Alec Baldwin confounds me. I hated him for that terrible message he left his young daughter last spring. Then I started watching 30 Rock, in which he’s so great that I decided he could call my own mother a bitch to her face and I’d still take his side. Now it turns out he’s a supporter of PETA, and gave a really interesting speech to a group of their supporters recently. A speech I’m assuming is supposed to be ironic or funny or make you think… but doesn’t entirely come off that way in print.

On Wednesday Alec hosted a screening of Blinders for PETA. The documentary film shows the cruelty behind New York’s horse-drawn carriages.

Actor Alec Baldwin has urged visitors to New York to ditch the city’s famous horse-drawn carriages – and get drunk and take drugs instead.

The native New Yorker claims the vices are as valid a “tradition” as the carriages, which he claims are cruel to the horses forced to pull tourists around Manhattan.

Speaking at a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals event in the city on Wednesday, Baldwin told WENN about the traditions he took part in during his youth in New York: “I walked through Union Square on my way to acting class and got offered loose joints. Drug dealing was a great tradition in this city.

“There are other traditions people can get involved with in this city. When I was younger, I used to get a bottle of wine and get drunk under the Staten Island Ferry… so there are things like that you can do.”

[From Showbiz Spy]

If you imagine him saying that last line as Jack Donaghy, it’s freaking hysterical. I hope a video surfaces. PETA president Michael McGraw clarified that Baldwin was definitely joking. He was pointing out that there were other traditions in New York that weren’t decent, and most people wouldn’t considering participating in most of those. Though to be fair, I have gotten drunk under the Staten Island Ferry. So drunk, in fact, that the whole ferry looked like it was painted a blindingly bright orange.

Here’s Alec at the PETA hosting of the screening of ‘Blinders’ in New York City on Wednesday. Images thanks to WENN.

PETA has what is starting to be a very unhealthy obsession with the Olsen twins. Like if PETA were the Olsen twins’ ex-boyfriend, it’d have a few restraining orders against it. The organization has been after the pint-sized twosome for years because they wear fur. And to be fair, the two don’t just wear it occasionally, but pretty much every chance they get.

I am damn sure that if one of their bodyguards ran over a bear (highly likely to happen in New York City, I might add) one or both of them would jump out of their excessively large SUV, knife already in hand, and have a new coat in under seventeen minutes flat. So if you’re anti-fur, the Olsen twins are one of the most legitimate targets out there.

As a birthday gift to the Olsens, PETA is requesting that people send the girls clumps of hair.

PETA is obsessed with trashing Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, whom they refer to as the Trollsen Twins, who are celebrating their birthdays this Friday.

PETA is encouraging animal lovers to send clumps of hair to the twins as a birthday gift. They’ve posted this on their website:

“The twins are still sporting as much fur as ever. Since they seem to be in such dire need of extra hair on their bodies, let’s give them some of ours—and send a strong message while we’re at it….Save that hair in a bag and mail it to the twins with a note that says, “Please, use my hair instead of the animals’. Happy Birthday.”

[From Hollyscoop via Gossip Rocks]

I am rabidly anti-fur; but I will admit that it bothers me less when people in excessively harsh and frigid climates wear it to keep warm than it does when fashionistas wear it to complete an outfit. But the Olsens are so emaciated that part of me wonders if perhaps they actually are as frigid as someone wandering around in Northern Siberia would be.

Today it’s already a record 101 at 1:30 in the afternoon here in New York City. But to the Olsens, wandering around scared and cold in the West Village, it’s probably registering somewhere around 19 degrees on their bones. I would still prefer they bundle up in a nice poofy Northface jacket. But I will point out that they’re probably a lot colder than the rest of us.

Apparently even celebrities get the urge for a good Spring cleaning now and then, and Pamela Anderson is no exception. Instead of going the traditional, celebrity-loved eBay route, Pammy decided to have a garage sale. Obviously it wasn’t your regular, run-of-the-mill yard sale with too many baby supplies and plastic dishes. For Anderson’s sale, she rented a house and had prospective buyers wait at a local high school, where they were then shuttled via to the home.

But because she’s still Pamela Anderson, she had to sell some tacky ass shit, including her used undergarments, “book” collection (because I really don’t think her own trashy novels count as books) and autographed paraphernalia from her Baywatch days. Oh, and some fairly ugly furniture.

Proceeds of the sale went to the Canadian actress’ favourite charity People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals (PETA). Among her extensive fashion collection on offer was a chain-mail bra, numerous satin negligees, seven-inch high ‘stripper-style’ heels and feather boas. Baywatch fans hoping for a historical reminder of the international hit TV show could buy a signed red float famously carried by Pamela’s character C.J. Parker as she bounced along the beach.

Fans hoping for an insight into Pamela would be interested to see her book collection, including political pundit William J. Bennett’s moral story book ‘The Book Of Virtues’, Eddie Muller and Daniel Faris’s ‘Grindhouse: The Forbidden World of “Adults Only” Cinema’ and the pictorial ‘Kiss Kiss’ by Patrick McMullan.

