Living Without Meat

I hope you haven’t forgotten about Price Is Right’s original host, the animal-loving Bob Barker, because he certainly hasn’t forgotten about the animals! He may have retired from his TV gig, but he’s not just kicking back and relaxing in his retirement years. In fact he’s found a new hosting gig, at least for this weekend.

On Saturday, March 14th, Bob “spay your pets” Barker will be hosting the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida’s (ARFF) star-studded, $250 per ticket, 20th Anniversary Gala in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Also attending the gala are well-known, outspoken animal lovers including Pamela Anderson, PETA President and Co-founder Ingrid Newkirk, and PCRM President and Founder Dr. Neal Barnard.

ARFF has been “promoting and protecting the rights of animals in Florida” since 1989 and are always in need of more volunteer activists.

I am embarrassed to confess that I just watched some of E!’s 101 Celebrity Slimdowns, but I have to admit that in order to share some of the awesome things that the comedians and fitness pros said.

At least two people included on the list - Alicia Silverstone and Tobey Maguire - had veganism connected to their weight change (I am proud to say that I did not watch all 101 weighty stories). Alicia went from average girl skinny to celebrity woman skinny when she became vegan. On the flip side of the scale, Tobey’s story was about how he muscled up for his role as Spider-Man.

It’s more accepted by the general public (read: non-veg folks) that vegans are skinny than that vegans can be ripped. So I was certainly pleased when the commentators response was fairly positive.

Two male comedians commented went for the easy target, tofu, but did so in a very animal rights-ish way: Tofu is nasty. I mean, not as nasty as killing, plucking, cooking, and eating an animal, but it’s pretty nasty (quote paraphrased from memory).

Aussie speaker, trainer, and nutritionist Susan Powter pointed out that it is harder, but not impossible to gain muscle mass on a purely plant-based diet: People think you can’t bulk up and can’t get protein from a vegan diet, but they’re wrong (again, paraphrased from instant recall).

If you still don’t believe that you can lose fat and gain muscle on a strict vegan diet, check out these pages:

* VeganFitness.net
* Vegan Bodybuilding blog and Vegan Bodybuilding Web site
* The Vegan Fitness Team

One of my (many) favorite things about the green blog Ecorazzi is the writers’ impressive abilities to find celebrity quotes about vegetarianism and animal rights.

Here’s a sampling of some recent Razzi finds:

Michael Vick, on his “Developing Empathy for Animals” test administered by PETA: “This course has given me a different perspective + perception on animals and how to treat them. First starting off with the golden rule. Do onto others, as you want them to do on to u. To me it applies to humans + animals or any creature on this earth that breathes fresh air. In my life from now on I have to make decisions for me, my family, friend, neighbors, that will benefit everyone. My relationships with animals will forever be different. I have the upmost respect for all living creatures and I wish I could have took this course 5 years ago.”

Anjelica Huston, in a letter to Mummy director Stephen Sommers about his upcoming project, Tarzan: “Critics lauded King Kong in particular for the emotional depth that the giant ape displayed - without any real apes suffering in the process. Can I please hear that you similarly plan to use only creative alternatives to great apes in Tarzan?”

Pamela Anderson, in a letter to the Mumbai, India, high court: “Dogs cannot use condoms, but with the municipality’s help, they can be ‘fixed’ — painlessly, quickly and permanently.”

Ricky Gervais, in an interview with David Letterman, about providing animals as a gift to needy people in poor countries: “They’re 50 quid down, I’ve got nothing, the African family’s going, ‘Not another mouth to feed.’ It’s ridiculous. There’s nothing in it for the goat. The goat wakes up in barren land going, “Where am I? A week ago I was gamboling through the Cotswolds in glades and then someone just kidnapped me, put me on a boat, took me to Africa.’ It’s like Roots in reverse. I bet he didn’t want to go to Africa. I think the goat had no choice. …”

See what you’re missing out on if you don’t read Ecorazzi regularly?

After reviewing four animated animal-friendly movies this weekend - Home on the Range and Barnyard on Friday, and Open Season and Chicken Run on Saturday - I realized that my roommate owned a popular, recent one that I hadn’t watched yet. And so, Saturday night I stayed in and watched Bee Movie. Unfortunately, that’s 91 minutes of my life that I can never get back. Let me make sure that you don’t fall into the same trap: do not watch it.

Despite my longtime annoyance with Jerry Seinfeld, I went into Bee Movie with an open mind, respecting him for making a film that addresses the growing bee disappearance. Alas, I was sadly disappointed.

