Tuesday 31 January 2012

Darn you morals

I really need a new bag.

Ok, maybe I don't need one as much as want one.... but still.....

I really need a new bag.

Lately all the bags that seem to catch my eye are leather satchels.  Leather.  I like leather.  Like brick likes lamp.  

I'm pretty in love with this leather beauty from Topshop


But then I felt a bit hypocritical.  
Whilst I enjoy the feel and smell of a new leathery bag (I'm joking, I don't smell my bags.....honest...), I'm very much against fur, real fur bags, jackets, rugs etc.  I don't agree with animals being hunted and killed for their fur/skin.  

I think there are some cases where it's acceptable, like those miraculously small tribes who seem to be untouched and unaffected by the modern world.  For them, fur would be a way for them to keep warm and stuff.  And I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have a sewing machine to create  fabulous coats and neck scarfs with, to sell on at extortionate prices.  

But here is where I try to rationalise my love for leather....
Cows are slaughtered everyday for meat, so I suppose using their skin for leather isn't exactly the same as being hunted (Imagine a cow hunter!) 

Vegetarians out there are probs thinking 'What a horrible woman! Killing animals for their tasty, tasty meat is just as bad as hunting an animal for it's fur!!'

My response would be:
Firstly, how do you know that I'm a woman? I could be lying about my gender and really be a man, you sexist.  (I'm not lying, I am a lady).
Secondly, is killing animals for their meat really as bad as hunting an animal for it's fur?

I don't think so, but that's just cuz I loves meat.

'Nuff respect for the vegetarians out there though, it takes a lot of will power to stay away from meat.  Personally I'm not a very big fan of beef and lamb, I could easily live without them, but chicken....Oh chicken.  Chicken.is.the.best.thing.EVER. 

Anyhoo, back to the point.  Yeah, so is wearing leather just as bad as wearing real fur? or is it different as cows are slaughtered regularly for meat anyway? 

I dunno weather I should boycott leather or not.  Not boycott, that's not the right word to use.  Leather is not an organisation...Or is it!?  
No, it is not.

Jean-Claude Van Dammes anti-fur campaign poster.  Possibly one of the most frightening posters I've ever seen in my life (look at his face!! I think he's supposed to be sad, but I just read psycho). 


What are your opinions? Yay for leather and nay for fur, yay for fur and leather, or nay for both? 

14 comments:

  1. I could never do that to an animal!

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  2. You'd think people would be off the buying fur kick by now.
    I can't think of anyone that still even wears it.

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    1. I know.
      Personally i think fur's a bit tacky, but there's a girl i know who comes to uni occasionally wearing her fur coat, bragging about it being real, only to get ragged on by the rest of the class!
      Fur is usually reserved for the wrinkly old rich.

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  3. I had lived on the earth a slightly very long time before I ever heard of someone being a vegetarian. I eat chicken, turkey and buffalo quite often in that order by quantity. I feel I have a wonderful relationship with my dog of six years and thirty two days. I could never imagine anyone eating a dog, but they do. I stopped eating beef after studying bovine spongiform encephalpathy. That is when I discovered buffalo.

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    1. I've never had buffalo! Not surprising since it's not native to the UK. I remember my friend in high school came into school once and announced that he had Mad Cow Disease. We thought he was joking until he started to moo randomly during lessons.

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  4. That poster is gruesome & cruel...I guess it highlights animal cruelty just for fashion, fake fur looks just as good! However leather is a hard 1, I've never really thought about it in great detail but I have 2 leather jackets but eat very little beef/lamb, I guess if the cow has been slaughtered for food then theres no harm done?! but intentionally hunting an animal for its fur etc well I am totally against that. mmmm interesting, you've got me thinking.........

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    1. I suppose if cows are being killed anyway, then using their skin isn't as bad as hunting, but I still feel a bit guilty. I'm broke at the moment anyway so I'll just sit on the fence until I can actually afford to make a choice ;)

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  5. Nasty cover but sends a message. Tbh idk why people wear fur, its tacky and screams IM RICH YOUR POOR WHAT YOU GUNNA DO BOUT IT and also says I HAVE TO MUCH MONEY TO SPEND

    Ugly also.

    What is he holding anyway? A prop of a dead animal? Weasel?

    Anyway fake leather is almost as good. Use that. And as for meat, I love meat. Hamburger, bacon (some people consider bacon to be the strongest proof of a god, hail bacon) steak etc, wont give it up. A lot of people still hunt for their food, and its something we have done since dawn of man.

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    1. I have no idea what he's holding, maybe a chinchilla?

      I agree i think hunting for food is pretty natural, but some peeps (like the british royal family) Like to go fox hunting for sport. I think that's just a bit mean and unnecessary!

      Really? Pork as a proof of God? I know Hindus Think Cows are holy/sacred. Didn't realise there were more links to animals and religion!

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  6. If I say 'nay' to either, I'd have to also say 'nay' to catgut. And that stuff is like the duct tape of body parts, let me tell you.

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    1. The phrase 'You learn something new everyday' has never been more fitting!

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  7. Oh, it’s too horrible to see. I have been strongly against fur coats. Once I have seen a poster against fur coats where a woman is dragging her fur coat leaving bloody trail. Fake fur is warm enough and fashionable enough.
    There is a huge difference between fashion and food. I mainly eat chicken and fish, not so many times beef or pork. Honestly speaking, I have not thought about leather seriously. As you mentioned, I think cows are slaughtered every day and it is not good to dump leather as waste. Once they kill cow, we must use everything as much as possible for slaughtered cows. But, after seeing this poster, I thought what if. I mean, if we were shown what is going on in a slaughter house, can we eat beef or pork? I do hope they never give animals pain or fear in the slaughter house.
    Thanks a lot for posting this.
    keiko

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    1. I don't think animals are slaughtered as humanely as one would hope in the UK. Stun guns and the like are used, so I'm pretty sure the animals are really frightened!

      By the way your blog is awesome!! I ADORE the Japanese culture, honestly. Your blog is so entertaining for me :D

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