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 It’s fair to say that the world was heartbroken upon hearing news that the Test Icicles – everyone’s new favourite band – were calling it a day. Test Icicles provided us with our daily fix of skinny jeans and scruffy hair and got us all dancing around our bedrooms like the demented 3-year-olds we are deep down inside. Yes, just like a ride on the Nemesis Inferno, it seems all good things must come to an end. But Sam E Dangers – Test Icicles co-founder and an all-round perfect human being – couldn’t flee the scene without first sitting down with peta2 over a soya latte and telling us his thoughts on bearskin hats, KFC and people who wear fur.
Why did you want to do this interview with peta2?
I believe in what PETA is trying to do. I thought that I should do this, and maybe I’ll get inspired.
Animals raised for fur are often skinned alive. Do you think that it’s acceptable for people to wear fur?
I know this one person who wears fur, and it freaks me out. Yeah, of course it doesn’t need to happen – it’s stupid, kind of extravagant and shitty, and of course, it’s wrong.
An undercover PETA US investigation recently revealed that dogs and cats are being skinned for the fur trade in China. Their fur is often mislabelled as fur from other species and sold in other countries. How do you feel about the fact that cats and dogs are being killed for their fur?
It’s wrong. I am not really sure it’s any different from any other animal though; it’s just as wrong. Killing any animal for fur is wrong – so if people are buying any fur, they shouldn’t.
How much do you think that people have lost touch with reality on animal issues? Is animals’ suffering on fur farms and in factory farms an “out of sight, out of mind” situation?
I really think so, yeah, because I didn’t go vegetarian for like a year, and it was only after I started reading up on it online – things that my friends had told me about it – and saw this programme, so it really is informative. Things are put in front of you and you eat them or you take them and wear them, so you just need to be informed about it. I never really thought about it, and when I heard some of the facts, I was just so shocked.
 Our main campaign at the moment is against KFC. PETA US have an undercover video revealing the horrors that animals go through in KFC’s factory farms and abattoirs. Workers were filmed slamming animals into walls, and birds were scalded to death. How would you urge people to boycott KFC?
I don’t go there – I haven’t been there for years, but I would definitely not go there knowing that. I always knew it was bad, but just by knowing that, I’m totally against KFC. If my friends were thinking of going there, I would probably change their minds. I think as many people as possible need to see the video and know this information. You need to start from a ground level, really. There are so many reasons not to go to KFC, and this is the biggest reason. People need to start thinking more about this kind of thing. Anyone in their right mind would not support a company like this. It’s so barbaric, slamming [chickens] against walls. There has to be something wrong with you to do that. It’s disturbing.
We are also trying to get the queen to end the use of real bear fur for the guards’ ceremonial hats and use a synthetic material instead. How do you feel about the fact that bears are being killed for hats?
Of course that’s stupid; I really think that’s stupid.
Inspired by Sam’s words? Well then get up and get active – join the Street Team!
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