Spring Blizzard, Carrie Underwood and HSUS
I spent yesterday helping my dad get ready for the big blizzard that hit last night. We moved some cow/calf pairs into another lot, fed hay, bedded the bulls and checked over the cattle to pick out the ones that could be close to calving. Getting prepared for a blizzard is always stressful, but we were lucky to miss the worst of it. However, with the winds blowing today, it was a near whiteout when I went outside to check on the cattle. When I got back in the house to prepare another issue of BEEF Daily, I found an article that chilled me more than the cold Dakota weather.
Many of you might remember my run-in with Carrie Underwood in 2006. Underwood is a member of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), PETA’s 2006 Sexiest Vegetarian and guest show host on PBS kids to talk about vegetarianism. When Underwood sang at the National FFA Convention, thousands of FFA members walked out on her concert to speak out against Carrie’s ideals and stand up for animal agriculture. Without a doubt, Underwood’s rise to fame has been incredibly successful, but I just can’t get past her association with HSUS. Apparently, neither can she, and she is raising money for HSUS with American Idol.
According to CMT News, Carrie Underwood has recorded a version of Mötley Crüe’s “Home Sweet Home” for American Idol. Starting on Wednesday (March 11), the song will be played when contestants are voted off the show and will be available as a digital single on iTunes on March 16. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). “I’ve always loved this song, and besides being very fitting for Idol, to me, the title is also very fitting with animal rescue and finding animals their own homes,” Underwood said. “So we felt it was important to tie the release into an amazing animal charity like the HSUS.” Underwood won American Idol in 2005.
What do you think about these celebrities endorsing organizations like HSUS and PETA? Which celebrity will stand up and endorse our industry? Who can we reach out to? Why do you think people buy into the lies these organizations are built on? What can we do to stop them? I’m sick and tired of livestock producers being unfairly targeted for society’s problems. How about you?
March 11th, 2009 at 7:37 am
These people long ago needed to tend to their own business and leave ours alone. PETA and HSUS are NOT the organizations that they pretend to be~~~anyone that thinks that they are all about ’saving’ the animals should read the following websites. These people are about greed, money, inflicting their narrow minded views on ordinary people. They’re fanatics, the terrorists that we SHOULD be in fear of……..in my opinion. Take a few moments to browse through the following sites where they list their agenda for 2009. You’ll never feel quite the same about PETA and HSUS.
http://www.activistcash.com/organization_overview.cfm/oid/21
http://www.activistcash.com/organization_overview.cfm/oid/136
March 11th, 2009 at 8:20 am
I know how you feel about Carrie, I feel the same way about Oprah.
When she comes on the tv changes channel.
We do not buy anything that is not absolutely necessary from her sponsors.
In a small town, and a small bankroll it is not easy to stand up against these people.
Chuck
March 11th, 2009 at 8:27 am
Amanda,
I agree with you, I’m about tired of hearing about celebs endorsing those two organizations.
I would like to nominate George Strait to stand up for our cause. Good luck!
Jay Rogers
Rogers LivesTock Services
Simonton, TX USA
Cell: 281.798.3177
JR9510@aol.com
March 11th, 2009 at 8:32 am
It’s interesting how Carrie thinks she is helping with “animal rescue and finding animals their own homes” when HSUS doesn’t do any of that. HSUS even has Carrie duped!
March 11th, 2009 at 8:34 am
Amanda, I agree with you one hundred percent and your last questions to yourself and your readers will have someone someday come forth to help our need. I give talks to consumers and producers for our OMS program and I close with this statement “Do I challenge the change or change the challenge”.
March 11th, 2009 at 9:09 am
Amanda, a Blizzard in march? We are making sure the baby calves followed there momma’s to shade with our temptures in the 90’s here in south Texas. We are busy cultivating and fertilizing corn getting it laid by. As for as celebrities endorsments, we’ll I think someone needs to make them a chill pill or a real pill or something.
Later
John
P.S. It does get cold here at night, We get down into the 70’s
March 11th, 2009 at 9:29 am
Me too! How about Randy Owens. He loves Hereford Cattle (and so do I). Or Toby Keith. I bet he loves animals, too and he isn’t afraid to voice his opnion.
March 11th, 2009 at 10:22 am
I think there will always be a celebrity supporting one cause or another. I think people believe what they say since the celebrity is a well known name and so many people are totally removed from agriculture. Production ag is a shrinking industry in the overall population. I think that many of our law makers have no idea how the farm life actually is, and they get to make all our decsions. That really scares me. Look at what happened with horse slaughter for example. Celebrities were all over that one until they got it passed, now where are they and their money when all these horses are left to starve to death because there is no place to go or enough money to care for them? Is that really more humane than a slaughter house would have been where there would have been just a few seconds just before being stunned. I hear about horses being left at salebarns for them to deal with, or just taken out to a country road and unloaded to fend for themselves. What happens if someone hits a crippled up one at night on the road and is severly injured?
