You see that purse that Reese Witherspoon is carrying up there? That’s a python, or rather, it used to be, and PETA doesn’t appreciate it. Are you surprised? Because you really, really shouldn’t be.
And now here’s the part where PETA attempts to publicly shame Reese. Here’s a warning for the more tender readers among us: the middle paragraph is the extremely dramatic and graphic part where they talk about all the python had to go through to be made into a bag:
No matter how much Reese paid for that bag, the animals paid a much higher price.
Every year, millions of snakes are impaled on hooks or nailed to trees by their heads and skinned alive. Hoses are inserted into the mouths of large snakes—like pythons—and their bodies are pumped full of water to loosen their skin so that it will cut away more easily. The animals’ peeled, writhing bodies are then discarded, and it often takes days for the animals to die from the effects of shock and dehydration. We can’t imagine that she’d wish to contribute to this hidden suffering, especially for something as frivolous as a fashion accessory that can be replicated with no bloodshed.
These days, it’s easy to have a look that kills without killing—with fake snake, mock croc, python pleather, and other designer items that pay tribute to the beauty of these animals without massacring them.
I get PETA’s point, I really do, and I completely agree. I don’t think you have to skin a snake just to get a purse (which isn’t all that cute anyway, in my opinion), but there’s a better way to get that point across. You don’t always have to make people physically ill or showcase naked ladies, PETA. There’s more to the world than that.
if people can’t stomach the reality behind their accessories and steak dinners, I don’t think they should be consumers of animal products at all.
And, uh, what is that better way to get the point across?! “Oh, dear super rich, morally ambiguous, self-indulgent Celebrity, please don’t support snake skin products ‘cuz they are bad!” Sure, that would work.
Just because it’s unpleasant to hear doesn’t mean that the celebrities, and the people who look up to celebrities, should not hear how things are. Bottom line is, celebrities should not attend parties of war criminals either, but they do it anyways, so it’s perfectly okay to be slapped into reality from time to time.
Besides, fur and wild animals skin attire is so awfully tacky. Gosh, it’s almost 2012, wake the fuck up!
The problem with this description is not it’s graphic nature, but its believability… What would be the incentive to keep a dangerous animal alive while you skinned it??
Sorry but Peta’s desire to push Veganism as good for the environment seems at odds with their plz buy toxic, synthetic leather substitutes. And it’s annoying.
Shallow vein stupid celebrities don’t bother to look in to WHERE their products came from and how they suffered if they were animal products. So, they most likely don’t bother reading labels on all the toxic GMO processed garbage ‘food’ they consume or the tons of toxic ‘beauty’ products they slather on – because if there’s a designer label attached to it, that somehow makes you a ‘status symbol’. Hahaha Hope they get cancer. Karma sucks for ignorant dummies who perpetuate animal cruelty in the name of vanity.
i really don’t see a better way to get the point across than the truth. what should they say? “we don”t like your bag. that animal died” ? that will get people to stop taking part in owning things like this? if that were true everyone would be veg.
and yes i am vegan