U.S. figure skater Johnny Weir is the subject of an international outcry over his insistence on wearing real animal fur in his figure skating outfit — despite his prior promise to yield to demands that he use faux fur.
Weir says that he has decided not to stay at a hotel out of fear for his life after receiving threats from anti-fur activists.
Weir says that these people are “crazy” and out to hurt him. He insists “I’m just an easy person to pick on because I like fur . . . It’s a very scary thing. I’m a figure skater, I’m not some huge politician who gets these things all the time.”
The controversy began when Weir wore white fox fur on his shoulder at the nationals. He promised to wear faux fur at the Olympics since many Americans object to the use of real fur — but then changed his mind. He just says “I don’t like faux fur.”
While he is ticking off many of his countrymen, he should find some kindred spirits in Canada given the earlier push to use seal fur, here.
While I often have problems with the extent that anti-fur protesters will go in opposing the wearing of fur, I do think that when you represent the nation you should make small accommodations like wearing faux fur. This is a small part of the outfit to cause such a great controversy. I am sure that the U.S. Olympic Committee would pay for any rash that Weir would develop in coming into contact with less than three inches of faux fur.
By the way, the outfit shown on the link below is uniquely ugly in my opinion.
There may be room for compromise. For example, we could lock Weir in a ring with twenty white foxes and let them settle the matter like mammals. Now that would be a ratings hit.
The other compromise would be for Weir to be able to wear real fur (and avoid that painful touch of faux fur on his shoulder), but the animal must be alive. Once again, that would be something to see. A double lutz with a live fox could be a new category for competition. Soon, the French would do Choctaw turns with live seals, the Germans could do Stag leaps with real stags, the Saudis could do camel spins with real camels, the Egyptians could do Arabesques with Arabian horses, the Australians could be sheep jumps with actual sheep, and the Russians could do Russian Splits with live minks. (We could draw the line at using actual Mohawks for Mohawk turns or corpses for death spirals). This could be the start of a new age in skating.
For the full story, click here.
I understand the feelings of anti-fur people, but would like to point out that fur trappers aren’t what you might think. My dad was a fur trapper. He got up at 3 AM each day through the winter to go check his traps. Then he worked hard all day at his blue collar job operating heavy equipment. When he got off work, he checked his traps again. Checking the traps at least twice a day is the ethical responsibility of a fur trapper. My dad is very frail and elderly now and hasn’t done any trapping for 30 years. He is extremely knowledgeable and respectful of wildlife in a way that no sneering urbanite anti-fur activist would ever be able to understand. He has been out there in the sub-zero temperatures with the animals and sees how they live and what they endure to survive. Hard as it may be for the rest of us to understand, he loves wildlife, loves animals. But, he grew up in a less sissified era, in the badlands of South Dakota, during the Great Depression. My father’s fur trapping helped to put my brother and I through college (we also worked to help earn the money for our tuition). My mother was an amateur entomologist and discovered a previously unknown beetle in the fur of a beaver that Dad caught, and gave specimens to a university. I understand that the times and sensibilities have changed, but it is due to the work and sacrifices of my parents’ generation that new generations have the luxury of being prissy about fur and meat.
:-))
Ah so, eniobob,
You were trying to make a joke? :-)) Oh, I thought you’d like that :-)).
I did find out today this is supposed to be used when you are making a statement 🙁
AY:
Thanks a lot.:-))
Isn’t one reason athletes try so hard to get to the Olympics is the endorsement deals? Maybe his attitude won’t kill all of them, but I would think it would have an impact on some.
If you wear fox, beware of the hounds.
He should have been really topical and worn a polar bear pelt.
What would Brian Boitano do?
I have found that fake fur is always softer than real fur. I’ll never forget the first time I touched a real mink coat. Yuk. However, Weir really is a great figure skater (except for his attitude). He is one of the best I have ever seen; and I have been watching figure skating since about 1955. Another male figure skater who was known for his attitude was Canadian Toller Cranston. I found it interesting that about five years after his career ended, he stated that he wished he had conformed more and lost his attitude. Weir probably will never be that refective. However, I am hoping Evan Lysacek will win the gold. Weir’s placement depends on his nerves. Still, if Weir were to skate a perfect program and got the scores (which he may not just because he is so odd and the scoring is still very political), I don’t think it will impact the animal activists agenda any. I am an animal lover; but I lived for 20 years next door to NIH and saw the animal activists at their worst. BTW, I loved the pun. The U.S. has the possibility of winning all medals in the men’s figure skating which is cool, I think.
ECookie,
Since they are strictly vegan. I would smoke the meat. Maybe a nice Cherry wood. It is a little more expensive. But hey if you are going to eat Kudu it is going to be tough and lean anyway. I would smoke the Haunch and flare up the kindler and torch the sides of the steak.
I would not recommend tartar. I had a friend get deathly ill eating lion tartar. I would not think that the Kudu would be near as sever, but hey, you takes your chances.
A nice apple, prune, raisin and wine sauce marinated in wine and olive oil. Depending on hold much meat used will directly affect portions.
Remember that it is dry and low in fat to start with. I would keep a can of water in the smoker chamber to keep the meet as moist as possible.
I would think that I would enjoy this very much…..
eniobob,
Why not drag it at least one time downtown. You might get some offers or officers or maybe some of both….
“By the way, the outfit shown on the link below is uniquely ugly in my opinion.”
So I guess my identical silver outfit that I have been chomping at the bit to wear,I should throw it in the garbage?
Congrats to Johnny Weir and his PR people for getting him press.
If you’re really bothered by people wearing fur, try this – it’s probably effective, at least at discouraging women from wearing fur coats. Casually say, “Oh, I guess you are old enough. You see, from a distance, I thought you might be too young to be wearing fur – it looks so odd on young women. But now that I get a good look at your face, I see you are old enough to wear fur. Cheers!” And walk off.
But, if you’re bothered by Olympic competitors engaging in ethically problematic behaviors that bring dishonor on the Olympic movement, look into what Men’s Moguls Silver Medalist Dale Begg-Smith (apparently) does for a living. The press describes him as a “spam king”, but internet security folks accuse him profiting by infecting people’s computers (possibly yours) by exploiting security problems with Internet Explorer, installing spyware and systems that hijack your web browser.
http://spamkings.oreilly.com/archives/2006/02/asterisk_on_popup_moguls_gold.html
I have a solution for this guy. I have a white cat that sheds more fur in a day than he apparently needs for the patch on his shoulder. I could Fed Ex a week’s worth of fur to Vancouver. He could then make it known that no animals were harmed in the making of his questionable looking costume.
AY: What’s your recipe for Kudu?
AY,
Check this out. Double-click on the image of the sign and read all of it. Enjoy. 🙂
http://withinsight.blogspot.com/2009/12/canadian-sort-of-sign.html
If somebody eats the meat, then what is the issue? Just remember the hamburger that I ate came from a cow and my cow was a vegetarian. So I am vegetarian by proxy.
D people eat Fox? Of course and here is the recipe.
INGREDIENTS (all approximate measurements)
2 large onions roughly chopped
Boned or still-on-the-bone legs of one medium to large fox (cut into 8
pieces if still on the bone)
6 medium sized carrots (cut into thick inch long batons)
6 medium sized courgettes (cut into thick inch and a half long batons)
(with flowers if available)
1 tea cup olive oil
2 bay leaves
4-6 whole pepper corns
2-3 pieces of allspice
2-3 lemons
2 large eggs
Sea salt (fairly liberal amounts) and ground black pepper
Water
PETA, People Eating Tasty Animals.
Maybe he just gets cold on the ice and needs real animal skin to keep him warm!?? What and idiot.