H ollywood actor Pamela Anderson is best known for her roles in TV shows ‘Baywatch', ‘Stacked' and ‘Home Improvement' and films such as ‘Superhero Movie', ‘Barb Wire' and ‘Scary Movie'. As celebrity brand ambassador of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), Anderson has starred in several of their ad campaigns against leather, seal hunting and animal testing. She was instrumental in getting fruit juice maker POM to stop testing on animals and is the spokesperson for MAC Cosmetics ' AIDS Fund and the American Liver Foundation. In 1999, she won the Linda McCartney memorial award for animal rights.
You've been the face of PETA's campaign against leather and fur. What made you decide to switch to animal-friendly alternatives?
I've never worn fur. And as far as shoes go, I've never seen a pleather (plastic or synthetic leather) stiletto that I didn't like. Fashion should be fun, not fatal. The most innovative designers are refusing to work with animal skins, and they're proving that it's easy to create a look that kills without killing animals.
You work in an industry that demands that you look good 24 hours a day. Do you adhere to a cruelty-free beauty regimen?
Eating vegetarian helps me stay slim and healthy. Meat is loaded with saturated fat, which weighs you down and packs on pounds. My advice to anyone is to try eating more vegetarian meals. And don't make animal suffering part of your beauty regimen — use cruelty-free cosmetics and personal care products. For a list of cosmetics and personal product companies that are animal-friendly, check out PETAIndia.com.
Some say your ads are sexist. What is your stand on the issue?
The ads are sexy, not sexist. I think sexism is telling a woman she cannot use her body in a political protest. The businesses PETA fights can be ruthless, so they have to be strong to fight the battle and be tough and tenacious, yet sexy.
People often avoid graphic videos and descriptions, particularly those relating to the leather manufacturing process. Why do you choose to include this content in your ads?
I encourage anyone who is still wearing leather to go to PETAIndia.com, watch the video that I narrated, and sign the pledge to go leather-free. After watching how cows suffer all the cruelties of factory farming — overcrowding, unanaesthetised castration, branding, and inhumane treatment during transport and slaughter, it becomes pretty obvious why everyone should give leather the boot.
Do you face cynicism from those who call what you do ‘celebrity activism'?
Most of the feedback I get is positive. Of course someone's always going to criticise you, no matter what you do, but I don't let it bother me. I know the work I'm doing is important, and there's so much more to do, so I don't have the time to get bogged down in negativity.
Was turning vegetarian the final frontier?
I've been vegetarian for many years. Once I learned how animals raised for food are crammed into sheds by the hundreds or thousands and then carted off to have their throats slit, I knew I didn't want to support that industry.
The showbiz industry is notorious for animal exploitation. How do you steer clear of animal abuse and do you have a word of advice for audiences on what they can do?
Animals have absolutely no business in show business. Once, when a chimpanzee was scheduled to appear on a sitcom I was working on, I made producers use a robot instead. I've visited sanctuaries full of discarded ape “actors,” so I know first-hand what becomes of animal performers. Animals being ripped from their mothers when they are just days old and beaten to perform tricks is something that I refuse to be part of — period. Audiences should avoid any production that uses great apes or other wild animal ‘actors'.
What is the most memorable thing a fan said to you about the impact you made on him or her when it comes to animal rights?
Growing up, I never imagined I'd have the opportunity to really make a difference, but I hear from people all the time that they went vegetarian because of an ad I did, or they stopped wearing fur because of a video I narrated. That's a wonderful feeling, to know you're affecting people in a positive way, and I hope I can continue to do that.
