On Our Radar


Outspoken vegan Casey Affleck refuses to hold his tongue when it comes to cruelty to animals, just like his soon-to-be Mrs., fellow thespian Summer Phoenix. (And, yes, she’s one of those Phoenixes—the extremely talented, dangerously good-looking, “first family of veganism” Phoenixes.) The two never pass up the chance to tell a fur-wearer what they think and openly discuss their crusades for animals whenever they get the chance—we LOVE them for that! When Casey, who’s graced the cover of our Grrr! ’zine for kids (gotten a free subscription for the animal-lovin’ little one in your life yet?), was interviewed for The Improper Bostonian and asked what he thought about PETA and animal rights activists’ actions for animals, he replied, “Honestly? I think they do good work. I think that what’s happening is so awful that they’re doing something necessary. As far as I know, they’ve never hurt human beings or animals, and they raise awareness. People who wear fur coats and get paint on them? F*** ’em. It may not be pleasant, but they’ve contributed to something so awful that I feel like it’s justified.” Yeah! And recently Casey wrote to lawmakers in his home state of Massachusetts asking them to oppose legislation that would repeal the state’s current ban on leghold and body-gripping traps. You can read his letter here. (Sigh!) What a great guy.

America’s favorite family, the Osbournes, is our favorite family, too. Anyone who’s watched even five minutes of their MTV reality show can see how much their canine and feline friends mean to them. A few years ago, Ozzy even signed our petition to the Korean government asking that it stop the hideously cruel killings of homeless dogs and cats. And recently, Jack waged his own personal war against fur by chastising the Osbourne matriarch, Sharon, for wearing it. You all remember that episode when Sharon’s fur scarf fell into the toilet, right? Well, Jack wasted no time letting his “mum” know what he thought, as he quickly told her that the scarf belonged in the toilet because she shouldn’t be wearing mink. He even went so far as to plaster her door with a sign that read, “Only ***holes wear fur.” Kudos to Jack—his efforts have paid off because Sharon has dumped the F word. That’s right. She announced on The Sharon Osbourne Show that she’s ridding her closets of fur and urged her audience to do the same. She also mentioned PETA’s fur giveaway program, which distributes old furs to needy people around the globe. Sharon’s got such a soft spot for animals, we knew that she’d give fur the boot once she found out what really happens to animals before they become someone’s frivolous luxury item.

Hip-hop duo OutKast is everywhere, literally. Their double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below sold more than 750,000 copies in the first two weeks after its release and won three of the six Grammys that it was nominated for this year, including “Album of the Year.” Not bad for something that started out as a small side project for Andre 3000. Yes, success is smiling on this pair big-time right now, but the fact that they lead very different lives is becoming more apparent, and it seems that the two, who’ve been close since high school, are growing apart, which many fear will mark the end of their supreme rein.

Andre 3000, who was just named the “10^th Coolest Dude in Rock History” according to Spin magazine, is vegan and known for his outlandish sense of style, while Big Boi is not as flashy and still eats flesh. Both claim that they’re not breaking up and that they’ve got a few more records left in them, and that remains to be seen … BUT fans will be pleased—and maybe a bit weirded out—to learn that they’ve just announced plans to turn the double album set into a movie musical set in the 1930s South. The duo will costar in the flick, which is slated to start production this summer.

Britney, Britney, Britney, when will she ever learn? Causing scandals literally everywhere she goes these days, whether it’s her quickie Vegas marriage and annulment, the infamous lip-lock with Madonna that we’ve all seen way too many times, or the endless stories of her alleged escapades with a string of Hollywood heartthrobs and musicians, one thing’s for sure: Britney Spears is pretty much the talk of the town. Now the pop princess is getting flack about the raunchy acts she’s performing on her current Onyx Hotel Tour. It seems she’s got parents up in arms from coast to coast about her outrageously scanty outfits and sexually explicit moves and lyrics. But really, she’s only fakin’ it on stage, just as she is with her furs. Yep, we’ve been assured that Brit’s got a soft spot for animals and that her furs are indeed fakes.

Known for dropping truckloads of cash on shopping sprees (come on, admit it—we’ve all watched VH1’s “The Fabulous Life of …” series, we’ve seen her in action), Britney lavishes sweaters and gear that probably cost more than what you and I spend on our entire year’s wardrobe on her adorable pups, Baby and Mitzi. But she swears that she likes to “go out and do normal things.” Right, ’cause jetting off here and there around the world at a moment’s notice, spending the day at the spa with friends, and going to the hottest premieres and parties is something that we all get to experience regularly. She says that picking up her dog’s poop does help to keep her grounded. (Try as I might, I just can’t keep a straight face imaging Britney Spears on poop patrol.)  Next time you’re out cleaning up the yard, send a little care package to Iams, Britney.