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> News bulletin: April 2002 |
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Mr Nasty shows his nice side!
When Animal Aid heard that Pop Idol's Simon Cowell
hates animal cruelty, we were not going to let the opportunity go
to waste! We contacted Simon, and he agreed to take part in Veggie
Month by adopting a vegetarian diet for a week. Here is a transcript
of our interview:
How did you find eating a vegetarian diet for
a week?
Easy. My advice would be to find food you like, like Chinese
or Indian, because they prepare vegetables in a very interesting
way and my notion of vegetarianism was always boiled cabbage,
sprouts which I always hated when it's actually not as difficult
as you think. It's laziness part of the time why you don't become
a vegetarian.
What was your favourite veggie food?
Linda McCartney sausages were my favourite. They're much better
than eating real sausages and you don't have to contemplate half
way through exactly what's inside them. You can have vegetarian
sausages, a bit of fried bread, tinned tomatoes. Delicious.
Do you think after this week you will think about
becoming a vegetarian?
I will attempt to eat a lot more vegetarian meals.
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Could you follow Simon's example and take the Veggie
Challenge for Animal Aid?
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| How did your love
of animals begin?
I was brought up with animals mainly dogs and my parents encouraged
us at an early age to always respect and love animals. We had
Great Danes, Razorbacks, Alsatians and they will give up their
life for you literally. They are they to protect you. You will
never find anyone/thing on earth more loyal than a dog.
Where did you grow up?
In Hertfordshire, Bucks.
Do you have any animals at home?
No, I can't with my life-style it's just impossible to keep a
dog because a dog doesn't understand that you are going away on
business and you can't break it's heart. You have to have stability
and I cannot offer that at the moment. Although I'd like a rat,
I like them, they've had bad press, they're the underdogs and
a domestic rat is as cute as a hamster.
We read an article in which you said you were
concerned about your health. Do you feel the vegetarian diet was
any healthier?
I believe totally in mind over matter, I always have done and
I believe that if you believe that something is doing you good
then you feel better. The more vegetables you put inside you you
are confident that you are doing yourself good. I actually feel
better this week than I have done in a long time.
Do you think taking the veggie pledge will ruin
your image as Mr Nasty?
(Laughs) Well I have to be honest with you, I have never done
anything to build an image. I don't believe in my job you need
an image nor do I even care about an image.
How did you become involved in the music industry?
I started at EMI Music Publishing as a post boy when I was 17
and worked my way up from there.
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Veggie sausages - all the taste without the cruelty. For lots of
veggie recipe ideas, including veggie sausage casserole, see the
Veggie Collection. |
| Is there
much vegetarianism within the music industry? Is it hard for vegetarians?
Good question, probably not. I think you probably get it more
from the artists than the people in the industry. A lot of the
blame is the life-style. Canteens are fairly new and ours now
offers a vegetarian option most days. It was really about just
grabbing a sandwich where you could. I think in time it will be
more for these reasons and moral reasons that will enable more
people to become vegetarians. For most of my years working in
a record company you are stuck in the office. A lot of companies
moved out of London so you haven't got many sandwich shops or
good sandwich shops nearby so it's hard.
Which animal issues concern you the most?
Where do you start? I think the treatment of pigs over the years
is disgusting. They seem to be treated more and more like chickens,
being cooped up in a pen, it's despicable. The treatment of dogs
in South East Asia - it would be those two issues more than anything
else.
What are your feelings on, say for example, vivisection?
Well I'm not an expert on science so it's difficult for me to
comment. But when you hear about animals being bred and their
vocal chords being cut so that they can't scream I mean it's just
horrible. One thing for sure that I think any testing for beauty
products is so unnecessary. There are so many successful companies
selling good products without animal testing and it just goes
to show they must know now what they can or cannot put in products
I don't believe that you need it. Like the ghastly eye test they
do on rabbits they should know what to put in these things by
now. With regards to medical experiments there is always going
to be a lobby to say that without it humans will die or whatever.
I mean I don't know enough about this and if it really is necessary
then you have to make it more humane.
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For information about the suffering of animals in food production,
read Meat Kills. |
| What
laws would you pass to improve the life of animals?
Like with hunting you have to start there because I think there
are so many factors in this country and around the world particularly
the meat suppliers who provide so much information on anti-hunting.
Because I think that once you stop hunting then you have to question
something else and I think this is one thing that the meat trade
are terrified about. Once you address that concern and it's gone
where do you look to next. I think that a lot of people who are
protesting about anti-hunting have nothing to do with hunting
at all. But at the same time you have to question what is crueler.
I think I would rather be a fox than a pig at least then I would
stand half a chance.
Are you a member of any animal charities/pressure
groups?
I was a member of the IFAW but I haven't been active with that
for a while now.
Hello magazine were so impressed with Simon's efforts for
Veggie Month, that they
published a version of this interview!
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Choose life, go veggie! Don't miss our range of vegan chocolates,
cruelty-free cookbooks and much more in the online
shop. |
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