Numerous copies of her own novels, Star and follow-up Starstruck were also up for sale. Pamela’s predominantly-white furniture for sale included garden loungers and benches, a bath and shower head, a ‘Butt Blaster’ fitness machine, and blue children’s bed, which previously belonged to one of her sons Dylan or Brandon. Among her kitchen items included a toaster, blender, saucepans, a fridge and a chocolate fondue set.

[From the Daily Mail]

Leave it to Pamela Anderson to keep it classy with a chain-mail bra and stripper heels. Which I’m pretty sure are all part of the same outfit. But at least she’s selling some good basics. Because who doesn’t need to stock up on some feather boas and a toaster? I’m sure most of the items will still be appearing on eBay in the near future, due to the enterprising nature of garage sale buyers. So keep your eye out for that bra, as I challenge all of you to a bidding war.

The Daily Mail has pictures of Pam’s crap, if you’re interested. Here’s Pamela at the Bloomberg after party for the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner at the Costa Rican Embassy on April 26th. Her gentleman friend’s name isn’t given anywhere, though he does seem to be the same guy that appeared in several images with her at a PETA rally in D.C. a few days prior. Images thanks to WENN.

PETA has extended an olive branch to Britney Spears and offered the poptart a job. Considering how much Britney’s life seems to have stabilized as of late, a regular old job could be a great thing for the girl. Unfortunately the offer only stands for a one day gig, but the pay is pretty good: $1000 to the children’s charity of her choice. Though PETA has been criticized for the extremity of its anti-animal cruelty protests, I actually have to commend them for a pretty classy move. The letter they sent Spears is both honest and kind, and without bitterness for their past “disagreements.” They also complement her on the positive changes she’s made in her life, and politely ask that she reconsider some of her previous stances on animal welfare. A few excerpts from the letter:

After seeing your excellent performance on How I Met Your Mother, PETA would like to offer you a real job as a receptionist. It could be for as little as an hour, and you would see—from the inside—why we are so concerned about issues like fur and homeless dogs and cats. As a “thank you” for your willingness to learn and help, we would donate $1,000 to a children’s charity.

…You would also tell people about the misery that foxes, chinchillas, and other animals suffer on fur farms and explain how mother animals caught in traps are so desperate to return to their young that they will often chew off a limb to escape. You will tell callers about the number of animals killed to make one fur coat and how these animals—like us—would prefer to love and enjoy life rather than be strangled, poisoned, or electrocuted. And you will never be the same again.

We might have criticized you in the past for contributing to the dog overpopulation crisis and wearing real fur, but perhaps now that your own crisis has abated, a new day calls for a new relationship, a new outlook, and a new understanding.

[From PETA’s blog]

While I doubt there’s any chance in hell Britney will be showing up to work at her local PETA office, I think the letter was pretty tasteful. Britney has made some shockingly large changes in her life in a relatively short period of time – though a lot of people attribute that to her father’s influence. Maybe PETA should have addressed the letter to Jaime Spears instead. Supposedly he’s trying to find Britney some type of television work, as he thinks having a steady 9-to-5 type job would be good for her and provide stability. If that fails, I’m pretty sure the PETA receptionists work a standard 40 hour week too. And it might not tax Britney’s acting skills quite so much.

Images from Britney’s guest role as a receptionist on “How I Met Your Mother” last week.

Sharon Stone has appeared at Elton John’s Oscar Party wearing a lucky rat’s foot. No, that is not a typo – she wore a rat’s foot, not the traditional lucky rabbit’s foot.

PETA, who have never been a fan of the fur wearing actress, have launched an attack on the jewelery. I can’t blame them – the badge is just so ugly.

In a scathing attack on Stone for her fashion attire, PETA campaigners said: “Maybe Sharon, passed over by the Academy yet again, was jealous of ‘Ratatouille”s Oscar win and thought a rodent paw might go with her haggard look.”

“Her accessories these days are as dead as her career.”

San Francisco Chronicle

Now, Sharon is said to be wearing the foot as it is an item that Scotsmen wear on their wedding day. I’ve never heard of this tradition, or been to a Scottish wedding, so I’m not sure if it’s meant to be lucky for the groom. I’m not sure how it is lucky, unless it’s because we’ve just had Chinese New Year and it’s the year of the rat. I guess we can safely assume that the brooch wasn’t so lucky for the rat that is now missing a paw.

At least this zebra print outfit was fake, although I think that’s the nicest thing that can be said about it. When did Sharon Stone lose her sense of style?

At the same event, Sharon donated a vintage Corvette racing car for the auction raising money for Elton John’s AIDS foundation. A guest started the bidding at $1 million, only he didn’t have the money. It seems his was just a dummy bid, and he was planning to drop out when someone bid more. Unfortunately even the most shiny of vintage cars is unlikely to net $1 million, and the bidder had to explain he didn’t actually want the car. Whoops.

