Arguing that “we are all sisters under the skin,” Joan Jett has urged feminists to fight for animal reproductive rights as well as their own.
Punk musician Vegan said in a new PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) video: “We are daughters, sisters, and moms. Everybody experiences love as well as sadness and fear.
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“And if any of us were forcibly bred, had our breast milk or eggs taken and sold, or had our children abducted from us to be experimented on,” we would all feel violated, angry, and heartbroken.
Jett went on: “Ask yourself: ‘Would I wish my mother or sister, or me this fate? We are all sisters underneath. END speciesism!
As her voiceover plays, the commercial features a picture of the singer-songwriter morphing into images of various women and other female animals.
PETA said, “This feminist icon and rock hero is asking for unity with ALL species. Watch her powerful public service announcement as she passionately defends animals worldwide.
In a commentary on Jett’s video, the US animal rights group highlighted the mistreatment of female animals in “the meat, egg, and dairy industries” and mentioned that “real feminists support animal rights.”
It went on: “In the dairy business, workers forcibly inseminate (rape) cows by inserting an arm into the animal’s rectum to deliver semen with a metal rod into her vagina.” Like any mother, cows are loving and protective of their valuable offspring; nevertheless, on dairy farms, workers sometimes separate newborn calves from their moms within hours after birth.
“In the egg business, farms—even the ones dubbed ‘cage-free”—usually confine hens to barely more than a square foot of space and cut part of their beaks off with a hot blade. When their bodies wear out and they are no longer considered profitable, workers either kill them on site or send them out for slaughter.
The post closed with “The meat industry confines mother pigs to cramped metal crates for their entire adult life—and a PETA exposé of a pig farm revealed that piglets slowly died just out of reach of their distraught mothers.”
Jett has spent more than ten years working with PETA. “A meatless diet saves animals from suffering, combats environmental damage, and is better for my health,” she remarked (via Billboard) in her debut print ad for the company in 2012.
Speaking on PETA’s behalf at SeaWorld’s virtual annual shareholders conference in 2022, Jett argued for a cancellation of the “sordid breeding program” of the amusement park.
She said, “SeaWorld has caused public outcry by continuing to forcibly breed bottlenose dolphins and beluga whales in order to create generations of animals who then suffer in cramped tanks, deprived of any sort of natural life.”
In 2018, NME asked Jett if she considered herself a “feminist icon.” She said, “We took a lot of crap from feminists when I was first starting out in the Runaways.”
Despite the misconception held by many women that we were exploiting our sexuality, all teenage girls consider sex. We took shit for it and were simply appreciating what all girls go through. It created great ambiguity. I failed to really grasp it.
She continued, “I’m not sure if I define myself as a feminist. To me, those categories do not actually feel whole. Everybody defines feminism in different ways. Indeed, feminism entails promoting equality and granting individuals the freedom to pursue their own interests. That shouldn’t predetermine your gender.
The Blackhearts musician also discussed 2022 with NME. She remembered the Runaways performing “Dead End Justice” and spewing artificial gore over the stage wearing “blood packs.”
However, she noted, “Everyone focuses on the corset,” which singer Cherie Currie wore for “Cherry Bomb.”
Jett responded, “Oh, you can do anything,” to the other “strong” ladies. No, you cannot! I was under the impression that you had just informed me that I was free to do whatever I desired. I faced criticism from feminists for my actions. I’m following my own path, and I apologize if it appeals to men, but it also appeals to women!
“What ought I say? I want to appeal to everyone, not just those who are interested in sex. I’m attempting to find a relationship.
She also attacked US rock troll Ted Nugent, who had attacked a Rolling Stone countdown of the “100 greatest guitarists,” claiming that Jett did not merit inclusion on the list.
“Well, that’s just typical—it’s what I’ve dealt with my whole life, being written off,” Jett told NME.
On Sunday, October 20, a group of PETA demonstrators disrupted the London premiere of Pharrell Williams’ new biopic, Piece By Piece. Referring to his role as the men’s design director of Louis Vuitton, they unfurled a banner that read, “Pharrell: Stop Supporting Killing Animals for Fashion.”