It would be nice if we could get some celebrities to stand up for us. Maybe Randy Owen or Teddy Gentry from the group Alabama or Mark Miller from Sawyer Brown. They all raise or raised cattle at one time. George Strait would also be great, he is a team roper.
I agree with you, I’m tired of being unfairly targeted. Unfortunately it has almost turned into a case of David and Goliath. Maybe there is hope though because we know who won that fight!
March 11th, 2009 at 10:55 am
Amanda,
I really enjoy reading your daily blog and when reading today’s blog about preparing for the blizzard, I thought you might want to share the story in the attached file with your dad. If for some reason the file does not come through, just let me know and I will e-mail it.
May God bless and take care of you,
Randy Rouse
Hondo, Texas
March 11th, 2009 at 10:55 am
I think it is incorrect to believe that these celebrities align themselves with any cause because they actually believe in the principles the organizations are promoting. They are mostly self-centered folks who are using the popularity of the organizations like HSUS to promote their own careers. It is a lot more glamorous to be on TV begging for funds to protect puppies and kittens than it is to be a spokesperson for hardworking farmers and ranchers. Unfortunately, most mainstream entertainers (or most Americans for that matter) do not have any direct connection to agriculture. That leaves it up to us to tell our own story. And since few of us have the talent to sucessfully reach mass audiences, our best option is to use our checkoff dollars wisely.
Jay Fulmer
Cooksville, MD
March 11th, 2009 at 10:57 am
People buy into this because they have no concept of food production, so they actually believe these animals would be better off with no care in the wild; and they fall for the warm fuzzy argument that animals are beings with rights.
As for celebrities endorsing our industry, off the top of my head I can think of Matthew McConaughey, Sam Elliot, Ted Nugent, Rush Limbaugh, and Ray Romano. I realize some of these folks were paid spokepeople, but the PETA and HSUS folks do it as a donation to their “religion” - the folks we deal with seem to have more common sense then that.
By the way, the Costco survey is now running 93.8% in our favor with over 16,000 votes.
March 11th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
Yet another great article Ms. Nolz, and to think your on vacation, ha ha. If you ask me those thousands of FFA Kids made a more powerful statement in one single action then the one flaky football star dating celebrity could make in her Ill informed life. The FFA is our best defence against people targeting our way of life. In 2008 there was Currently 507,763 FFA members aged 12-21, In 7,439 chapters across all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Imagine all the people they reach. I love your articles Ms. Nolz keep fighting the good fight.
John F. P.S.- Sam Elliot, An Matthew McConaughey our new voice of Beef
March 11th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
Amanda -
We admire your courage in your support of Agriculture, and appreciate all you do. Celebrity endorsements could be a good way to add support to our cause. Mathew McCogony (sp?) is the spoks man for beef and we believe he does a great job. In my opinion it may be an added bonus to have a celibrity on our side, but that is what it would be is a bonus. Those of us in the agriculture field need to be plowing forward, endorsment or not. We personally are heavily involved in our Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Program. We feel this program is doing a vital work thoughout the nation. Farm Bureau in general is awesome! They are getting in the schools through “ag in the classroom.” We feel education of the general public is key to our success. As people get more and more removed from the farm, they are less in touch with sound agriculture practices. Legislation becomes emotion, not science driven.
We thank you again for all you do. We enjoy your daily column.
Dustin & Harmony
From Utah
March 11th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
I have rooted for Carrie Underwood from the first day I saw her sing it makes me sick that someone can put themselves in the light of rural life and community with the Grand Opry and then promote vegetarianism when most people that watch the Opry agricuture is their livelyhood. I have just lost all respect for Carrie Underwood and I am writting the OPRY to give them my opinion also.
March 11th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Celebrities will continue to endorse causes because it is a way for them to put themselves in a good light. We have bright, talented kids being raised in rural America, we need to find one of the these that will be “celebrity” face of agriculture. This may be way easier than confronting a celebrity spokesperson with a solid reputation head on.
Tim
March 11th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
I wonder how Carrie’s neighbors in Oklahoma; who have a long running ranch and rodeo heritage; feel about her alliance to radical animal rights activists that want to stop animal agriculture and make us all veggie eaters?
