Ian Grushka of New Found Glory


Members of New Found Glory are, of course, best known for their radio-friendly punk music, not their political viewpoints. And they still are, but we’re happy to say that bassist Ian Grushka isn’t afraid to take a stand on one issue that doesn’t revolve around four strings—vegetarianism.

What prompted you to go vegetarian?
For me, I guess, it was a few things. When my band first formed, our guitar player Chad was vegetarian, and Steve our guitar tech was vegan. So that was part of it. Then, being on tour, I was given a flier from PETA, which I read, and I think that was what got me thinking about going vegetarian. I went back and forth for a while, but I stopped eating meat again in October 2002.

Do you ever talk about vegetarianism to your friends and fans, or do you tend to just live the lifestyle and let it be?
I find that my wife and I talk about it. I do talk to the band sometimes about it. I think I talk to our crew guys more, and if I have questions, I usually ask one of our techs. But I feel weird talking to fans about it. I am not the perfect person, so I don’t really want to preach to people. Every once in a while, I will tell fans to watch the video on MeetYourMeat.com. If that doesn’t open your eyes, nothing will. But also, I eat cheese, milk, eggs, ice cream, etc., so I would feel weird telling others what to do when I still eat and drink things I know are kinda gross.

Do you find that a lot of bands and their fans, especially within your genre of music, are going vegetarian or are more sympathetic about animal rights these days? If so, why do you think that is?
To be honest, I am not very sure. I know that on tour, more PETA fliers are handed out at punk/hardcore shows than you would find at a Rolling Stones concert. I think the fact that a lot of the kids in this scene tend to be younger and they are inclined to listen more so than an older Rolling Stones crowd would. I think the people in this scene care more about others and care enough to spread the word on things they believe in.

What do you think it will take for more kids to go vegetarian? What have you found to be a motivator for yourself?
MeetYourMeat.com is my motivator. If that video doesn’t make you want to puke, there is a problem. Maybe we are in a generation where just doing what your parents tell you to do is not always the best choice. We grow up and just eat what our parents give us, so we grow up thinking it’s OK. Plus, we have McDonald’s. What kid is not gonna see Ronald McDonald and say, “Man, I want a hamburger or Chicken McNuggets”? And how can you tell … little [kids] that animals are dying without making [them] have nightmares? Kids watch TV a lot. Maybe if there were anti-meat commercials like there are the anti-tobacco commercials, it might make more of a difference. On the cigarette packs in Canada, there are diseased lungs …, and it says, “Smoking will kill you.” Maybe you need to scare the kids into not eating it. … I’m not really sure.

What would you tell kids who are on the verge of going vegetarian but just need a little motivation?
I’m not sure if I would tell them anything. It’s got to be a personal preference. It’s like telling your kid, “OK, go to college.” Now, if the child does not want to learn, then what’s the point? If you tell a kid to do something, he or she is not going to want to do it. I think you need to tell kids the truth. Show them what happens in the slaughterhouses. Kids know right from wrong. They are a lot smarter than we give them credit for. But then again … recently I was reading Stuff magazine with Daisy Fuentes on the cover. On the inside, it says, “What makes Daisy happy?” and she says, “Beer and pepperoni pizza.” And then they ask, “What makes Daisy sad?” and she says, “Any kind of abuse, especially toward children and animals.” It’s pretty obvious that she has no idea how the pepperoni was made.

On that note, what would you tell people who think that vegetarianism is at best pointless and at worst ridiculous?
Everyone has a right to their own opinions. We do live in a free country. But, when a person murders someone and is put on death row, before they are given a lethal injection, they are pumped full of pain medication. Even though they murdered someone and that [murdered] person was in a lot of pain, we still make the individual as comfortable as we can, and [they die] without pain. These animals die in a lot of pain—sometimes, a slow, painful death. It’s torture in some cases. It seems quite obvious to me, but kids are not taught this in school, so I think many may just be unaware. To call being vegetarian ridiculous is exactly that.

What do you think the most effective means of ending animal suffering is? In other words, what could most people do in their own lives in order to not contribute to cruelty or abuse to animals?
I think, if kids, for instance, had to take a course in school about it, they would be aware. But if you make learning about animal cruelty an option, many will choose not to take it. I think what people don’t know won’t hurt them, and many of us just don’t know enough about it.

What tactic/approach do you think works best when discussing animal rights and vegetarianism with people who haven’t really thought about it before? What tactic/approach do you think hinders the cause?
I say, go straight to the video on MeetYourMeat.com. Tell kids the facts without the useless info attached. Get straight to the point. When one eats chicken legs, they don’t always know it’s a chicken’s leg. I think if people saw the videos of these animals alive and then saw them slaughtered and made into a burger and sold and served at McDonald’s, they would understand. Sometimes people don’t see 1+1 as equaling 2.

What does the humane treatment of animals mean to you?
It’s all about the Golden Rule. Treat others how you want to be treated. Would we want to be scalded alive or have our throats slit—with no pain medicine? I don’t think so. We treat dogs and cats nice (most of the time), and when our pets die, we’re sad. Why don’t we care about pigs, cows, and chickens? Why are they treated so horribly? I’m not sure, but it doesn’t sound so golden, though.

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