Our Chat with Simon Cowell May 14, 2009

Posted by Patricia at May 14, 2009 5:39 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 7 ) | TrackBack
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If you're like me and pretty much everyone else in the country, you're gearing up for next week's American Idol season finale. I have a feeling it's gonna be super close so I won't even try to predict a winner.

Anyway, we recently chatted with our good friend Simon Cowell, who may be tough on singers but is a big softie when it comes to animals. He's anti-fur, promotes spaying and neutering, and even recorded a TV PSA to remind everyone why dogs should never be left in cars in warm weather.

Simon had so many great things to say that I'm not going to waste any more of your time, I'll just let you get right to his interview.

Do you think it's important to adopt a dog or cat rather than buying one from a pet store?
Well, I mean, if I was buying a dog, I wouldn't buy it from a pet shop, I'd go to a rescue shelter. Or I'd go to a friend who couldn't take care. ... It's not where the dog came from, it's the dog. ... I get really annoyed when people start telling me about the make and the model of their dog like [for] a car. ... A dog is a dog, no matter what background they've got. ... Often, the mutts, the strays have got more personality than a highly bred pedigree.

Why do you think some people are obsessed with buying purebred dogs? They are plagued with physical issues, and some breeds are so popular that folks can't tell their own dogs apart from their neighbors' dogs.
Well, I think the fashion accessory thing has become quite the thing here. You've got the rap and pop stars carrying around the highly bred dogs .... They think it'd be embarrassing to be seen carrying a mutt ... when actually it would be endearing—people would think they cared more about the dog than their image. The other thing which is a problem, as you know, is they'll make movies about, you know, Chihuahuas, and thousands of people will go out and buy Chihuahuas like in the movie.

Right. And we're concerned that the same thing might happen now with the first family. What do you think about their Portuguese water dog?
I think we've got to be balanced on this. I think—on a positive note, I think it's nice that they have made an issue of buying a dog for the kids. What I think would be great would be if they also took in a shelter dog, just from anywhere, to balance it. I'll even pay for the dog food!

The Westminster and Crufts dog shows are always controversial because they promote purebred animals when so many mutts are dying in animal shelters. What do you think of these shows?
Well, again, I have two thoughts about them, because I think the vast majority of people who go and watch something like Crufts or who are involved are animal lovers, not animal haters. The problem (in the U.K. at least) is that we have elitism in the dog world, which does bother me, for who's to say what makes the perfect dog? The fact that these judges are saying that a bulldog who can't breathe properly is the proper way to breed a dog—that's just insane! Because, in their warped minds, that's what a dog should look like. I've got a show called Britain's Got Talent, where we have crazy dog acts, and I like those dog shows better. The dogs are having a blast, obviously having a great time.

We see a lot of dogs chained outside like bicycles, for life. What is your message to people who do that?
That's disgraceful. The awful thing about what that person doesn't realize is that in the dog's mind, as he's being chained up ... that dog has put his trust in the person who's chaining him. That dog would give up his life nine times out of 10 for the person who's chaining him up. ... For a dog, under those circumstances, just to be left alone, starving to death, lonely and thirsty, is about as low as a person can go. You've got to have a really warped, disgusting personality to want to do something like that. That really disgusts me.

What makes you angriest when someone is cruel to an animal?
I think the fact that they get an enjoyment out of it. I think the disrespect—a dog's sole purpose in life is to guard you, and it's your responsibility, and the dog will give up his life for you—would literally die for you—is unbelievable! It shows a really ... like Michael Vick. He should never, ever be publicly supported again. Ever. If people really knew the gory details of what he was doing .... They think it was just a dogfight, but what do you do after the fights? The way they kill the maimed dogs ....

Right. And it came out last winter that Vick even threw his family pets into the fighting ring.
That's not a human being—that's a sadist.

