Olympian Amanda Beard Bares All for PETA! August 6, 2008

Posted by Patricia at August 6, 2008 9:17 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 2 ) | TrackBack

They say that timing is everything, especially in the wide world of sports, just ask two-time Olympic gold medalist Amanda Beard. So we were beyond thrilled when she agreed to unveil her new naked anti-fur ad in Beijing just days before the start of the 2008 Olympic Summer Games!

Yes, you read that correctly. The captain of the U.S. women's Olympic swim team unveiled her naked anti-fur ad today...in China...days before the Olympics begin. This is amazing, you know, because most of the world's fur comes from China where dogs, cats, and other animals are kept in disgusting conditions and many are skinned alive. Take that fur industry!

Amanda, who incidentally was on People Magazine's "100 Most Beautiful People" list this year, had no problems stripping for her sexy new ad. "I'd much rather go naked than ever put a dead animal on my body," she told us during her photo shoot. Check out what she had to say in this behind-the-scenes video of her shoot.

We're sure you agree that there's nothing luxurious or beautiful about fur so please pledge to be fur-free today.

Good luck, Amanda!

xox
Patricia

Meet Cassandra: Lettuce Lady Extraordinaire July 30, 2008

Posted by Ryan at July 30, 2008 1:46 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 3 ) | TrackBack

Meet Cassandra. She's one of PETA's current interns, and a full-time student at the University of South Florida. She's also one of the lucky folks that has chosen to participate in our most recent "Lettuce Lady" tours, offering free gasoline to drivers who try one of our Tofurky-brand vegan sandwiches (since eating meat is the #1 cause of global warming, even more than all of the cars, boats, trains, and planes combined)!

"Naked" demonstrations are always a great opportunity for empowered and confident men and women to draw attention to a very serious issue, using a fun and upbeat approach. It also helps them reach people who may not be generally receptive to animal rights messages, since not everybody will willingly sit down and watch videos of animals being killed. With this approach though, TV, radio, and newspaper outlets have been falling over themselves to cover the events at every stop, which allows the demonstrators to broadcast the benefits of vegetarianism far and wide!

I was fortunate enough to catch up with Cassandra, right in the middle of her current demonstration tour. Here's what she had to say:

What message are you trying to get across with your demonstration?

I'm hoping that people who see our demonstration will recognize that switching to a vegetarian diet is the best thing you can do to help the environment, and to eliminate cruelty to animals. Using a fun way to attract attention to a serious issue is a great way to get people to hear our message, and if I can get even one person to stop eating animals, then I will have accomplished my goal.

What are some of the amazing foods you've been able to eat on your tour?

There is so much incredible vegan food around the country. My favorites so far have been coconut crusted chick'n, a vegan fish filet sandwich, vegan soft serve ice cream, and vegan waffles. Stuffed vegan waffles. They were packed with delicious, melty vegan cheese and tofu scramble goodness. It was like a party in my mouth.

Would you recommend that other students intern at PETA?

Most definitely. Interning has been such an amazing opportunity for me. I get to do what I am most passionate about, helping animals, while doing incredible things and having so much fun along the way. By interning at PETA, you will learn many skills to promote animal rights in your school and community, along with having the experience of a lifetime.

What kinds of things do you have planned when you return to college this fall?

There are TONS of things I have planned. The first thing I am going to do is get a group together on my campus. Through that, I am hoping to launch a campaign to ban KFC from our campus and to get better vegan options in our cafeteria. I also want to leaflet weekly, screen the movie Earthlings, and do some vegan food giveaways. Free food always goes over well on my campus.


Sounds great, Cassandra! Best of luck with the rest of the tour!

- Ryan!

P.S. - Want to get active on your campus? Drop us a line to get started!

Who Is Princess Superstar And Why Is She Naked? November 28, 2007

Posted by Pulin Modi at November 28, 2007 12:39 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 ) | TrackBack

So Princess Superstar isn't a punk rock, emo, or metal artist. But she's a talented electro artist, compassionate individual, and frankly I think she's pretty hot. When she expressed some interest in working with peta2 and our international affiliates, I jumped at the chance. And when we came out with this provocative ad featuring Princess Superstar (on a pleather couch and faux fur rug), I knew it would definitely turn some heads!

