Garbage Singer Trashes Fur in Dramatic peta2 Ad, First of its Kind

Shirley Manson Gives Exclusive Interview, Sponsors Big Giveaway at peta2.com

Stunning Shirley Manson is dressed to kill in her new ad for peta2. But the Garbage singer is holding a gruesome accessory—the dead body of a skinned fox—beside the caption “Here’s the Rest of Your Fur Coat.” The ad is a dramatic bid to show people that every fur coat, collar, and cuff is made from many animals who endured tremendous suffering. The campaign debuts in Manson’s hometown of Edinburgh this week, where hundreds of copies of the hard-hitting ad are being posted throughout the city. Manson is also sponsoring a “Fur Is Garbage” giveaway at peta2.com, where visitors can register to win posters of the ad, a signed copy of Garbage’s hit album Bleed Like Me, and a T-shirt autographed by Manson. Manson also talked about her career and her disdain for fur in an exclusive interview with peta2, the world’s largest youth animal rights organization.

Manson declares, “I believe very strongly in the ethical treatment of animals.” She credits her young fans with fostering her awareness of animal suffering. “A lot of my fans are very pro-animal rights, and have often, when I have been wearing fake fur … said, ‘Is that real?’ and really gotten upset, and I have had to reassure them, ‘No, it’s cool, it’s fake, don’t worry.’ They have made me very conscious of it, and I am really grateful that they have made me pay attention.”

Animals on fur farms are killed by poisoning, electrocution, or neck-breaking. Animals trapped in the wild for fur are often left to suffer for day in steel-jaw traps before they are bludgeoned or drowned. PETA has obtained undercover video footage of a fur farm in China—now the world’s leading fur exporter—in which animals are shown being smashed on the ground and skinned alive. Fur from China is sold in virtually every mall in the U.S.

Manson joins an ever-growing list of musicians—including Trent Reznor, Le Tigre, Fall Out Boy, Peaches, Morrissey, and Pink—who have teamed up with peta2 to inspire kids to challenge outdated, cruel attitudes about animals.

Manson’s dress was designed by Stella McCartney, and the ad was shot by top photographer Frank W. Ockenfels. To register for the giveaway and read more of Manson’s interview, please visit peta2.com or click here.

Pharmacists' Frontman Prescribes Vegan Diet in New peta2 Ad

Visitors to peta2.com Can Win Prize Package and Hear Why Ted Leo Thinks Animals Should Remain With the Living

“Love Animals—Don’t Eat Them. Go Vegan,” says veteran singer-songwriter and Pharmacists frontman Ted Leo in his new ad for peta2, the world’s largest youth animal rights organization. Visitors to peta2.com can view the ad and register to win a copy of Leo’s newest album, Living With the Living—which debuts March 20 from Touch and Go Records—as well as an iPod shuffle. They can also hear how going vegan has helped define who Leo is today in an informal interview taped during the shoot.

“I think that speaking out about anything that is important to you has a place anywhere, and being vegan is an important part of who I am,” says Leo, who has repeatedly been nominated for peta2’s “World’s Sexiest Vegetarian.”

A New Jersey native who got his start in the East Coast post-hardcore scene of the late ’80s, Leo has managed to stay true to the sound of punk all these years. Living With the Living—produced by Fugazi’s Brendan Canty—is no exception. The album has the added bonus of a subtle infusion of soul and R&B. As singer, songwriter, and guitarist for the group, Leo has never shied away from speaking his core beliefs or expressing them in his music.

“If someone sees the ad that I’m in, and they haven’t thought about these things before, and it leads them to think about them, that’s fantastic,” says Leo, who went vegetarian at 18 and vegan not long after.

Leo joins a growing list of musicians—including Forrest Kline of hellogoodbye, Chris Walla of Death Cab For Cutie, Meg & Dia, and Mates of State—who have teamed up with peta2 to inspire kids to challenge outdated, cruel attitudes about animals. Also featured on peta2.com are celebrity interviews, message boards, merchandise, downloadable voice-mail recordings, and chances to win great prizes like free concert tickets, iPods, and more.

For more information, to register to win the album and iPod, and to see the interview, please visit peta2.com or click here.

Mililani Teen Wins PETA Award For Tireless Efforts To Defend Animals

Fifteen-Year-Old 'Street Teamer' Leads peta2's Local Campaigns Against KFC Cruelty, Fur Industry

Mililani, Hawaii — Fifteen-year-old Mililani resident Alvin Park has won an "Outstanding Activist" Award from peta2—the world's largest youth animal rights organization—for his unrelenting fight to get KFC to stop its suppliers' worst abuses of chickens and for his protests of the cruel fur industry.

