Johnny Weir vs Friends of Animals

[Tonichelle]

Personally I don't see why Johnny has to wear real animal fur all the time when women everywhere have all but given up thier fur coats, hats etc.

don't visit my blog next month, then... when the FUR Rondevoux comes to town which is a tradition dating back many generations here in Alaska and was brought about when trappers would get together in the winter to sell their furs and just basically get out of the cabin and have human contact.

we still do it in 2010, fur is EVERYWHERE and pelts are still auctioned in the same way they were 75 years ago and even longer (75 official years, but it's a older tradition).

and yeah, both men and women wear them...


and yes snowballs are thrown, insults are slung (racist ones at that at the Native Alaskans) by those that are against it. They do the same thing at teh Iditarod. As a trail guard I had to get teh police involved a few years ago when a group of "animal lovers" were slinging snowballs at the mushers (16 dogs, one musher on the sled, chances are the "doggy saviors" are going to hit a dog, not a human).

I can understand disagreeing with Johnny - I do that quite a bit - but I wouldn't doubt what he's saying about the hostility.

 

[antmanb]

Mentioning it specifically in a NY times interview, he knew it would get attention---?? Was there any reason to talk about it in an interview? attention seeking IMO??

He would not have mentioned about it if a reporter didn't asked him about it. A reporter raised his hand(NY times reporter) and asked him about his fur. (and asked him to answer his quesion!)So he answered it is fox fur and explained why he used it. He answered quite shortly. (about 30 sec? ) Why is it attention seeking behavior?

I find that a little difficult to believe.

Johnny has no problem dodging questions he doesn't want to answer, we all know that

He has mentioned using fur in his new design of the LP costume in at least one other source (i can't remember which though).

Johnny's a big boy, he's joked about his fights with PETA in the past, he knows exactly what he's doing and doesn't need fans boo-hooing about the hardship he suffers as a result of his widely publicised choices.

Personally I don't see why Johnny has to wear real animal fur all the time when women everywhere have all but given up thier fur coats, hats etc. Forget about being a role model, dosent he feel bad wearing something that has caused pain. Then again after watching his reality show again last night he does come across as juvinellie and self-centered.

I don't know that you really mean everywhere since wearing fur in Europe is still pretty much completely acceptable. The UK is possibly one of the few countries in Europe where it might be considered less acceptable.

Ant

 

[Mafke]

Yeah, the animal people in this case are acting as if wearing fur is a settled ethical question everywhere when ... it's not, really. They've gone to step two (trying to enforce non-use of furs) without actually finishing step one (trying to convince people to their position).

The dynamics here might work differently if this were entirely an internal US issue, but Weir is an international figure with an international following (which is probably larger in unself-conscious fur using countries than in the US).

 

[gio]

I don't know that you really mean everywhere since wearing fur in Europe is still pretty much completely acceptable. The UK is possibly one of the few countries in Europe where it might be considered less acceptable.

In Italy it is not that acceptable anymore. Many women are campaigning against fur and TV are showing the suffering caused to the animals. But there are also women who continue to buy and wear it.

don't visit my blog next month, then... when the FUR Rondevoux comes to town which is a tradition dating back many generations here in Alaska and was brought about when trappers would get together in the winter to sell their furs and just basically get out of the cabin and have human contact.

we still do it in 2010, fur is EVERYWHERE and pelts are still auctioned in the same way they were 75 years ago and even longer (75 official years, but it's a older tradition).

I'm sorry, but IMO tradition isn't an excuse to cause suffering to other beings. In Spain corridas are a tradition, but I find it an unnaceptable tradition.
Why do we have to torture animals for vanity and fun?

 

[Daniel5555]

I'm not a fan of Johnny Weir or fur, but I just can't restrain myself from answering when it comes to Spain.

gio

In Spain corridas are a tradition, but I find it an unnaceptable tradition.
Why do we have to torture animals for vanity and fun?

For your information: the bulls used for corrida are a special kind of bull, called "toro bravo", literally "a brave bull". Before participating in corrida those bulls are raised in freedom in perfect conditions just to be killed in corrida after 4 or 5 years.
The interesting part of it is that the existence of those bulls is actually linked to the corrida itself, that means, those bulls have no purpose at all besides corridas, because they are not used for meat (obviously, no one needs so many bulls, but even the cows of that type are not necessary at all, as for milk and meat there are more appropriate types of cows).
That means that if corrida will disappear (which may happen one day because of the people who "love animals") all those bulls will be killed in a butchery and their race (of brave bulls) will also, most likely, disappear (mostly) just like bison. Unless all those "animal protectors" will pay for maintaining those bulls, which is really unlikely to happen.

 

[Mafke]

If we're going to go further off thread, I'll say I have kind of mixed feelings about corrida. I'm pretty sure I don't want to watch it live (and I've spent vacation time in Andalucia the last couple of years) but I can watch it on tv and it doesn't freak me out or anything. TVE (which I get on cable) used to show a lot of them in the summer, but they don't seem to anymore.

On the other hand while I can accept it as a practice with a history in places where it's already well established, I don't especially think it should be exported.

Portuguese bull fighting is mostly hilarious but the bull is killed there too when it's over, just not in the ring.

