Bethenny Frankel Nude for PETA
Bethenny Frankel nude for a cause. Photo courtesy of PETA.
"Real Housewives of New York City" breakout star Bethenny Frankel has had many moments in the spotlight.
Between her magazine covers, booming business, and successful book, the star is everywhere. But she's never been exposed quite like this before.
This time, it's Frankel's nude body in the spotlight -- specifically in a giant ad in NYC's Times Square -- proclaiming those famous words, "I'd Rather Go Naked" (than wear fur) in support of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
And, might we say, all those Skinnygirl margaritas have worked out. The woman is in great shape!
According to the PETA, Frankel said, "I used to wear fur. I went to a cocktail party...and a PETA protestor was holding up a skinned animal. I looked at it, and it made me sick." The star changed her mind about mink, and says "Since then I've really been against fur."
Unfortunately for Frankel, after the ad was unveiled at noon on December 15th in NYC's Times Square, some fellow housewives had some less-than-nice reactions.
New Jersey Housewife Teresa Giudice tweeted her distaste for the photo, claiming, "I just threw up a little in my mouth," and after Bethenny was quoted in an article saying she was pleased with what appeared to have been minimal airbrushing, Giudice tweeted "I'm not buying the airbrushing thing in any case."
Instead of getting back at Giudice by, say, flipping over a table, Bethenny fired back by posting the untouched photo for all to see, telling US Weekly, "If people are talking and saying [the photo] was airbrushed...then, you know what? Here's the picture. Have it your way."
Take a look at both photos below -- we think Bethenny looks great either way!
Tips on Healthy Living with Bethenny Frankel
Bethenny Frankel Hits the Red Carpet for A Place of Yes
Bethenny Frankel on the Skinnygirl Rules
Bethenny Frankel Talks About Naturally Thin
Vasu Murti, 12-22-2009, 2:24PM
The animal rights movement is divided on a number of issues, including the means to achieve liberation. Some activists are opposed to companion animals, because "owning" other animals as property should be as unthinkable to us as owning other humans as property. Others can accept the idea of companion animals with the understanding that we are their guardians -- they are not our property, and we are not their owners.
Some activists accept euthanasia as a humane means of ending animal suffering, and as a necessary evil to the problem of pet overpopulation. Others, such as Nathan Winograd, who has written an entire book on the subject, Redemption, embrace a "no-kill" philosophy.
In a 1992 interview with conservative talk show host Dennis Prager, Ingrid Newkirk (Executive Director, PETA) said the animal rights movement is divided on abortion. A 1998 cover story on abortion in the Animals' Agenda also discussed the debate within the animal rights movement over the abortion issue.
And in 2003 or 2004, on the Democrats-For-Life e-mail list, Maria Krasinski mentioned a poll which found animal activists evenly divided over the abortion issue. This is significant. It means either animal rights are a bipartisan cause (which conservatives can support as well as liberals), or it means many liberals are uncomfortable with abortion.
So the animal rights movement is divided on a number of issues, including euthanizing animals. PETA has taken flack from feminists within the animal rights movement, for example due to its use of supermodels and the "We'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" campaign.
But you can't ignore PETA's influence on mainstream society, which is the reason I'm behind it:
peta2 is now the largest youth movement of any social change organization in the world. peta2 has 267,000 friends on MySpace and 91,000 Facebook fans.
A few years ago, PETA was the top-ranked charity when a poll asked teenagers what nonprofit group they would most want to work for. PETA won by more than a 2 to 1 margin over the second place finisher, The American Red Cross, with more votes than the Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity combined.
The number of animals killed for food in the United States is 70 times larger than the number of animals killed in laboratories, 30 times larger than the number killed by hunters and trappers, and 500 times larger than the number of animals killed in animal pounds.
Debates over euthanasia, spaying and neutering, animal welfare versus rights, using sex to sell nonviolence, etc. seem trivial in comparison to the number of animals killed for food. Friends Of Animals (another animal rights organization, based in Darien, CT) sells buttons stating "Veganism is Direct Action."
I think everyone in the animal rights movement would agree on that point.
Reply »