When he was just 3 years old, Park saw an elephant named Tyke rampage through the streets of Honolulu. Tyke had killed her trainer after being forced to perform in a circus. What happened next changed Park's attitude toward animals forever. "The police ended up shooting [Tyke] multiple times," he recalls. "After that, I realized that animals didn't belong in circuses."

Park—who went vegetarian at age 13 after watching PETA's shocking video "Meet Your Meat"—has been spearheading local action as part of peta2's international "Kentucky Fried Cruelty" campaign and organizing regular protests at KFC restaurants. KFC suppliers breed and drug chickens to grow so fast that many become crippled under the weight of their massive upper bodies. Many have their throats slit and are scalded to death in defeathering tanks while they are still conscious. Park has also protested the Canadian seal hunt and the Jungle Fun store in Honolulu's Ala Moana Mall, which sells toys that are made of rabbit fur.

"I left anti-fur stickers and leaflets around the [toys] and voiced my opinion about it rather loudly, despite angry glares from employees," says Park, a sophomore at Mililani High School. "This store doesn't seem to care that it's profiting off the bloody deaths of millions of animals."
Park will receive a certificate for his efforts, and he is featured on peta2.com as an inspiration to peta2's more than 220,000 "Street Team" members. Also featured on peta2.com are celebrity interviews, message boards, merchandise, downloadable voice-mail recordings, and chances to win great prizes like free concert tickets, iPods, and more.

For more information, please visit peta2.com, or click here to learn more about Alvin.

Joss Stone Says 'Veg Out' in New peta2 Ad Campaign

Soulful Superstar Raises Her Voice to Promote Vegetarianism; Fans Can Win an iPod Shuffle Loaded With Stone's Powerful Music

Grammy-winning songbird Joss Stone is raising her voice for her feathered friends—and other animals—in a brand new ad promoting vegetarianism for peta2, the world's largest youth animal rights organization. The ad is set for release on March 13 to coincide with the release of her new album, Introducing Joss Stone, and features Joss posing with a beautiful chicken beside the tagline "I'm a singer, a songwriter, a performer, and a human being accepting of all sizes, shapes, colors, and species. I am Joss Stone, and I am a vegetarian."

The soulful singer, who has been vegetarian since birth and was voted the "World's Sexiest Vegetarian" in a 2005 peta2 poll, says, "I wanted to do the shoot because I feel there is no need to cause another living thing pain or harm. There are so many other things we can eat. I have never eaten meat in my life, and I'm 5 feet 10 inches and not exactly wasting away. A wise man once said, '[A]nimals are my friends and I'm not in the habit of eating my friends.' That is exactly how I feel."

After racking up several nominations, Stone took home this year's Grammy for "Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group" for her vocals on "Family Affair" with John Legend and Van Hunt. Her powerful voice has spurred the sale of millions of her albums, and her fan base spans all ages and backgrounds.

Stone joins an ever-growing list of musicians—including Chris Walla of Death Cab For Cutie, Forrest Kline of hellogoodbye, Rise Against, Tommy Lee, and Tegan and Sara—who have teamed up with peta2 and stepped in front of the camera to inspire kids to challenge outdated, cruel attitudes about animals. Also featured on peta2.com are celebrity interviews, message boards, merchandise, downloadable voice-mail recordings, and chances to win great prizes like free concert tickets, iPods, and more.

For more information and to register for the contest, please visit peta2.com or click here.

Mates of State Bare All in New Anti-Fur PSA for peta2

Husband and wife indie rock duo Mates of State have teamed up with peta2—the world's largest youth animal rights organization--to create a brand new anti-fur PSA, currently featured on peta2.com along with behind-the-scenes footage of the photo shoot with the pair.

In the PSA, Kori Gardner (vocals and electric organ/keyboard/piano) and Jason Hammel (vocals and drum set) bare it all in a sensual embrace to make an inspirational statement to fans: "We'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur."

Why have Mates of State teamed up with peta2 to ask people to stop wearing real fur? Animals killed for fur are poisoned, gassed, anally or vaginally electrocuted, have their necks broken, and many are skinned alive. Millions of dogs and cats are killed in China for the international fur trade—their fur can wind up anywhere in the world, because it is often intentionally mislabeled as fur from other species. Kori and Jason jumped at the chance to shoot a PSA for peta2 urging their fans to shun fur. Kori explains, "Anti-Fur is something I have always believed in…I've always just felt really at odds with people wearing fur, so of course we'd want to be a part of an anti-fur campaign." She continues, "Every time I see someone wearing fur, I…really just cringe."
Mates of State join an ever-growing list of musicians—including The Shins, Death Cab for Cutie, and Tegan and Sara—who have teamed up with peta2 to inspire fans to challenge outdated, cruel attitudes about animals.

For a direct link to the peta2 web feature, please click here.

Coverage:

CMJ
USA Today's Pop Candy
Harley Sears
Brooklyn Vegan