As you know, your image is posted on our mobile spay-and-neuter clinic, which rides around in low-income, rural areas of Virginia and North Carolina. People cheer when they see you on the van, and they bring their dogs out for their vaccinations. Thank you for that. Can you send some words to people who are having a hard time putting food on the table about why they shouldn't forget their dogs in these tough economic times?
Well, I think that a life is a life, and I totally respect the fact that it's very easy for pampered celebrities like me to lecture, and sometimes I despise people like me because we don't do enough. But I can tell you that if you give an animal kindness, it will come back to you a thousand times over. ... You get so much out of it, I cannot tell you. And for us, certainly, I am always willing to do—if I can help you financially, I will do that. If you need a donation anytime, we'll set it up straight away. Never hesitate calling me about that.

Did you know that several of your American Idol graduates have gone on to help animals? Carrie Underwood, Reuben Studdard, and Kellie Pickler are, for example, all vegetarians and are all on PETA's "sexiest vegetarian" list. If you know someone is good with animals, does that make you more inclined to be kind to them after they perform?
Well, funny enough, there's normally something that connects me to them. Certainly with Carrie, the second she walked in, I sensed a real kindness about her, and I think it's part of her appeal. And to me, it just shows that you're a nicer person. So I'm not surprised to hear all of that, to be honest with you. I'll do more to encourage it. We'll put it on the questionnaire!

Kelly Clarkson = Vegetarian March 20, 2009

Posted by Patricia at March 20, 2009 9:53 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 22 ) | TrackBack
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Yep, that's right ... Kelly Clarkson has gone vegetarian and you heard it here first. OK, well, second if you read her blog, and third if you heard a recent interview she did with a UK radio station but no need to get technical.

When the DJ talks about eating a huge steak while visiting Amarillo, Texas, Kelly says she's been a vegetarian for over a year: " ... I tried it and it's been great so a 72 oz. steak in front of me right now might make me barf at this point."

The DJ teases her throughout the rest of the interview saying she can't be a vegetarian in Texas, but she holds her own telling him, "It's so much better though, man, I feel better ... " Go Kelly!

I'd like to think my Davey Havok and the rest of the AFI boys had something to do with this, I mean after all, it was at Live Earth where she said she first heard about the devastating effects the meat industry had on the environment.

And maybe fellow American Idol winner and former Sexiest Vegetarian Alive Carrie Underwood was a bit of an influence, too. I mean she always talks about being veg and helping animals, so you never know.



P.S. I love Kelly's new song, "My Life Would Suck Without You" but "The Trouble with Love Is" from Love Actually will always be my fave. What's your favorite Kelly Clarkson song?

Kellie Pickler Goes Vegetarian for the Animals! October 29, 2008

Posted by Patricia at October 29, 2008 4:15 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 8 ) | TrackBack
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Taking a cue from her pal, fellow country superstar and former Sexiest Vegetarian Alive, Carrie Underwood, Kellie Pickler has stopped eating animals! Oh, and we had a little part to play in her decision, too, dontcha know.

The former American Idol contestant, red-hot country sensation, and reformed rare steak lover recently told People Magazine that she first decided to give up meat for health reasons, but then one night she was randomly Googling (which always leads to cool finds!) and came across one of Pamela Anderson's TV ads, which lead her to our many videos. Our wonderful Pam strikes again!

"One night I couldn't sleep and I was up just Googling random stuff and I'm like, 'Hmmm, PETA.' I saw all the videos and I just thought it was horrible. It's animal cruelty. A lot of it has to do with knowing what happens to the animals and it really bothered me and so I will not eat meat."

It's been five months and Kellie, who says she used to eat rare steak all of the time, is not looking back. And with good friends like Carrie for support, we see a long, healthy, meat-free future for Kellie, who incidentally is getting my vote for World's Sexiest Vegetarian of 2009!

xox
Patricia

P.S. Which peta2 video has had the biggest impact on you or someone you know, and why? Comment below—we love hearing from you!