Seinfeld voices the main character, Barry B. Benson, a young honeybee on the brink of starting his life as a dedicated, hard worker. When faced with the decision of what bee career he wants for the rest of his life, Barry panics and flees the hive in search of something more. After befriending a human, Barry discovers that humans are stealing bees’ honey. He is outraged and decides to create change. So he sues the major honey companies on behalf of all bees.

Warning: spoilers ahead. The main flaw of this flick is its muddled message. First, the bees are happy working all day. But when they argue the class action lawsuit, they whine about humans abusing them and forcing them to toil away simply because they are the little guy. They win the case and can begin to relax. The message initially seems to be that humans are cruel, bees are defenseless, and we should back off. But part of the lawsuit was that all the honey be returned, so now there is no need for the bees to work at all. Thus, without pollination, plants begin dying and the world is bleak and gray. The bees start working again, Barry saves the day, and all is right once again.

I understand where the writers were going: we need bees, but we also need to respect them. It just didn’t work though. And the humor of Seinfeld, which is what I dislike about him, failed to save it.

While watching The Duchess starring Keira Knightley, one quote in particular stood out to me:

Georgiana, The Duchess of Devonshire: I fail to comprehend how far we are fully committed to the concept of freedom.

Sir Peter Teazle: Freedom in moderation.

Georgiana: The concept of freedom is an absolute.

That statement is so powerful: freedom is absolute. There is no in between. There is no halfway point. There is no compromise. A being is either free or not. A man or animal can either choose to come and go as he pleases, or he cannot.

And in case you are not willing to take a movie quote as a truth, the dictionary defines freedom as “the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint; exemption from external control, interference, regulation, etc.; the power to determine action without restraint.”

With the presidential inauguration just over a week away, the Obamas are all the chatter. Veggie blogger Elaine Vigneault pointed out two new animal campaigns that used Barack’s sayings and pictures as inspiration. Check them out:

From VegKit.org, comes the clear message of how to bring change - Go Vegan!

The text reads:

Change your diet. Change the world.
“We are the change that we seek.” ~ President Barack Obama
Great news! Each of us has a powerful tool for change if we choose to use it. At every meal, we have the opportunity to improve our health and make the world a better place. By ‘kicking the meat habit’ and transitioning toward a vegan diet, we take a bite out of some of the world’s biggest problems.

Less is more… we can:
- Reduce environmental pollution and waste, protecting our land, air, and water.
- Reduce global warming; animal agriculture is the #1 producer of greenhouse gasses.
- Reduce hunger by reducing the price of food, including corn, soy, rice, and grains.
- Reduce risk of top killers, including heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes.
- Reduce animal suffering by saving animals from slaughterhouse atrocities.

Find out more with your FREE Veg Starter Kit & Weekly e-mail recipes.

www.VegKit.org

888-FARM-USA

Next up, an AdoptaPet.com visual:

So regardless of who you voted for, next week should be a time to recognize what the new president means for animal welfare and the environment. To get involved supporting and holding accountable the new president, check out groups such as Animal Rights Advocates for Obama.

Sports Illustrated not only wrote an amazing follow up story about the dogs that survived Michael Vick’s dog fighting ring, but it was the cover article, which means feature article length.

Check out the cover here, featuring rescued pup Sweet Jasmine, and the beginning of the article. Click on the cover to read the whole article.

Cover headlines:

“Vick’s Dogs: The Good News Out of The Bad Newz Kennels” by Jim Gorant; “Sweet Jasmine: a pit bull rescued from Michael Vick’s property has found a happy home”

Article heading:

“Since being rescued 20 months ago from the dogfighting ring financed by Michael Vick, all but a few of the abused pit bulls have been recovering in sanctuary, foster care and adoptive homes. Now even the most traumatized of them can have a Happy New Year”

First paragraphs:

“THE DOG approaches the outstretched hand. Her name is Sweet Jasmine, and she is 35 pounds of twitchy curiosity with a coat the color of fried chicken, a pink nose and brown eyes. She had spent a full 20 seconds studying this five-fingered offering before advancing. Now, as she moves forward, her tail points straight down, her butt is hunched toward the ground, her head is bowed, her ears pinned back. She stands at maybe three quarters of her height.

She gets within a foot of the hand and stops. She licks her snout, a sign of nervousness, and looks up at the stranger, seeking assurance. She looks back to the hand, licks her snout again and begins to extend her neck. Her nose is six inches away from the hand, one inch, half an inch. She sniffs once. She sniffs again. At this point almost any other dog in the world would offer up a gentle lick, a sweet hello, an invitation to be scratched or petted. She’s come so far. She’s so close.

