- Title: CHINA: Actress Barbie Hsu unveils new PETA pro-vegetarianism campaign
- Date: 27th November 2009
- Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (NOVEMBER 26, 2009) (REUTERS) (BEWARE FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY) TAIWANESE ACTRESS BARBIE HSU UNVEILING POSTER JOURNALISTS FILMING VARIOUS OF HSU POSING BY POSTERS POSTER OF HSU POSING WITH A CHICK (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) TAIWANESE ACTRESS BARBIE HSU, SAYING: "Every chunk of meat, every animal's life, even if I did not raise them or know them is as precious as my dog or my sister. Once I had started thinking like this, I could no longer eat meat." HSU POSING BY POSTERS (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) TAIWANESE ACTRESS BARBIE HSU, SAYING "My health has improved a lot since I became a vegetarian, for example, I have a better physical strength, my mind is clearer, my moods are calm and my body feels cleaner and lighter." HSU SPEAKING ON STAGE ASIA PEOPLE FOR THE ETHICAL TREATMENT OF ANIMALS DIRECTOR JASON BAKER LISTENING POSTER SLOGAN READING "LOVE HER, LOVE VEGETARIANISM" IN MANDARIN (SOUNDBITE) (English) ASIA PEOPLE FOR THE ETHICAL TREATMENT OF ANIMALS DIRECTOR JASON BAKER SAYING "PETA is all about grabbing attention, getting people to think about animals, doing it in a way that isn't necessarily so traditional. This is sort of a high fashion getting people to think about vegetarianism who may be fancying Barbie, or who just want to look at a beautiful, interesting ad."
- Embargoed: 12th December 2009 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: China
- Country: China
- Topics: Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA835VWP1ESFCEUEL40LEZC8J2B
- Story Text: Want to be sexy? Then don't eat meat.
At least, that is the message behind a new campaign fronted by Taiwanese celebrity Barbie Hsu, known in the Chinese speaking world as "Big S", to promote vegetarianism to the Chinese.
The campaign, unveiled by animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) on Thursday (November 26), features the actress-singer, sex symbol and vegetarian Barbie Hsu, as well as a one-week old yellow chick.
The slogans read "Vegetarians make chicks happy" and "Love her, love vegetarianism" in English and Mandarin respectively.
Hsu has been a vegetarian for almost 10 years.
She told journalists she became vegetarian when her dog was seriously ill.
The actress said she had promised to stop eating meat in the hope of saving her dog since an old Chinese tradition says that if you want your wish to come true then you should avoid eating meat.
"Every chunk of meat, every animal's life, even if I did not raise them or know them is as precious as my dog or my sister. Once I had started thinking like this, I could no longer eat meat," she said.
Hsu, who was awarded PETA's 2009 Asia's Sexiest Vegetarian Woman Award, said vegetarianism had many benefits.
"My health has improved a lot since I became a vegetarian, for example, I have a better physical strength, my mind is clearer, my moods are calm and my body feels cleaner and lighter," Hsu said.
The adverts will appear in magazines and on websites in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong within the next few weeks to promote the benefits of giving up meat.
According to PETA's Asia Director Jason Baker, the organisation hopes that using committed vegetarian and animal lover Hsu, who shot to fame in the hit Taiwanese soap opera "Meteor Garden", will reach a whole new audience.
"PETA is all about grabbing attention, getting people to think about animals, doing it in a way that isn't necessarily so traditional. This is sort of a high fashion getting people to think about vegetarianism who may be fancying Barbie, or who just want to look at a beautiful, interesting ad," Baker said.
PETA promotes vegetarianism not only for its health benefits, but more obviously for the rights group as a way of improving the lot of farmyard animals, who it says are often brutally treated by factory farms.
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