Quantcast Vegetarian StarNellie Mckay (2)

Meatless Mouthful: Nellie McKay Activism Icons

Written by Vegetarian Star on Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 in Female Musicians, Female Singers, Meatless Mouthful.

Only Make Believe Celebrates 10th Anniversary - Inside

“I like [deceased animal-rights activist and actress] Sandy Dennis. I like how both she and Doris Day not only fight for animals in a larger sense but also took them in at home. I was just looking at pictures of Billie Holiday and her dog. I like the thing, or at least the idea, of doing things for some other creature or person. It’s a very noble idea. I’m not sure it gets you anywhere, but I can kind of dig that domestic scene. I like how [comedian] Dick Gregory started out focusing on civil rights and became an animal-rights activist. I like how Alice Walker not only fights for civil rights and feminism – which is a difficult blend to pull off because it’s the whole divide-and-conquer thing; everyone’s always trying to pit activists against each other or make it seem like they’re fighting separate or conflicting battles – but she not only fights for civil rights and feminism but animal rights, too. It’s great.”

—-Nellie McKay, on her favorite activism icons, which of course, feature vegetarians, in an interview with headcount.org.

Possibly Related Posts:


60th Annual Tony Awards At Radio City Music Hall - Arrivals

Nellie McKay released a new album this week, Normal as Blueberry Pie: A tribute to Doris Day.

Nellie first became acquainted with the musical legend while participating in an animal rights protest, of all places.

“I was at a protest outside the aquarium in Maryland, and there was a music shop there and I picked up, just because I liked the cover, a CD of hers called It’s Magic, which had a lot of her early work for Warner Bros., and I listened to it all the way on the bus ride home,” Nellie told Vanity Fair.

“Yeah. I really love Baltimore, and it’s so sad that the harbor there is defined by the aquarium. Aquariums—it’s not the wild. They’re a business and they can’t help being a business; anything you’re going to build is not going to be the ocean.”

Nellie was elated to find out the singer she looked up to championed animal rights as well, as Doris founded the Doris Day Animal League.

“You know, I hadn’t known [anything] about her except she always looked happy in her pictures. She was one like Julie Christie or Mary Tyler Moore that I read had become involved in animal-welfare work—it does make you like people more. Becoming politically involved can alienate people but then it can make people dig you all the more. It’s like if you go to a Sean Penn movie and you think, Well, it’s not the greatest movie but I like his politics.”

Read the entire interview with Nellie at vanityfair.com.

Possibly Related Posts:


New Yorkers will be heading to the polls tomorrow to cast their votes in the primary election.

Yetta Kurland, an openly vegan candidate for City Council, has received some props from singer-songwriter Nellie McKay in this PSA.

Kurland has championed for the rights of many, including animals and humans.

“She fights for civil rights for every person,” McKay says. “She fights for animal rights. And she fights for environmental justice.”

Possibly Related Posts:


65th Annual Theatre World Awards in New York

The fifth annual Taking Action For Animals conference is wrapping up its last day and several stars showed up for a banquet to share their vegan and animal rights experiences.

Nellie McKay talked about her recently adopted pit bulls, who apparently love to eat some vegan things, because they’ve been chewing on her shoes, which she pointed out to the audience.

Humane Society of the United States president and CEO Wayne Pacelle talked about his decision to work with convicted dog fighting ringleader and ex Atlanta Falcons football player Michael Vick.

And Ginnifer Goodwin discussed how various “moments” like pouring milk over her cereal led to her making the vegan transition.

Read more about the guest speakers and TAFA events at animalrights.about.com.

Possibly Related Posts:


5th Annual Jammy Jam Awards
skittles-791435

Nellie McKay has expressed her love for junk food and the interest in manufacturing more junk food for vegans.

The singer and songwriter may have gotten her wish because Skittles has taken the gelatin out of their candies.

Weird fact: Skittles had already taken the junk out of  their trunk (a.k.a. the gelatin from their product) in other countries. What took them so long to get on board in the U.S.?

But now’s not the time for criticism. Let’s give it up for Skittles and show ’em how we appreciate them making a mainstream product veg friendly.

via vegdaily.com

Possibly Related Posts:


Amgen Tour of California Stage 7

The fifth annual Taking Action for Animals conference is taking place this month from the 24th-27 in Arlington, Virginia.

Actress Ginnifer Goodwin and Nellie McKay are among the guest speakers, along with notable animal advocates like CEO and president of the Humane Society of the United States, Wayne Pacelle.

This is definitely worth a road trip for animals lovers as registration for the conference is only $165, with options to attend one or two specific workshops, as well as an exhibit pass.

Issues such as factory farming, dog fighting, effective campaigning, and lobbying are just some of the workshops that will offered.

Not to mention, there’s a banquet too-good food always make an event better!

For more information, visit takingactionforanimals.org and register today.

Possibly Related Posts:


Charlize Theron Fights Pet Breedism

Written by Vegetarian Star on Friday, June 12th, 2009 in Actresses, Animal Issues.

The Simon Wiesenthal Centers Annual National Tribute Dinner

Singer-songwriter Nellie McKay told us last month during our interview with her that people need to forget the breeds and go for the mutts!

Charlize Theron agrees!

The actress recently donned a “Fight Breedism” T-shirt while walking along the beach with a cute, celebrity mutt alongside her.

Theron was modeling a new T-Shirt available through PETA, which can be purchased online.

The shirt educates as well as makes a fashion statement, including facts like 8 million cats and dogs taken to animal shelters, but less than half are ever adopted.

We don’t have to go into details about what happens to the ones that aren’t adopted, do we?

Get your shirt and spread the word that buying animals really does kill them.

Possibly Related Posts:


2009 The 24 Hour Musicals - After Party

“Children have a natural empathy with animals. They carry around a teddy bear and are taught to love animals. All those fairy tales have animals in them. Then kids are taught to accept their exploitation and death. I do think people try to do the best they can, but they get hit by mixed messages from every direction. They get confused and need to learn.”

—-Singer and songwriter Nellie McKay, in an interview with popmatters.com

Talk about mixed messages…Kids grow up with cats and dogs as pets and cows and chickens as food. No wonder the adolescents of today are so angst ridden!

Possibly Related Posts: