Kate Winslet Against Foie Gras

Posted by Yvonne on April 19, 2010 | Permalink

Within just 24 hours of its release, Kate Winslet’s foie gras narration for PETA had been viewed by more than 230,000 people. This astonishing fact is a perfect example of why we here at PETA so greatly value the support of the wonderful celebrities who back our campaigns on behalf of animals.

The footage that you see in Kate’s narration is not something that anyone would actually want to watch – it is extremely distressing. Foie gras is French for “fatty liver”, and the narration shows ducks who are forced to spend their brief lives in squalid, cramped conditions. The animals stand on wire mesh and have metal pipes forced down their throats so that corn meal can be pumped into their stomachs until their livers swell to up to 10 times their normal size. Even though the production of foie gras has been banned in 16 countries, including the UK, it is still legal to sell it here.

As animal rights activists, we are constantly struggling to reach the public and to stop them from turning away when faced with the horrible reality of life for millions of animals – whether it is on foie gras farms, fur farms or factory farms. The media, which we rely on to present our campaigns to the largest possible audience, can grow weary of reporting on “depressing” animal issues – they are constantly looking for an “angle” or something that makes the story “newsworthy”. This is where celebrity support plays a vital role.

Kate Winslet is a much-loved and greatly respected actor. By agreeing to lend her voice to PETA’s campaign, she has made people sit up and take note. Because of her role in the video, many people are watching the harrowing footage, signing our foie gras pledge, and forwarding the video to friends. This means that every day, more and more people are learning about the cruelty behind this supposed “delicacy”. I was lucky enough to meet Kate at the narration, and I told her about the huge impact that Sir Roger Moore’s involvement has had on the campaign. She was thrilled to hear that it was thanks to him that luxury department store Selfridges agreed to pull foie gras from its shelves. And it hasn’t been that long since the media attention following Leona Lewis’ complaints about the Brit Awards’ menu caused the event’s organisers to speedily remove foie gras from the menu.

So the next time that you hear people moaning about celebrities, please point them in the direction of the PETA website, where they can see dozens of narrations, ads and appeals by celebrities. And let them know about the huge and positive impact that celebrities can and do have on the world!

Please take the time to watch Kate’s narration and forward it to as many people as possible.