HSUS Hollywood Office Cites Top Media Offenders in 2004 'Foe Paw' Report

HSUS Hollywood Office Cites Top Media Offenders in 2004 'Foe Paw' Report DreamWorks' 'Anchorman,' Fox's 'The Swan' and FX's 'The Shield' Lead 2004 Dishonor Role HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Jan. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- 'Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy,' 'The Swan' and 'The Shield' are given the thumbs down for their negative animal messages in the 2004 "FOE PAW" REPORT, the annual top ten dishonor role compiled by The Humane Society Of The United States (HSUS) Hollywood Office, part of the nation's largest animal-protection organization. The HSUS Hollywood Office monitors the news and entertainment media for its coverage of animal issues and, as presenter of the annual Genesis Awards, also honors the media for the very best in pro-animal coverage. The 2004 "Foe Paw" Report ANCHORMAN: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (DreamWorks) Comedy and good taste seldom go hand in hand (nor should they) but certain jokes strike a bad note when they involve senseless, albeit pretend acts of animal cruelty. In this case, Jack Black kicks Will Ferrell's dog off a bridge. It doesn't matter that the dog reappears unscathed at the end of the film; it's the fact that kicking a dog is meant to be funny. These comedies attract young males and young males rank high among animal abusers, so filmmakers should think twice about how they amuse their audience. (July) THE SWAN (FOX TV) "Reality" turned ugly in the beauty pageant finale of this makeover show when, for the first time in over a decade, a national network gave the winner a full-length mink coat. Why, after a team of plastic surgeons and hair and make-up experts have transformed an "ugly duckling" into a "swan," would the producers promote fur as the ultimate adornment of beauty? Diamonds are a girl's best friend, and any truly beautiful woman would leave a fur on its original owner! (May 24) THE SHIELD (F/X) Can all graphic acts of violence be justified in the interests of plotline and character? It's true that in its examination of a serial killer, this episode touches on the disturbing link between violence to animals and violence to humans. But even if this L.A. cop drama is known for its gritty realism, is it really credible that a detective would strangle a cat (a felony in the state of California) in order to get into the mind of a killer, and is it really necessary to show it in such shocking detail, or is it just a quest for ratings? (May 18) LOS ANGLES TIMES - They're Quacking Up The Wrong Tree David Shaw trashes the California Foie Gras bill and animal activists who support it in a callous Food Section article. Denying that force-feeding ducks to make their livers 8 to 10 times their normal size is inhumane, Shaw actually implies that even if it is, who cares! "Pets are raised to be loved and cared for. Livestock is raised to be killed and eaten. The ducks in question are specifically bred and fed to yield foie gras." According to Mr. Shaw, it's okay to inflict cruelty on animals we eat, but not on those we pet -- we say, what's the difference? (May 5) FEAR FACTOR - Road Kill Cafe (NBC) With mind numbing monotony, Fear Factor can always be relied upon to come up with an offensive contest involving live or dead animals. This time, competitors were obliged to eat unidentified road kill after throwing animal carcasses into a bull's eye ring to determine who has to eat the most maggot infested meat. Not content with close-ups of this gross-out activity, the director added tasteless cutaways of stuffed animals keeling over as they appear to be hit by oncoming cars. Isn't it time Fear Factor got hit with a violation? (Oct 4) MAXIM Magazine - Buffalo Wingmen Another regular and, no doubt, proud offender is this young male targeted magazine. "You've never hunted until you've held a still-warm buffalo heart and eaten its liver raw" is the opener to a graphic and vaguely sexual description of the evisceration of a buffalo which even includes an image of the hunter spreading the dead animal legs with the caption: "Buffalo Porn." The article goes on to encourage the hunting and skinning of polar bears and mountain lions, which it boasts "you can serve at your next BBQ without leaving the continent." How obscene! (June) HAPPY TREE FRIENDS, Volume 3: Third Strike (Mondo Media) Capitalizing on the unrestricted Internet to promote a show deemed too violent for mainstream media, Mondo Media is scraping the bottom with this shocking piece of gratuitous violence in which characters such as Cuddles the rabbit, Petunia the skunk, and other woodland creatures scream in pain as they are impaled and beaten in blood curdling detail. Sadly, they are also available on DVD and as toys, complete with gruesome features. This may be a cartoon, but it isn't 'Tom & Jerry"! Making light of animal suffering to impressionable children, or adults, is an irresponsible and sick form of entertainment. (Aug) THE WALL STREET JOURNAL - Decoding the Ritual That is a Bullfight: Matadors as Pop Idols - By Caitlin Randall It's ironic that in the same year the Spanish city of Barcelona called for a ban on bullfighting an American newspaper would blatantly promote this odious blood sport. With barely a reference to the cruelty involved, Randall seems unable to disguise her admiration for the barbaric ritual or the matadors who make millions out of their so called artistry. "They fight because they need to ... it's a kind of addiction. Bullfighting is a drug," she quotes the Matador Union. With over 1,000 bulls killed in Spain each year, it's an addiction they need to kick. (Aug 27) THE NEW YORK TIMES - That Certain Look: Animal Magnetism - By Grace Glueck Conceding the non-PC nature of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's exhibition, 'Wild: Fashion Untamed,' Glueck nonetheless enthuses about the variety of fur and hides on display at this celebration of fashion's obsession with dead animal skins, adding casually that "leopard, tiger, jaguar, and their like are well represented here" - these are endangered species, not car models! As for her citing the Met's rationale for the show, and its curious take on the origins of the anti-fur movement, one gets the impression that Glueck is seeking her own rationale for admiring this unfortunate exhibition. (Dec 10) AARP Magazine - Bring Home a Best Friend It's ironic that the ARRP's (a national organization for seniors) monthly publication would promote buying puppies from breeders to its vast membership, when there are millions of mature and unwanted dogs languishing in shelters. The article actually discourages going to a shelter, stating "you won't be sure if you'll have a Toto or Marmaduke," and suggests that a pure-bred is a worthwhile investment given the potential for stud fees. Dogs shouldn't be regarded as a financial asset; they are companions who enrich the lives of the seniors. Surely, that is a reward worth having. (May/June) The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization with more than eight million members and constituents. The HSUS is a mainstream voice for animals, with active programs in companion animals and equine protection, wildlife and habitat protection, animals in research and farm animals and sustainable agriculture. The HSUS protects all animals through legislation, litigation, investigation, education, advocacy and fieldwork. The non-profit organization, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2004, is based in Washington, DC and has 10 regional offices across the country. On the web at www.hsus.org. For more information, contact: Sue Blackmore HSUS Hollywood Office (818) 501 2275 Source: The Humane Society Of The United States CONTACT: Sue Blackmore, HSUS Hollywood Office, +1-818-501-2275 Web site: http://www.hsus.org/ ------- Profile: International Entertainment