But Jasmine pulls away.

PETA WANTED Jasmine dead. Not just Jasmine, and not just PETA. The Humane Society of the U.S., agreeing with PETA, took the position that Michael Vick’s pit bulls, like all dogs saved from fight rings, were beyond rehabilitation and that trying to save them was a misappropriation of time and money. “The cruelty they’ve suffered is such that they can’t lead what anyone who loves dogs would consider a normal life,” says PETA spokesman Dan Shannon. “We feel it’s better that they have their suffering ended once and for all.” If you’re a dog and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals suggests you be put down, you’ve got problems. Jasmine has problems. …”

Read the full story.

Use SI’s online feedback form to send thanks for giving Jasmine her say.

Rory Freedman is a name that has taken over the vegan world. It all started when she co-wrote Skinny Bitch with Kim Barnouin. The book carried a hidden message: veganism is the only healthy diet choice. When it was released in 2007, Skinny Bitch: A No-Nonsense, Tough-Love Guide for Savvy Girls Who Want to Stop Eating Crap and Start Looking Fabulous! caught the eye of major press publications – such as the New York Times, and superstars – such as Victoria Beckham.

Riding on the success of the first book, the two joined forces once again, this time creating Skinny Bitch in the Kitch: Kick-Ass Recipes for Hungry Girls Who Want to Stop Cooking Crap (and Start Looking Hot!), a follow-up recipe book.

Freedman soon begin showing up at vegan and animal rights events across the nation and a veg superstar was born.

Aside from winning Best Vegan Cookbook in PETA’s Proggy Awards, and donning the cover of the Nov./Dec. issue of VegNews as the magazine’s Person of the Year, Freedman (and the elusive Barnouin) pumped out two more Skinny Bitch books before the end of 2008! In September, we got Skinny Bitch Bun in the Oven: A Gutsy Guide to Becoming One Hot Healthy Mother!, and in November, Skinny Bitchin’: A “Get Off Your Ass” Guide to Help You Change Your Life, Achieve Your Goals, and Rock Your World! Hit shelves.

Whether you love her, hate her, or are still unaware of this ubiquitous woman, there’s no denying that she is now an intricate part of the vegan movement … and that her books have the longest titles ever!

Us magazine asked dozens of celebs what their New Year’s resolution is for 2009. Check out these veg-, health-, and nutrition-related answers!

Eva Longoria Parker: “To give up meat.”

Fergie: “It’s always the same: to work out more and eat healthier. I’m trying to go organic, eat more raw.”

Click here to read the rest of the celeb’s resolutions.

As 2008 comes to a close, I’ve taken some time to look back over what the year brought for Living Without Meat. This site is only about a year and a half old in total, so I’m still getting to see it grow and expand daily. As I peruse what readers enjoyed and responded to during the year, I decided to highlight a few popular posts from 2008.

Here are some of LWM’s highlights from the year:

* On January 25, I mentioned that TV reality star and tattoo artist Ami James posed for a PETA ad in “Miami Ink’s Ami James: Friend of Animals”. Maybe it’s because the post has been up for 11 months, or maybe it’s the fact that a topless photo of a sexy man was included, but either way this post had the most visitors.

* Ellen Degeneres garnered a lot of attention this year between her vegan wedding with Portia de Rossi and official coming out as a vegan.

* October was the busiest month thanks to the presidential election, Oprah’s animal rights shows, and World Vegan Day.

* I was honored to receive comments from staff members of well-known animal and vegan organizations: PETA’s Lianne responded to several posts, including “Oprah Named PETA’s 2008 Person of the Year,” “Hayden Panettiere: Animal - and Leather - Lover,” and “Nudity Rules: Opinions Vary on Naked PETA Ads.” VegNews left a gift for me in the comments of “Dear Santa: Presents for a Vegan” - a gift subscription to the magazine!

Happy New Year, everyone! Cheers to a good year past and one more to come!

“Nicky wanted me to get her this photograph. It is of a beautiful swan because she loves swans, so I got her that. And Paris, I am going to get her a very cool faux fur coat. Like a bomber jacket.” - Kathy Hilton discussing the Christmas presents that she bought for her daughters.

PETA wants Oprah Winfrey to know that her outspoken compassion for animals has not gone unnoticed or unappreciated - the animal rights organization named the talk show maven their 2008 Person of the Year.

It all started when Oprah, a known dog lover, saw a billboard in Chicago that read “Oprah: Do a show on puppy mills. The dogs need you.” She took the hint and ran with it.

