albums of Plain White T's, Sugarcult, Sparta, Kill Hannah, and Hedley. Not only that, the prize pack also include a Logitech Audiostation and Interactive Speakers.

So go get it , and I will just be jealous.

xoxo-lara

currently listening to:

Vote: Which Commercial Has the Worst Health Message? October 25, 2006

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Check this out! The folks at Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine want your opinion on the 10 TV commercials with the worst health message. We all know that television advertisements play an important role in shaping eating habits, but can we really trust what we see on TV? Click here to watch the commercials and cast your vote now!

My vote is for the ridiculous (and pretty offensive) KFC commercial from China, where an actor portraying a Taoist monk calls some disgusting new dead chicken burger from KFC a "masterpiece."

Speaking of television, The OC is fuckin' spectacular. Che for Prez 2k6!!!

-Noah

Making Vegans With the MTV2 $2 Bill Tour! October 23, 2006

Posted by nc | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

I'm out on the road with the MTV2 $2 Bill tour—featuring 30 Seconds to Mars and Street Drum Corps.—and it's going great! S.D.C. and I are working on several videos, here's the first.

Stay tuned for more soon. Hope to see you on tour!

-Jason

Win a Custom Tee from Evil Needles! October 23, 2006

Posted by Lara Sanders | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )
Are you wearing the same t-shirt/jeans combo that you have worn for the last four days straight? Don't worry if you are, I once spent two weeks straight in sweatpants, and it doesn't get any worse than that. Usually my prescription for a lull in fashion sensibilities is to get one new really sick piece of clothing that will enhance your entire closet. And we have just the thing to do that.

Evil Needles has graciously given peta2 the opportunity to give one very luck winner the change to pick out any top under $40 on their site. All Evil Needles shirts are both vegan and custom made, which is a deadly combo indeed.

All you have to have every one of your friends asking, "Where did you get that shirt?" is to fill out the form below. Keep checking back on the blog-the winner will be announced right here. What are you waiting for? Stop reading and fill out the form!

First Name
Last Name
E-Mail
	Sign me up for peta2 E-News and special announcements from PETA.

xoxo-lara

Caption This Image! October 20, 2006

Posted by Marta | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

One of my new favorite Web sites is PuppyBreak.com. Sometimes when things get crazy, it helps to just look at a few ridiculously cute puppies and calm the eff down. Though this picture isn't from PuppyBreak, the level of cuteness is nonetheless extremely high. Leave us a comment with your caption for the image.

On a completely unrelated note, PETA is up for a Pixel Award for our outrageous "Milk Gone Wild" ad that ABC refused to air during this year's Super Bowl. Go here to vote for us! (On the page, just click on "vote for your favorite nominee" at the top of the page, and scroll down to the very bottom of the pop-up that appears to the "Weird" category.)

-Noah

Check Out the November Issue of Transworld! October 19, 2006

Posted by Marta | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

If you get the chance, pick up a copy of the November issue of Transworld Skateboarding magazine, and flip to page 90. There's a great "Top 5" Q&A with Ed Templeton, and the third topic is "Best Things About Being a Vegan". I'm pretty glad to hear that Ed hates hippies too.

And in case you didn't know, you can get a free sticker that Ed designed for peta2 by filling out the form on this page. It'll take a week or two for the sticker to get to you, but oh is it ever worth it.

SK8 VEGAN OR DIE!

-Noah

Win tix to CMJ! Weeee! October 18, 2006

Posted by Lara Sanders | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )
Every year, CMJ has a massive five day party in NYC where new players in the music industry come out to showcase their stuff. Record label suits, industry types, and the hippest of hipsters check out the showcases to see the best that indie rock has to offer.

I wish I could go, but also I can't, so I will have to live vicariously through one of you. How you say? You should know by now that peta2 is the best, therefore we are giving away tickets!

All you have to do to get a pair of tix to the CMJ showcase presented by Onitsuka featuring performance by Blue Cheer, An Albatross, Moon & Moon, Devendra Banhart, Polyphonic Spree, and many more-is to fill out the form below.

The show is on November 2nd in NYC at the Knitting Factory, so if you win, it is up to you to get your lil butt there!