PETA scored one of the most desired ladies on the planet for their latest campaign in the fight against fur. Eva Mendes appears nude in the “Fur? I’d Rather Go Naked” ad that PETA has made famous. She will also be making a nude appearance in NY today.

“The 33-year-old starlet will be at New York’s Rockefeller Plaza in just a couple hours to unveil her new “Fur? I’d Rather Go Naked” ad for the animal rights group. Yup, Mendes appears in her birthday suit. While her chest is strategically covered by her arms and hands, her bare buttocks are in full view.”

[E Online]

Mendes isn’t the first to strip for the animal activists. Pamela Anderson and Christina Applegate have also bared their bods for the campaign. Each made appearances in the buff in hopes of spreading the word that fur is a faux pas. Eva graciously gave an interview to the people behind PETA. She revealed that she has worn fur before due to her ignorance.

“What drew you to the idea of working with PETA on our “Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur” Campaign?”

“I wasn’t familiar with PETA early in my career. I remember having my first premiere in New York City and being so naive that I didn’t have a coat with me. My stylist sent me a fur wrap for the evening and I ignorantly wore it. PETA then wrote me a beautiful letter commenting on my less-than-educated choice. I was so impressed that I vowed to them and myself to never wear real fur on the red carpet or in my life again.”

Over a thousand posters will be circulating through the Big Apple next week and giant billboard will be up in a matter of moments. Don Flood was the lucky photographer that managed to show just enough of Eva’s skin to tease onlookers. To avoid any mob scenes in the city PETA is keeping the location of Eva’s appearance a secret.

How very stealth. You know I think PETA would have more success in using someone who isn’t drop dead gorgeous to threaten nudity. Over half the people that see the ad aren’t going to realize anything is even written on the board with Eva’s rump exposed. Just a suggestion.

Picture note by Celebitchy: Header image thanks to The Peta Files blog.

You have to hand it to the PETA people. They know the best way to getting attention for the cruelty of fur and their belief that meat eating is unnecessary is to get a naked starlet to talk about it. We all pay attention to naked people, especially if they’re famous. Maybe they should team up with that photographer who takes pictures of hoards of nude people in public.

In a PSA for the PETA promoting vegetarianism, Alicia Silverstone emerges naked from a pool with sexy music playing in the background. Her arm and leg are strategically placed to ensure a PG rating, but the idea is that not eating meat makes you hot and desirable if you’re a woman, and able to land hot chicks if you’re a guy. At least that’s what I got out of it.

She says in the ad that being vegetarian makes her feel so much better. In a statement on PETA’s website for vegetarianism, GoVeg, she talks about the cute little lambs and cows that she no longer has to feel guilty about eating:

Like most people, I wasn’t always a vegetarian, but I’ve always loved animals. If you ever have a chance to meet a cow, pig, turkey, or goat, you will see that they are just as cute and funny as your dogs and cats and that they, too, want to live and feel love. They don’t like pain. Now when I see a steak, it makes me feel sad and sick because right away, I see my dog or the amazing cows I met at a sanctuary. I’ve been vegan for 10 years, and it’s the single-most important and helpful decision I have ever made. Physically, the effect has been amazing. Once I went vegan, I lost the weight I wanted to lose, my nails were stronger, and my skin was glowing. I feel great, and I look better now than I did 11 years ago.

[From GoVeg.com via The Sun]

I’m a meat eater and I always feel guilty when I see little animals from species I’ve eaten, that’s true. We like lamb at my place, and my family and I were at a farm and I just thought how cute the little lambs were and felt sad for eating them for a moment. It’s like that episode of the Simpsons where the lamb on Lisa’s plate gets up and says “Lee-eehsa, don’t eat me.”

Going vegetarian not only has health benefits, it’s also much better for the environment. My parents are vegetarian because they know that meat production is unsustainable and uses much more water and fossil fuels than grain production, especially with factory farming.

Although I have a lot of respect for vegetarianism it’s not something that I think is right for me, and I don’t believe it should be anything more than a personal choice. PETA oversteps their boundaries a lot, in my opinion, and I don’t like how they made it their business to tell Victoria Beckham, a vegetarian, that she was unknowingly sharing her land with free-roaming sheep owned by a chef that were meant for slaughter. It’s not like the sheep were mistreated or anything, they had tons of space. They also bashed Michael Moore for eating meat and being heavy when he was promoting Sicko.

PETA does know how to get attention, and there’s nothing like a hot naked chick to make vegetarianism seem sexy. There are sexy meat eaters too, though.

All opinions are respected here, and many of you have quite intelligent and well-researched things to say about this issue. Past posts about vegetarianism vs. meat eating have resulted in some flame wars, so please don’t bash people for opinions that you don’t agree with. We are kind to each other here.

Update: Thanks to Best Week Ever for linking the video, which wasn’t available earlier when the post was first published: