Natalie Portman Turns Up the Heat on 'Top Chef' October 29, 2009

Posted by Patricia at October 29, 2009 4:51 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 6 ) | TrackBack

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Did y'all catch last night's episode of Top Chef? I admit, I do watch from time to time but their dishes are usually pretty, well, flesh-filled, and I can only take so much of that before I start yelling at the screen.

So last night, the always lovely and newly twenty-year vegetarian turned vegan activist Natalie Portman was the guest judge ... you can see where this is going, can't you? (Warning: If you haven't watched it yet, there are a few spoilers ahead.)

The "Quickfire Challenge" was about creating TV dinners that were inspired by iconic TV shows, and were of course, all meat-based. Then they announced that the "Elimination Challenge" would be at judge Tom Colicchio's Vegas steakhouse, Craftsteak ... yay, more dead animals, right? Wrong!

Enter Ms. Portman who quickly told the anxious chefs, "I love food. I love eating. I'm pretty adventurous with flavors and different cuisines and the one thing is, I'm a vegetarian." Yes!

Now I won't give everything away in case some of you haven't watched the episode (you must though, it's a good one!) but let's just say, she taught the chefs a thing or two. And score one for the animals!



P.S. Natalie says that it was an advance copy of Jonathan Safran Foer's new book Eating Animals that made her go vegan. For me it was all about the cruelty to animals that I learned about by watching videos like Meet Your Meat. What made you decide to stop eating animals or to make the switch from vegetarian to vegan?

NHL's Georges Laraque Stars in New peta2 PSA! October 9, 2009

Posted by Patricia at October 9, 2009 5:04 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 ) | TrackBack

I'm not a big sports fan but I do love me some hockey. So how excited was I to find out that Georges Laraque is vegan because he doesn't want to contribute to the suffering of animals?! Um, very.

I was even more excited when the Montreal Canadiens enforcer agreed to star in a veggie testimonial video for peta2. Check it out.

Georges also took the time to answer some questions for us, so check out his interview to find out what first convinced him to go vegan and how he feels about animals in general.



As it turns out, Georges is a force to be reckeoned with on the ice and off the ice—if you're cruel to animals that is. It's nice that such a big tough guy is really a sweetheart when it comes to animals. Georges also donated a signed hockey puck and a glossy photo which you can win.

For a chance to win, comment below by October 22, 2009 telling us who your favorite vegetarian athlete is, and why. The most fanatical comment will take home the prize. The winner will be notified by October 26, 2009.

Just so you know ... by commenting here, you're acknowledging that you've read and agreed to our privacy policy.

Also by commenting, you are agreeing to the following terms and conditions.

Good luck!

AFI's "Crash Love" is Amazing! September 29, 2009

Posted by Patricia at September 29, 2009 4:55 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 7 ) | TrackBack

The day has finally arrived ... AFI's brand new album, Crash Love, has officially been released!

I am so happy, I can't stand it. I've listened to it about 50 times today. So far "Darling, I Want to Destroy You" is my favorite track.

With each album I always think that I couldn't possibly love it more than the last and then I do, and Crash Love is no exception. My Davey Havok sounds better than ever, sigh. And have you seen the promo pix? Wow. Perfection. And speaking of perfection, check out Davey's vegan testimonial video to find out why he doesn't eat animals ... or wear them for that matter.

Oh, Davey. Like I said, perfection.

Thanks, AFI. I desperately needed this.

Steve-O's Gone Vegan! September 11, 2009

Posted by Patricia at September 11, 2009 5:00 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 21 ) | TrackBack

Here's a guest blog from our good friend Steve-O.

When I first became involved with PETA, it was on an "issue-by-issue" basis—they interviewed me in my old apartment about animal abuse in the circus as I sat on a leather sofa. At that time I was a meat-eater, and told them I believe that if anyone is going to wear the flesh or fur of an animal, they should at least have the decency to eat the meat of that animal. That comment led to my involvement in PETA's "I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" campaign. The following year I chose to stop eating meat (and stop wearing or purchasing anything made out of leather), however, citing reports that Jesus Christ fed lots of people with fish, I continued to eat fish. Most recently, for just over a month now, I've kept to a strictly vegan diet and I've not felt "hard-done-by" at all. I have been really enjoying making a project out of seeking out an extremely healthy diet of raw, organic, vegan foods—and I plan on continuing to do so.
—Steve-O

Visit his Web site to continue reading about why Steve-O chooses to work with PETA and the impact he's making in the lives of animals.

Behind-the-Scenes with 'Inglourious Basterds' Star Eli Roth September 10, 2009

Posted by Patricia at September 10, 2009 1:00 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 6 ) | TrackBack

Few things excite me more than a nice, violent, gory horror flick and I have to say, Eli Roth's films are some of the most disgusting things I've ever seen. I love them. Thank you, Eli.

And putting Quentin Tarantino and Eli, aka "The Bear Jew," together for Inglourious Basterds is almost too much. That movie actually made me queasy in some places ... way to go, guys!

Eli's latest release isn't gory at all though, and I still love it. He directed and starred in peta2's brand new and very first MySpace exclusive PSA. In the PSA, Eli reminds everyone that the violence in his movies is fake, but violence against animals is real and should never be ignored.