March 11th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
PETA and HSUS have done a much better job of sending their emotional message to young children and celebrities. Celebrities are about money and fame; as long we continue to support the folks in the entertainment world without a penalty then why should they worry about our values. The penalty should be boycotting all of their products until they show at least neutrality, but most importantly support for what we do, which is the right thing feed the world. Anybody and everybody-As long as our message is well articulated and our industry is united voicing a seamless philosophy. Education at all levels, playing the same game they play, being proactive not reactive, Stop the nonsense that some of our own spew when they make incensitive comments about animals and or display cruel practices and most of us stand in silence. The few that actually make the HSUS and PETA’s case need to be stopped by us, not by them. I am also very disturbed by how our society stand pat about all the accusations these organizations make and the level of support they receive, but the answer is within our reach, the question is are we willing to die for it? They are! I do not mean physical death. They play with all their marbles; we seem to play one at a time and hope they will go away. They are not quiet the contrary, everyday they gather more steam-momentum-And we need to stop them!
March 11th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
Does “our industry” (I am not a cattle producer, I work in livestock biotechnology and reproduction) have a way or a place for anyone, celebrity or not, to endorse the industry? Do we ask for endorsements? HSUS has an agenda and they spend significant dollars to promote that agenda. They make their money by getting people to pay membership dues. I am not aware of an organization affiliated with any element of the livestock industry that has a similar mission or approach.
The first step is to create an organization that is focused on promoting the values of the livestock industry and the industry itself, not individual products, that becomes its “voice” and can be the vehicle for endorsements and outreach to the public. We must then actually reach out to the public with compelling messages and an “ask” that creates a bond between them and our industry. We also have to be prepared to commit real money to the effort if we ever want to counter the noise that comes from organizations like PETA and HSUS.
I suspect that taking such a step would be very difficult for most of us working in agriculture because it doesn’t tend to be our “style”. However, if we want to counter the lies being spread by organizations like HSUS we will have to change our approach.
March 11th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
Try Jessica Simpson - she supports the Beef Industry.
March 12th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
I am a proud beef producer in the state of Nebraska and I was wondering if Carrie Underwood understands the mission of the HSUS. The HSUS wants to end agriculture as we know it today. She is so proud of her roots and values that she gained growing up in Oklahoma. Does she realize that one of the main sources of income for those living in Oklahoma is agriculture? Does she realize that if HSUS has their way they will be out of jobs and their families will not carry on family traditions and values.
I wish that Carrie would do some research on their mission and find out what it is they want to happen in the United States. She is allowed to make her own decision about how she leads her life but I do wish she would stop and think about how she is infusing the lives of many youth. Carrie, PLEASE find out about the hidden agenda of HSUS. Your quote from the release of song Home Sweet Home “I’ve always loved this song, and besides being very fitting for Idol, to me, the title is also very fitting with animal rescue and finding animals their own homes,” It is not just about finding animals their own homes.
March 16th, 2009 at 8:36 am
Last week while I watched Bill O’Reilly’s pinheads and patriots segment to his program, and he named Carrie Underwood a patriot for donating part of the proceeds of her song to the HSUS. I would think someone like O’Reilly could see through the BS that HSUS truly propagates. Keep an eye open.
Boyd Dvorak
Lake Andes, SD
March 19th, 2009 at 9:15 am
Amazing discussion, everyone! I appreciate your ideas for celebrity spokespersons including: George Strait, Sam Elliot, Jessica Simpson, Matthew McConaughey, Sam Elliot, Ted Nugent, Rush Limbaugh, Ray Romano, FFA Members, Randy Owen, Teddy Gentry from the group Alabama or Mark Miller from Sawyer Brown. We have some amazing individuals to stand beside us! I can’t thank you all enough for your comments and feedback. Keep up the great work and the awesome conversation! Thanks for all that you do! I will keep working hard for you!
March 19th, 2009 at 9:16 am
Oh, and Randy, your attachment didn’t come through with your comment. If you want to email it to me, send it to beefnews@hotmail.com. Thanks for thinking of my family and I! Best wishes!
May 12th, 2009 at 12:25 am
Who cares what Carrie thinks? Get real! In this country everyone has a freedom of speech!!!!!!!! Carrie DOESN’T go around shouting “Don’t eat meat.” She doesn’t care what people eat, she just choses not to eat meat. Big deal.. NOT! Her family raised cattle; she knows what happens, and she appreciates what her family has done to provide for her: an education and other things. Apparently all of you have insecurities that cause you to over exaggerate and meddle into people’s lives.
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BEEF Daily is your online news source for today’s beef industry updates, every Monday through Thursday morning. BEEF’s Web Editor, Amanda Nolz, captures the essence of life as a South Dakota cattle producer and college student, as well as top headlines of the day. YOU can also weigh in your thoughts. Don’t miss a minute of the action; subscribe to the BEEF Daily e-newsletter today!Article Proposal
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