30 Days - Did You Watch It? June 18, 2008

Did you watch the "Animal Rights" episode of 30 Days last night? If so, I told you! Wasn't it amazing? Sugar!

If you didn't watch, I disown you. No, not really, but I will if you don't catch the rerun!

Want to know what George (the hunter) had to say about the show? Look below!

When you were first selected to participate in this show, what did you expect the experience to be like?

I was pretty scared. I expected to be surrounded by people that just wanted to argue for a whole month. I'm not afraid of an argument, but I thought the numbers were stacked against me. All I was told was that I would be totally immersed in the animal rights movement. As far as the people I would meet, I expected a lot of angry people that yelled a lot. I figured girls and guys alike would be hairy-legged sandal-wearing hippies. For the most part, I was mistaken.

How did your opinion of animal rights activists change after your 30 days with the Karpels?

I realized almost immediately that animal rights activists, PETA members specifically, were very normal folks. That being said, there are some out there, just as with the factory farms, that give everyone involved a bad name. I learned about several examples of the abuse, neglect, and suffering that occur in factory farming. It's not a pretty industry, and if people were able to experience what I did, you might see a major change.

Are there any animal rights issues that are particularly important to you now that you hadn't thought about before staying with Melissa and her family?

I am aware that there need to be changes in factory farming, but aside from veganism, I haven't heard about a practical alternative. I personally prefer to buy my meat and produce from grocers that support the smaller local farms. The Burberry demonstration was hard-hitting, but we don't have very many fur coats in North Carolina. The one subject that I find the most offensive is vivisection. I can't give away anything about the show, but I had no idea how unnecessary it was. Tissue samples are infinitely more effective. For the sake of money, it seems people are abusing animals just because they can. They should be ashamed of themselves and pray that they never have to answer for their actions.

What are your views on the tactics that PETA uses to draw attention to the suffering of animals?

One area where I think PETA could use some P.R. work is separating themselves from some of the other animal rights groups out there. The term most people relate to animal rights is PETA. Anything that happens for the sake of animals, regardless of how offensive it is, gets hung on the neck of PETA. Consequently, most people think PETA people are nuts. I believe PETA does it the right way: education. They keep it fun and provide people with information.

***

Thanks George!

Post this story to: Facebook Digg del.icio.us Newsvine MySpace
StumbleUpon More:

PETA on 30 Days Tomorrow! June 16, 2008

What do you get when you put George Snedeker, an avid hunter, with a family of vegans (including PETA's own campaign coordinator Melissa Karpel) for 30 days? If you ask 30 Days creator Morgan Spurlock, an hour of the most compelling TV you'll ever watch.

Since I have connections (i.e. I know Melissa), I got a sneak peak of the "Animal Rights" 30 Days episode that airs tomorrow night on FX at 10:00 PM EST. Morgan Spurlock was right—it was the most compelling hour of TV I've ever watched. I laughed. I cried. I loved it!

George spent 30 days living with Melissa's all vegan family in L.A. participating in Kentucky Fried Cruelty protests, eating only vegan meals, and working at a local farmed animal sanctuary.

I don't want to spoil it for you, but you really have to see what happens! So tell your family, invite your friends, pop some popcorn, and watch it!

Again, the "Animal Rights" 30 Days episode airs tomorrow (6/17) on FX at 10:00 PM EST. Check your local listings!

Post this story to: Facebook Digg del.icio.us Newsvine MySpace
StumbleUpon More: