Steve-O Slams Animal Circuses In Exclusive PETA2 Interview
For Immediate Release:
11 January 2007
Contact:
Karen Chisholm 0207 357 9229, ext 229; [email protected]
Jackass Star and Clown College Graduate Talks About Animal Abuse He Witnessed, Sponsors Online Giveaway at peta2.com
London – Jackass star and red-carpet stunt impresario Stephen Glover, a.k.a. Steve-O, might be best known for his penchant for self-inflicted pain, but if you so much as mention how animals suffer at the hands of circuses like the infamous Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Steve-O goes off like a cannon. Just ask the folks at peta2, the world’s largest youth animal rights organisation, whom Steve-O invited to his house to videotape his thoughts about circuses which use animals.
“The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus has been abusing animals since the 1800s, and I’m sick of it. What a bunch of dicks!” says Steve-O, who grew up in Wimbledon, London, before moving to the US when he was 18. “F*** the Ringling Bros. circus!” says Steve-O, who performs a few Steve-O specialties in the video – like balancing a knife on his nose and walking down a staircase on his hands. The interview can be seen here, where visitors can also register to win the peta2 T-shirt he wears in the video and a skate deck – both of which are signed by Steve-O.
Why does Steve-O wish that animal circuses would fold up their tents for good? After graduating from Ringling’s Clown College several years ago, Steve-O performed in a circus, where he saw firsthand how trainers routinely strike elephants with steel-tipped bullhooks in order to instil fear and obedience in the animals. “You read about a lot of elephants going berserk in the circus, and it’s obvious why they go berserk. It’s because they’re fricking tortured every day. I saw it myself”, he says. Why does Ringling Bros. get Steve-O especially ticked? Because Ringling is the world’s largest circus that uses animals and more animals are cruelly treated by Ringling Bros. than in almost all other circuses combined. Tigers live in cages which are so small that they can barely turn around, elephants live the majority of their lives in chains and are beaten with bullhooks in order to force them to perform, and baby elephants are separated from their mothers long before they would naturally leave their families.
Steve-O joins an ever-growing list of athletes, musicians and other celebrities – including Rise Against, Alkaline Trio, Peaches, Bring Me The Horizon and Fall Out Boy – who have teamed up with peta2 to inspire kids to challenge outdated, cruel attitudes about animals. Also featured on peta2.com are celebrity interviews, message boards, merchandise, downloadable voice-mail recordings and chances to win great prizes like free concert tickets, iPods and more.
For more information and to view Steve-O’s interview, please visit peta2.com.