Many of you have already heard the news: we are all setting our DVRs because on Tuesday, February 1, Oprah and 378 of her staffers are taking a one-week vegan challenge. Guests on the show will include the terrific vegan advocate Kathy Freston and anti factory farming author Michael Pollan. Reporter Lisa Ling will give us an inside view of a “beef processing plant” i.e. slaughterhouse.

You can watch a trailer for the upcoming show at tinyurl.com/6fa4azh

You can leave comments on that page in advance or after you have seen it.

The more enthusiastic support Oprah gets the better, so please join the discussion.

And please send the Oprah show a separate note of support where the show take comments (some of which are read on air) at www.oprah.com/ownshow/plug_form.html?plug_id=220

Go to www.oprah.com/tows_listings.html to see when Oprah airs on your local station:

I send thanks to Kathy Freston and about a dozen other wonderful subscribers for making sure we all knew about tomorrow’s show.

Yours and the animals’,
Karen Dawn

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(DawnWatch is an animal advocacy media watch that looks at animal issues in the media and facilitates one-click responses to the relevant media outlets. You can learn more about it, and sign up for alerts at www.DawnWatch.com. You may forward or reprint DawnWatch alerts only if you do so unedited — leave DawnWatch in the title and include this parenthesized tag line.)

Please go to tinyurl.com/254ulkx to check out Karen Dawn’s book, “Thanking the Monkey: Rethinking the Way we Treat Animals,” which in 2008 was chosen by the Washington Post as one of the “Best Books of The Year!”

To discontinue DawnWatch alerts go to www.DawnWatch.com/nothanks.php

Though not nearly as supernatural as its namesake, Bones Season 5, Episode 11 (“The X in the File“) concludes with a deliciously philosophical exchange.

But first, a brief plot summary:

An out-of-this-world case brings Brennan and Booth to New Mexico where they investigate human remains with extraterrestrial attributes. The victim is identified as a local UFO fanatic, known around town for her relentless search for alien life forms and whose latest “evidence” leads even Brennan and Booth to re-think outside existence. Meanwhile, a local sheriff refuses to release the bones, forcing the team at the Jeffersonian to work via satellite, and Angela and Jeffersonian intern Wendell come clean about their relationship.

After the case is wrapped up, Brennan and Booth celebrate with a little star gazing. In the middle of the desert, lounging on the hood of Booth’s car, the two wonder about the possibility that life exists on other planets:

(Brennan and Booth, alternating)

It’s ridiculous to think there’s anything on this planet which merits crossing what are literally astronomical distances.

Do you think aliens are anthropologists? Maybe they just want to study our religion, sex, love, our fine languages and line dancing.

That’s an interesting possibility I hadn’t considered.

They’re living creatures, they like to reach out, Bones.

Living creatures like to reach out and eat each other.

Oh. So what are you saying, that the aliens are going to come down here, and drink our spinal fluid?

Well, if the aliens are advanced enough to fly faster than light, then they can probably make spinal fluid.

You just said that aliens are nice.

Did not.

You just basically said that aliens are nice anthropologists.

I do not think so.

You think that aliens are you!

You got me. I was sent down as an advance scout.

At first, I thought the conversation might veer towards the ethical, with Brennan arguing that the aliens – being of superior intelligence and all – would have earned the right to drink our spinal fluid. After all, this is one of the most common justifications given for our individual and institutionalized exploitation of nonhuman animals (e.g., humans are more evolved, intelligent, refined, civilized, etc. – the “top of the food chain,” “because we can” school of “thought”). Taken to its logical conclusion, this line of reasoning grants a similar license to exploit us “lesser” humans to hypothetical intelligent alien visitors.

Alas, the episode ends on a lighter note. Even so, when Brennan suggests that the aliens could – and would – develop and consume synthetic spinal fluid, and Booth implies that this would indeed be the “nice” thing to do, I can’t help but read this as a subtle plea for veganism: why harm sentient beings for sustenance when you’ve no need? Exploiting just to exploit is “not nice” at best.

Thoughts?

I’ve been a little lazy in blogging the animal-related segments on The Colbert Report lately – mostly because the guests haven’t much impressed me. But, seeing as Peter Singer appeared on Thursday’s episode, it’s probably time.

First, there was Mark Bittman, a food critic and “vegan” advocate – but only before 6 PM. Yup, you heard me right; Bittman is vegan – for a variety of health, environmental and animal welfare reasons (though methinks non-human animals rank very low on Bittman’s list) – but only up until dinnertime. Then, anything goes.
 

 
That’s like a dude saying that he’s kind and respectful toward women, but only until the nighttime – then he beats and rapes them with glee. (Or rather, he hires a third party to do so, and enjoys the hunt through a vicarious thrill.) Hey, one can only be expected to exert willpower and behave ethically for so long, then something’s gotta give, dontchaknow!

Next up is Peter Singer, promoting his latest book, The Life You Can Save: Acting Now to End World Poverty. The interview contains nary a mention of non-human animals. Which isn’t shocking in and of itself, as The Life You Can Save isn’t really about non-human animals, but…
 

 
…I was hoping that Stephen might mention Singer’s promotion of animal-unfriendly charities, such as Oxfam, when he’s supposedly the “godfather” of the animal rights movement. (Hint: he’s not.)

After all, Stephen always does his homework; for example, when Singer appeared on the show in December 2006, Stephen broached the bestiality issue:
 

 
Finally, though not directly related to animal rights, this interview with microbiologist Jay Keasling is rather interesting. I like how he skirts around the possibility of using bodily waste to power vehicles – though probably not for the same reasons as I (i.e., not so much because he’s hesitant to find ways to excuse factory farming by offsetting its environmental costs, but because he’d rather avoid the poop jokes).
 

 
Videos included in this post

Tuesday, March 3, 2009 – Mark Bittman
Mark Bittman says we eat without thinking about what is good for us, and what’s good for the planet. (06:00)

Thursday, March 12, 2009 – Intro – 03/12/09
Guess where Stephen’s face is showing up now — besides your grilled cheese sandwiches. (00:36)

Thursday, March 12, 2009 – Peter Singer
Peter Singer urges Stephen to give money to poor people rather than enjoying it himself. (05:15)

Monday, December 11, 2006 – Intro – 12/11/06
Stephen questions Congress’ five-day work week, and discusses the biggest threats in this year’s war on Christmas. (0:35)

Monday, December 11, 2006 – Peter Singer
Stephen and Dr. Peter Singer discuss whether monkeys should vote. (6:37)

Tuesday, March 10, 2009 – Jay Keasling
Jay Keasling says the same yeast that we use to produce beer and bread will soon be fueling our cars and planes. (04:57)

I cannot watch this clip too many times. LOLZ all around.

Videos in this post

The Colbert Report, Thursday, February 14, 2008
Clemens Hearing
Just like Brian McNamee, Stephen also keeps medical waste as mementos. (3:24)

So I finally got around to watching the first few episodes of Lil’ Bush yesterday (now that the season’s over – how’s that for procrastination?), and it’s actually funny. The commercials just didn’t do it justice, I guess. I especially got a kick out of this clip.

Clam-hugging vegan goodness at the 36s mark.
 

* Reason being, I’d expect ‘em to use the term “vegetarian” over “vegan” 9 out of 10 times…do most people even know what a vegan is?

Videos in this post

The Colbert Report, Monday, June 25, 2007
The Freegans
To prevent these trash-eating hippies from freeloading, Stephen asks us to hoard our garbage. (2:51)