"And they skin these cats while they're still alive."
- From: "rosa parks mills mccartney" <johnwlsnvll@xxxxxxx>
- Date: 24 Dec 2005 08:02:44 -0800
Journalists fail to press celebrities about outlandish claims
By Bryce Lambley/Platte Valley Outdoors
I'm just amazed at the free pass journalists sometimes give to
Hollywood figures and similar others when interviewing them. Such was
the case when Heather Mills-McCartney made an outrageous assertion
recently.
Mills-McCartney, wife of former Beatle and current PETA (People for the
Ethical Treatment of Animals) supporter Paul McCartney, has been in
very high profile on the issue of European countries and their apparent
appetite for furs from Eastern European and Asian dogs and cats.
Maybe these reporters are just so thrilled to be interviewing someone
famous that they forget any common sense they had, but in a recent
exchange, Mills-McCartney furthered her point by adding, "And they
skin these cats while they're still alive."
I find that very hard to believe for graphic, common sense reasons I
won't get into. And I would've hoped that some reporter would have
similarly found that claim outlandish and asked for clarification or
evidence. Instead, the article is printed with the provocative remark
intact, and I'm guessing that many are then convinced it is true. But
don't expect that from our entertainment press, especially Larry King
where she was a guest recently.
I don't know if it's true, but the "shocking" video I saw on TV
showed no evidence of her "skinned alive" claim, although such
hyperbole certainly rallies the troops I'm sure.
If a politician makes a hard-to-believe claim, reporters grill them
with follow-ups to verify the source of information. But entertainers -
let's say (noted animal activist) Pamela Anderson for example - get
lobbed softballs.
Maybe reporters can't keep their eyes on their notepads and remember
they are supposed to have some skepticism when interviewing anyone.
That would explain why they overlook that most animal rights activists
are walking, talking hypocrites based on other choices they make such
as wearing leather or owning vehicles with leather interiors, or
drinking beer which utilizes animal by-products in its suds-producing
agents.
And those opposed to wearing real furs often believe fake fur and
plastics and vinyl are sound environmental alternatives. Actually the
opposite is true. Real fur is a renewable resource, whereas artificial
fur is produced from petroleum products, something not renewable in
this millennium.
I don't have any problems with the media asking easy questions of
entertainers about their make-believe and hyped-up (or is it
"hopped-up"?) world. But when those in the limelight decide to
stray from their fairy tale existence and address real world issues,
the press needs to treat them with all the skepticism they do the rest
of us.
Instead, Hollywood celebs make their case on Larry King Live rather
than facing a real journalist with actual questions. And much of the
American public just gobbles it up as gospel.
Hey, I'm not thrilled about trade in domestic animal fur. But I do know
that like most Americans, I think it's fine to eat domestic cattle,
sheep and pigs. And it's only smart to use their hides (or wool) for
other products. And ask a local farmer what he thinks of the raccoon
overpopulation problem we've got.
Next week, we'll examine some of the dirty secrets the outlandish
groups PETA and Humane Society of the United States would rather you
not know about. The sad thing is their hypocritical grandstanding hurts
the fine work done by local shelters like the Dodge County Humane
Society, which in the past has disavowed the "work" done by those
national groups.
.
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