First Name
Last Name
E-Mail
	Sign me up for peta2 E-News and special announcements from PETA.

If you don't win, don't panic, you can still buy tickets here!

xoxo rock-lara

Tofu Rocks, Don't You Think? October 16, 2006

Posted by Marta | Permalink | Comments ( 3 )

These "Tofu Rocks" shirts are so cute, I could die. Someone please buy me one and mail it to the peta2 office, c/o: me. Kthx.

Speaking of shirts, have you seen the new "Only Monsters Test on Animals" t-shirts that Michael Sieben designed for peta2? They are, by far, the best shirt that peta2 has ever made. You can win one here, or if you want, you can just buy one here. Show your support!

-Marta

Nicole Richie, Draped in Death Circa 1973 October 13, 2006

Posted by Patricia | Permalink | Comments ( 3 )

Wearing a dog?

As haggy as she wants to be.

Um, yeah, I'm not really sure what exactly she's doing, or what she was thinking when she put that hideous thing on but Nicole Richie clearly doesn't care about animals like she claims or else she wouldn't be wearing something that looks A LOT like it was made out of her dog, Foxy Cleopatra. How can she put that on and not see the resemblance?! Maybe she doesn't look at herself once she's dressed, that would explain a lot. And where has FC been lately anyway...I'm gonna start to get worried if some new pix of the two of them together don't surface soon.

Foxy Cleopatra

I'm kind of stunned that she can stand up with the weight of that thing. Doesn't it look like something your grandma knited and forced your mom to wear in 1973? Minus the tortured animals mind you, but still, this screams macrame wall hanging to me. She should just pull those flowers down and drape them over herself, it couldn't look worse. Maybe she's giving her Halloween costume a trial run...let's hope she's going as a shriveled old hag because she nailed it.

XOX

Patricia

Look at This Sweet Truck! October 12, 2006

Posted by Marta | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Jay sent us these photos of his Dodge Ram that he just detailed with peta2 logos.

We love you Jay.

-Noah

Sometimes Steve-O is Amazing October 12, 2006

Posted by Marta | Permalink | Comments ( 1 )

After watching this video, I kind of love Steve-O. A lot.

Note: Don't watch the extended clip unless you want to see some Steve-O ween.

-Noah

Cooking with Damiera October 11, 2006

Posted by Lara Sanders | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )
Hey there kids, check out my interview with Dave Raymond, vocalist/guitarist for the newly anointed Equal Vision band, Damiera, and then try out the amazing recipe that he gave me below.

Me: How did you find the recipe for the coconut milk dish? Did you make it up, or find it in a cookbook?

Dave: Our guitar player is from New Orleans, and they are world renowned for their cooking. So he just adjusted a lot of his recipes, and we would just experiment with that. We are always traveling, so we offer to cook for the people we are staying with, because they put us up for the night. We buy basic ingredients and then see what we can make. Once we ended up with some curry paste and some tofu, and I knew that you can curry tofu, so we just put everything in a pot, and it came out to be one of the best experiments yet.

Me: So when did you decide to go vegan?

Dave: I went right from a "normal" diet to eating vegan two years ago, because the more that I learned, and the more that I read, the more that I would attach that knowledge to everything I would eat. So every time I ate, I wouldn't enjoy it. I needed a way to eat, and not have to think about all that I learned. So I went and stayed with a vegan friend in Toronto, and just ate everything she ate. And it was incredibly easy!

Me: Did you read any books or visit any websites that got you thinking about going vegan?

Dave: The very first book that started a chain reaction to start reading other books, and wanting to learn about factory farms and the excessiveness of what we consume was Fast Food Nation. That book got me curious, and then I started to learn more about dairy farms and factory farms. I got to see factory farms the first time on this tour, because they hide them out in the middle of nowhere.

Me: Do you have any advice to someone who is thinking about going vegetarian?

Dave: Knowledge is better than ignorance. Always accept what your curiosity finds.

And now for the food!