To bring this back on topic:

If animal rights advocates are consistent, they'll campaign against the opera Carmen (since it indirectly glorifies corrida) and urge skaters to never use music from Carmen again for the same reason.

 

[Wrlmy]

What Weir's media persona represents and issues like animal rights happen to be cluttered in the same side of the political spectrum (without justifications), it's no surprise groups like PETA have been especially harsh to him.

But then again, I've never seen any public figure or celebrity as vocal as Johnny about his/her love for fur.

 

[Mafke]

What Weir's media persona represents and issues like animal rights happen to be cluttered in the same side of the political spectrum

Excellent point, and one I'm embarassed to admit hadn't occurred to me previously (and it should have!).
Thanks for making it.

 

[Kitt]

I love Johnny, but this quirk of his really annoys me. He must be unduly influenced by the Russian crowd. I guess their excuse is the weather....but I live in Minnesota (almost just as cold) and wouldn't be caught dead in fur!

 

[gio]

If animal rights advocates are consistent, they'll campaign against the opera Carmen (since it indirectly glorifies corrida) and urge skaters to never use music from Carmen again for the same reason.

It's not the same thing. When you use Carmen as FS music nobody kills or torture anyone.
And IMO torturing animals for fur is 100 times worse than a corrida.

 

[Mafke]

And IMO torturing animals for fur is 100 times worse than a corrida.

Please, don't be so melodramatic. Dead is dead and animals killed for fur, meat or corrida generally suffer less (and for a shorter time) than natural deaths in the wild by predator, hunger or lingering illness. Nature deals out far crueler deaths to animals than humans usually do.

 

[just wondering]

Frankly, I appreciate Johnny's willingness to perpetuate his "I am who I am" persona. He takes his stance, won't bow to pressure, and relishes the attention. Of course, I'm sure he doesn't appreciate the vitriol associated with the issue, but he probably knew that was part of the deal when he selected fox, rather than faux, for his costume.

 

[cornell08]

"PETA has been up my butt since the 2006 Olympic Games," Weir told ESPN. "I get postcards and nasty hate mail and videotapes of animals being skinned. And while I feel bad and understand their side of things, I take my little autograph card and I sign my name and I draw a chipmunk with X's over its eyes and I mail it back. Don't attack me for a personal choice."

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/s...-Johnny-Weir-on-Sundance-Jan-18#ixzz0dlLrWSQ9

:agree:

Also, Johnny loves Russian culture and part of the culture is the love of leather and furs. Try parting TAT with her fur coat. Its just a different culture. I also love that line about him drawing on the card and mailing it back-- no matter what, you have to give him credit for being candid...consistently.

 

[werelump]

I've had friends who have eatened boiled crabs and killed insects purely on the basis of their ick-get-away-from-me factor. It's not a practice that I would do personally. However, I'm not going to go picket their houses or flood their inboxes with videos of swatted half-dead flies writhing in pain. Nor would I verbally harass them or accuse them of having no soul.

Not everyone agrees that the value of the life of an animal, an insect, an embryo, a fetus is at the same level as that of a human being. While I am pro-choice, and might disagree, I don't think any less of a person's overall character if they are anti-abortion. On the topic of PETA and like organizations: Everyone has the right to express their views and to persuade, but I don't think anyone (least of all Johnny) appreciates being bullied into subjugation.

 

[Mathman]

Nature deals out far crueler deaths to animals than humans usually do.

Suppose the choice were yours. I will kill you humanely right now, or I will turn you out in the wild to take your chances?

those bulls have no purpose at all besides corrida

No comment.

And while I feel bad and understand their side of things...

What exactly is it that Johnny feels bad about? How does he express his sympathic understanding of their side of things?

 

[Mafke]

Suppose the choice were yours. I will kill you humanely right now, or I will turn you out in the wild to take your chances?

Well, first, I can tell the difference between humans and animals (humans are moral agents, animals aren't). I'm surprised that you can't.

 

[Mathman]

I do not approve of cruelty to animals.

Why? I don;t know. It just rubs me the wrong way.

 

[Mafke]

I do not approve of cruelty to animals.

IHow nice for you. How awful nature must seem to you, full of animals killing and eating each other (and natural predators don't necessarily wait till the prey is dead to start eating). On the other hand when the predators are gone a lot of the prey overbreeds and end up starving to death, which is also pretty cruel.

Why doesn't PETA _do_ something!?!

 

[stevlin]

How the animals are killed

It's not just about killing animals for fur, but also how the animals are killed. Do we have the right to torture other beings just for our vanity?

Some of the animals are killed by electrocution, a rod is put in their anus and they turn it on frying the poor thing 's insides but not messing up the fur. It is so very cruel. Some other animals are hung, smothered. But I guess some folk just don't care about the suffering. My own opinion is the fur looks a lot nicer on the animal than the human. If you see a coat with the label "Mongolian fur" it means cat and dog fur. Yes, cats and dogs are killed all the time for their fur. In some countries man's best friend is not a dog.

 

[SweetPea21307]

Although, I am huge Johnny fan, I agree with FOA on this one. Honestly, I just don't see what's so attractive about wearing a dead animal--we don't wear the skin of dead humans. ITA with stevlin, the fur looks better on the animal it was created for, not humans. I don't know how some people can continue to wear fur even after they learn about what those poor, defenseless animals have to suffer through just so people can have a new fashion accessory.