Over this past year, Oprah shared her pain with her audience when her beloved dog, Sophie, passed away. She went on to expose the cruel truth of puppy mills and factory farms. Then she took it one step further and educated her viewers about a vegan diet when she took author Kathy Freston’s 21-day vegan challenge.

With all that she has done over 2008, it is clear why PETA is honoring her. The nonprofit proudly stands behind the daytime queen stating that “Oprah uses her fame and listening audience to help the less fortunate, including animals.”

Congrats and thanks to Oprah!

PETA’s on a mission to bring naked women (where is the male nudity?), who are anti-fur, to the masses. Dozens of female celebrities have posed nude for the animal organizations “I’d rather go naked than wear fur” campaign. We’ve seen the skin of girl group Danity Kane, Eva Mendes, Joanna Krupa, and, most recently, Khloe Kardashian, just to name a few.

With the promotion of this latest particularly in-your-face plump rump, opinions have been flying, debating the morals behind using sex to sell your idea. Here are the four different standpoints:

1. Extreme Feminist: This group is angry and outspokenly so. Read one such opinion in Feministing’s PETA: Cause Objectifying Women Never Gets Old.

2. Leaning Toward Feminist: These folk look more toward praising the positive alternatives. My co-worker, Karen, left such a comment yesterday on my post about fffashion.

3. Carefree: This is me. We don’t care enough either way to voice opinions. If women want to have creepy men drooling over their naked pictures, so be it.

4. Extreme Support of Nudity: Many people love these ads and swear by the “sex sells” mantra. Veggie blogger Elaine Vignault is a good example: read her post Feministing: Because Some Feminists Never Grow Up and check out one of her blogs - Naked PETA.

And to be fair I should point out that Dennis Rodman and Jackass’s Steve-O have also posed nude for this campaign … but is that the best we can get?

The battle of fur as fashion has been going strong lately: Lindsay Lohan gets flour thrown on her and called a “fur hag.” Celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow pose with fur, but swear they were tricked and would never wear it. Even more celebs pose for PETA’s anti-fur ads, most recently, Khloe Kardashian. The Humane Society files a lawsuit against companies that falsely label real fur as faux. Kid Rock loves his fur and starts a war with PETA. …

But can’t we debate the topic in a friendlier manner, like maybe a fashion design competition highlighting budding designers that don’t use fur?

Born Free USA united with Animal Protection Institute and E Magazine have joined forces to do just that!

The contest, fffashion, is a fur-free fashion contest for designers 18 or older, with an April 1, 2009 deadline, and an inexpesive $25 entry fee. Judges include Sophie Uliano, green living guru and author of New York Times bestseller Gorgeously Green; Summer Rayne Oaks, eco-model, activist, spokesperson, and resident expert for Discovery Network’s Planet Green; and Brita Belli, editor of E Magazine. Premier online independent fashion Web site UsTrendy is also supporting the contest.

Learn more about Born Free USA’s stance and believes on their Fight Against Fur campaign page.

Heroes cheerleader Hayden Panettiere is stir up some controversy with animal rights organizations and bloggers. Recently, she collaborated with fashion brand Dooney & Bourke to design the “Hayden Clutch,” which is a calfskin and leather purse.

Now if you follow your animal-loving celebrities, you’ll know that this use of animal product seems to conflict with Hayden’s moral beliefs. She’s a vegetarian. She is also a strong, outspoken, and highly active voice for Save the Whales Again.

So why chose to promote calfskin?

While I 100 percent disagree with her choice to use any animal products, I also have to point out that, although she has been in the animal-loving limelight lately, she is not, and never claimed to be, a vegan. She is a vegetarian, and, by definition, only refrains from eating animal flesh.

Interestingly, earlier today I happened upon the Wikipedia page for “cruelty to animals.” It reminded me that there are more distinctions to be made besides just vegetarian or vegan within the animal rights realm. Here’s a snippet:

The animal welfare position holds that there is nothing inherently wrong with using animals for human purposes, such as food, clothing, entertainment, and research, but that it should be done in a humane way that reduces unnecessary suffering. Animal rights theorists criticize this position, arguing that the words “unnecessary” and “humane” are subject to widely differing interpretations, and that the only way to ensure protection for animals is to end their status as property, and to ensure that they are never used as commodities.

So while Miss Panettiere has a big heart, specifically for whales and dolphins, she is, alas, neither a vegan nor an animal rights believer. Thus she has no problem promoting a calfskin clutch for which we cannot accurately call her actions contradictory or hypocratic. She, and others like her, support animal welfare - not animal rights. There is a difference.

Animal rights believers can and should, however, reach out to politely educate her, as PETA is already doing.