Here's a quick interview we did with Princess Superstar, too! What do you think? I think she's gonna be one of my favorite new musicians!

peta2- How long have you been vegan?
Princess Supertar- I've been vegetarian for 4 years, but vegan for about 4 months!

peta2- Why? Was there something specific that made you take this step?
Princess Superstar- I recently got certified as a Jivamukti yoga teacher—and it was impressed upon me how horrible the factory farming system is and how it is our duty to be kind and compassionate to all beings—humans AND animals. Also, factory farming is pretty much the number one contributor to global warming, so we all should consider how important our actions are to saving this planet.

peta2- What are your favorite foods?
Princess Superstar- Blueberries, almonds, coconut water, sauteed spinach, and soy cheese pizza from Viva Herbal Pizzaria in NYC.

peta2- Do you find it hard to find non-leather apparel?
Princess Superstar- No, I live around the corner from "Moo Shoes" and am pretty spoiled here in the East Village with all the vegan friendly shops.

peta2- Who are your favorite musicians?
Princess Superstar- David Bowie, Missy Elliot, The Beatles, Vitalic, The Clash, Can, Stevie Wonder, Tomboy, Justice, Outkast, The Cure, Salt N Pepa

peta2- Does being a strong ("explicit") woman in the music biz make you an "outcast" already? I suppose becoming vegan didn't make this much better...
Princess Superstar- I've always done whatever I've wanted to do. Actually I don't really have a choice. I follow my heart even if I am considered strange. It makes me happy and I think people should step out of their comfort zone and be brave in this life

peta2- What inspires you? Musically, ethically...
Princess Superstar- All the music I mentioned before inspires me. Ethically I am inspired by Gandhi, Patanjali, Albert Einstein, Julia Butterfly, Sharon Gannon and David Life- and then all the members of PETA of course!

peta2- What are the next steps in your carreer?
Princess Superstar- I am working on a new album, and I am very excited about it—it's all very hush hush though at this point!

peta2- Do you have a message to the peta2 audience?
Princess Superstar- Total respect to all people who have an interest in animal rights—it has always been the duty of the strong to speak for those who don't have a voice!

See, isn't Princess Superstar so cool? Like I said, she's talented, compassionate, and attractive. I like the quirky ad, too. It's fun, and I'm all about having fun while doing some activism!

-Pulin

Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency Goes Fur Free August 22, 2007

Posted by Patricia at August 22, 2007 2:00 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 ) | TrackBack

Janice Dickinson is all that is great about reality TV. Admit it, you know you loved watching her tear those wannabes apart on ANTM just as much as I did. I watched The Surreal Life every week praying she would clock that Omarosa. And things are just as fierce on her show The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency, thank goodness! She's outrageous and fabulous and a true diva, but when you're the world's first Supermodel you've earned that right. Janice never lets me down, always saying exactly what's on her mind not concerned about whose feathers she's going to ruffle, kinda like...well, kinda like PETA.

Hmmm...It just so happens that Janice met with PETA VP Dan Mathews last week and after watching this video about the fur industry she immediately instituted a "no fur" policy for her agency. Then Janice and her models took their message to the streets with an anti-fur demo on Hollywood Boulevard. Holding signs that read, "We'd rather go naked than wear fur," several did, while the others as you'll see in the photos below, stripped down to their skivvies including Janice herself—that's her atop that sunglass-clad stud's shoulders holding two signs and chanting. Everyone seemed to have fun while spreading the message that anyway you look at it, fur is dead. I'm just glad Janice is on our side.

Photo courtesy of Barry King


Photo courtesy of Barry King

xox

Patricia

P. S. The fab folks who work on FurIsDead.com have worked with some pretty cool retailers to offer discounts for a limited time only. Check out the deets and get shopping!

"Girls Next Door" Star, Holly Madison, for peta2! March 14, 2007

Posted by Ryan at March 14, 2007 3:15 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 ) | TrackBack

You might see Playboy model Holly Madison, star of The Girls Next Door, wearing bunny ears, but one thing you’ll never see her in is bunny fur (or any animal's fur, for that matter). Hugh Hefner's number one honey bunny—who shares both Hef and his home with fellow Girls Next Door stars Bridget Marquardt and Kendra Wilkinson in the popular E! channel reality show—is so passionate about saving animals killed for their fur that she posed naked for one of peta2's anti-fur ads!

It’s no wonder that this "mistress of the Mansion pooches"—who adores all animals, especially the nine lucky pups currently bunking with the trio of buxom beauties—was outraged when we told her that animals, including cats and dogs, are kept in tiny cages and strangled, beaten, electrocuted, and often skinned alive for their fur.

Holly's philosophy? "You don't need fur. And if you want the look of fur … there's faux fur," she says. "There is just no reason for it."

As Holly knows, nice girls—and guys, too!—always fake it. With so many beautiful and warm faux furs available, there’s no reason—or excuse—to kill animals for their fur.