Watch Eli's PSA on MySpace and then check out the behind-the-scenes footage from the shoot.

Great right? Eli also posed for a print version of the PSA, which you can see here. But first, check out these exclusive outtakes from Eli's photo shoot.

How Much Can You Watch? (WARNING: Graphic Video) August 25, 2009

Posted by Ryan at August 25, 2009 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 85 ) | TrackBack

We see a lot of gruesome footage around the peta2 office—whether it's bastards boiling birds, only to sell them to McDonald's, or what happens when military higher-ups seem to think that soldier training sessions should be a bloody battlefield for animals.

There are however, on occasion, videos that even some peta2 staffers have trouble viewing. Videos so horrific that we have to force our callused eyes to watch it all the way through, because we know that if we turn away, nothing will change. This is one of those circumstances.

A new video from inside a slaughterhouse in Turkey, shows ... well, you'll just have to watch ...

This is where meat comes from, folks. Don't let anyone tell you differently.

Make sure to comment below, letting us know how much of the video you could watch and what you witnessed.

Leona Lewis Rescues Bunny July 24, 2009

Posted by Patricia at July 24, 2009 3:00 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 6 ) | TrackBack

fashionindie / CC
The lovely Leona Lewis has proved time and again that she has a heart of gold when it comes to her animal friends. She doesn't wear animals (and that includes leather!) or eat them, and this week she stopped a homeless man from making a meal out of a bunny.

After spotting the man with a tethered rabbit on L.A.'s famous Melrose Ave., the "Bleeding Love" singer asked what he intended to do with the rabbit. The man told Leona he may eat him, and that was all she needed to hear. She quickly gave him $100 to buy some food and, in exchange, he gave her the rabbit.

A friend of the singer's said, "She didn't think life on a lead was any way for a rabbit to live—then when he said he was going to eat it she knew she had to save it." Aw, see, heart of gold.

As for the bunny, well Melrose—named for the street where she rescued him—is living the good life at Leona's L.A. pad. I'm pretty sure he's the happiest bunny on the planet right now.

"NYC Prep's" Vegan Cutie July 20, 2009

Posted by Patricia at July 20, 2009 4:53 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 ) | TrackBack

Ace Showbiz / CC
Are all of you as addicted to NYC Prep as I am? I swear, Bravo's got me hooked! Every week, someone's either hooking up, getting dumped, or talking trash about someone else.

Here's the deal ... I missed a couple of episodes (I know, crazy!). So I got caught up this weekend, and thank goodness I did. Their dinner party in the "Virgin Talk" episode was nuts. I love that PC took it upon himself to put people on the spot.

It was cool that Taylor (my fave) told the rest of the crew she's vegan because she "can't eat an animal". And I was pleasantly surprised the rest of the group didn't make fun of her for what she eats. In fact, PC, the most calculating of the bunch, said if Taylor was a veggie burger, he'd eat her. Way to reel 'em in, Tay!

Animals: They're Just Like Us! July 7, 2009

Posted by Marta at July 7, 2009 4:21 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 19 ) | TrackBack

We always think it's funny to see "Stars: They're Just Like Us!" photos. You know, photos of some celeb going running or picking through the produce at the grocery store to show us that they're just normal people like you and I are. OMG! My fave celeb buys food too! I can't believe it!

Well, people need to remember that animals are just like us too! Check it out (Warning: Cuteness alert!):

They reluctantly get kisses from their moms!


They get jealous when they're not the center of attention!


They spoon with their friends!

What do you think? Are animals just like us? Which pic is your favorite?

Miley Cyrus Receives peta2's Compassionate Citizen Award April 13, 2009

Posted by Patricia at April 13, 2009 9:43 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 84 ) | TrackBack
Photo:©NJO/starmaxinc.com
It's no secret to anyone in peta2 that Marta and I are big Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana fans. Yeah, I'll admit it—we're a little older than the average Miley fan, especially since we don't have kids, but that girl is so charismatic and fun, you can't help but be drawn to her.

Oh, and she's a huge animal lover, too, in case you hadn't heard. There are always stories and photos of Miley stopping on the side of the road to rescue strays. So we weren't one bit surprised when we found out that she had rescued some chickens from the set of her new flick, Hannah Montana: The Movie.

Apparently, Miley fell in love with one of the chickens on the movie set and decided to take her and several others home because, according to the article, she thought "they were sad to be working." (Awww, of course they were—animals aren't actors!) The article also alludes to the fact that she may be asked to go naked for one of our campaigns—um, no. She's underage, for goodness' sake! Not that we wouldn't LOVE for her to star in any ad for peta2—Miley, in case you're reading this, we think you'd make a beautiful "Angel for Animals"!

When we find out about celebs who do nice things for animals, we like to acknowledge it, so peta2 is giving Miley Cyrus our 'Compassionate Citizen' Award and sending her some yummy vegan chocolates.

Here's hoping that her love of chickens will make her rethink eating them.



P.S. Marta and I caught a matinee on Sunday—loved it! We knew our beloved Hannah Montana would not let us down.