The most successful and flavorful thing that we have stumbled into is this curry and coconut milk dish.

one can coconut milk
1 package extra firm tofu
mushrooms, sliced
green onions
broccoli
garbanzo beans
red curry paste (or you can get away with using powdered curry, but cook the milk longer and add some kind of thickener to it)
green pepper/red pepper
snow peas

Cook all the vegetables in a pan together, but boil the broccoli in the coconut milk. Then when the veggies are primed, add all together in a big pot, and simmer it down. Add the curry to taste, and if you're bold, get some cracked red pepper and chili powder going on to spice it up. Serve in a bowl; eat with chopsticks or a slingshot.

So try it out. I did, and it was insanely good. And look for good things to come from Damiera in the next few months.

xoxo-lara

P.S. For more delicious eats, check this out.

Wake Up Screaming on MTV News! October 10, 2006

Posted by Marta | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Check it out! Wake Up Screaming, peta2's Warped Tour documentary came out today, and it was mentioned on MTV News:

And Texas-born punk-rocker Jason Bayless picked up a camera to document Hawthorne Heights, Silverstein, NOFX and others on the Warped Tour, footage that's been compiled as "Wake Up Screaming."

If you haven't purchased your copy yet, click here to buy Wake Up Screaming on DVD directly from us (all of the money will go straight to PETA's campaigns); otherwise, you can pick one up at any f.y.e., Coconuts, Wherehouse Music, or Hot Topic store, or online from Best Buy, Circuit City, or Amazon. (The DVD will also be for sale on the upcoming MTV $2 Bill tour.) No matter where you buy it, we hope you enjoy it!

-Noah

P.S. Send Jason—the star of the documentary—a message at myspace.com/jason_bayless to give him a pat on the back for all his hard work on the film!

Redecorated KFC Billboard October 9, 2006

Posted by Marta | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

A little red paint goes a long way.

Please note that we are in no way encouraging you to throw paint on KFC's property - that would be against the law after all. We're just sayin' ... if some paint happened to land on some of their billboards, we might chuckle a little bit. And by "a little bit" I mean "a lot."

-Noah

WonderPig #5! October 6, 2006

Posted by Marta | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Here's WonderPig #5 from our friend Phil Tutton. This one features PETA's own Jack Shepherd helpin' WP out. The rainbow jacket he's wearing is (unfortunately) based on a real life rainbow jacket. Oh Jack...

Past WonderPig comics:

WonderPig #4
WonderPig #3
WonderPig #2
WonderPig #1

Lots of other animal rights art up now at peta2.deviantART.com.

-Noah

Four days until Wake Up Screaming comes out on DVD!

Veal or No Veal? October 5, 2006

Posted by Marta | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

I was really excited to see this game on the front page of AIM Today when I logged in. Check out Round 6, Challenge 1: "Veal or No Veal". (Click on the number 6 at the top, then click the "play" button next to Challenge 1 on the left.) I got a perfect score.

In other news, the new Frosted Mini-Wheats (organic style) are gelatin-free and vegan! I'm so excited I can hardly contain myself.

-Noah

Woodies October 5, 2006

Posted by Lara Sanders | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

The MTVu Woodie Awards are coming up real soon, and it definitely wasn't a shocker to find that several peta2 supporters are among those up for awards.

Here is the lowdown on the nominees:

The endlessly cute and highly danceable Hellogoodbye are nominated for the Road Woodie award for touring like madmen, and putting on shows that are as consistently good as Soyatoo whipped cream.

The ever so subtle Against Me! is up for the Animated Woodie for their video "From Her Lips to God's Ears (The Energizer)" for their spooky take on a political Wizard of Oz.

And my personal favorite video this year, possibly ever, Rise Against's "Ready to Fall" is up for the
Good Woodie award for their commitment for social change. Yay!

So vote for your favorites and hopefully you will pick these guys...they deserve it.

Also check out peta2's Libby Awards feature to nominate your peta2 top picks for 06.

xoxo-lara

More on Wake Up Screaming October 4, 2006

Posted by Marta | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Check out this feature article about Wake Up Screaming from Norfolk's best alternative newspaper, Portfolio Weekly:

Wake Up Screaming follows the action in and around the peta2 tent, spearheaded by Bayless, as it promotes animal rights and vegetarianism on the tour. Bayless is made the focus of the film - his travails personal and plights philosophical play raw on screen in a way that presses the border of invasion.

Bayless himself is not the definition of the oft-stereotyped scary and in-your-face animal rights activist. Sure, his left arm is inked with a detailed depiction of a cat tortured in a Texas Tech lab, but Bayless is easy-going, intelligent and more poised to talk than pick a fight.

For the PETA organization, Bayless' disposition is probably the documentary's greatest strength. The Senior Youth Projects Specialist of peta2 debunks negative typecasting while remaining determinedly dedicated to the cause.

Throughout the feature Bayless is caught goofing off with various spikey-haired drummers and lead singers (more like lead screamers in this case), engaging with show-goers about animal activism, visiting with Mom in Dixieland and discussing his impending divorce on camera vis a vis his soon-to-be ex-wife.

The film touches on the humor, the passion and the motivation Bayless personifies. He self-deprecates, making goofy faces as he attempts to sing and dance like rock-star. At a tour stop in D.C. he dresses as a monkey for a protest skit in which he is beaten by lab-coated scientists outside of COVANCE headquarters. On numerous occasions he is shown waxing philosophical on the benefits of a vegan lifestyle to both artists and fans.

(... read more)

The DVD comes out in six days! You can enter to win one here, or pre-order one here. Starting on Tuesday, the DVD will also be available at all f.y.e., Wherehouse Music, Coconuts, and Hot Topic locations. (Check back later this week for a full list by state for where you can find it.) So how about it? Comment to tell us if you've pre-ordered Wake Up Screaming already, or if plan on buying a copy next week.

-Noah

The Video Circus Owners Don't Want You to See October 3, 2006

Posted by Marta | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

This video from YouTube is brilliant. Props to whoever made it!

If anyone you know still gives their money to circuses that (ab)use animals, show them that video and give them one of these leaflets.

-Noah

Seven days until Wake Up Screaming comes out on DVD! (Actually 149 hours to be exact.)

Gaultier: Selling Death October 2, 2006

Posted by Patricia | Permalink | Comments ( 1 )

I told you we had something up our sleeves...

Death for Sale

PETA helped kick start Paris Fashion Week by taking over the window of Jean-Paul Gaultier's Paris boutique today. Gaultier, who just loves shrouding people in furry corpses, is probably best known for outfitting Madonna with those super pointy cone-shaped bustiers. I wonder if it was their mutual blood-lust or greed that brought that lethal combo together. Probably a bit of both. I wouldn't doubt it if he went pheasant hunting with her. I can see them now, covered in pelts, blasting away at birds...dreadful...back to the mayhem! Covered in "bloody" pelts and striking a pose for nearly 40 minutes, PETA president Ingrid Newkirk, our Violet, Dan, and Yvonne caused quite the media frenzy—think paparazzi spotting TomKat with Suri for the first time—as photographers clamored to get pix of the "blood" splashed windows. We sure know how to get people's attention, huh? Clutching their "Death for Sale" banners, our heroes held their ground until la police carted them off to la pokey. Don't worry though, they're all fine, which isn't the case for the animals waiting for Gaultier to turn them into clothes. So come on, pledge to be fur free, all the cool kids are doing it.

Violet, red-handed

Fur = a bloody mess

Off to la pokey

XOX

Patricia

Chicken + Colonel + Butcher Knife + Stilts = Sweet! October 2, 2006

Posted by Marta | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

On Friday, Lindsay Rajt—Campaign Coordinator for "Kentucky Fried Cruelty" campaign—and a group of PETA interns and local activists held a protest to coincide with the Ad Week parade in New York City. KFC's Colonel Sanders was up for an award for being an "advertising icon" (there was this huge Colonel balloon in the parade—disgusting) and we wanted to be sure that everyone at the parade knew the truth about the Colonel's secret recipe. Two of our lovely interns from Australia happen to be stilt-walkers, so one dressed up as a chicken and chased around the other dressed as the Colonel and attacked him with a big butcher knife ... while walking on stilts. The pictures are amazing.

If you live in NYC and you weren't there for the parade/protest, you missed out big time.

-Noah

P.S. Eight days until Wake Up Screaming comes out on DVD!