According to adults (and my friends who are far more mature than myself), life is all about compromise. To this end, I have been thinking a lot about serious issues these days -- mentally loaded topics like animal cruelty, global warming/ecology, fiscal responsibility, healthy eating, and of course, NASCAR.
Seriously though, I've been doing a lot of thinking on the concept of adulthood and personal responsibility. I, like a lot of people my age, live a somewhat contradictory life. For instance, I see the logic behind "Super Size Me," but still enjoy McDonald's french fries. I also love things that come from suspicious environments like Nike sneakers and juicy steaks, among others. Today, I managed to get myself lost as hell on the internet while I was eating my lunch, and ended up at this website. I have to admit I was intrigued...I'm a beauty product whore/junkie like you wouldn't even believe, so I was particularly interested in the bad rap given to the cosmetics divisions of many consumer packaged goods companies.
Allow me to be the first to say (well, second if you count Joey Lawrence), WHOA. I struggle to find a non-preachy way to say this, but have you seen how many brands test on animals? Rabbits, dogs, cats, you name it...blinded, burned, cut open, scalded, immobilized for weeks at a time - unfortunately the list goes on and on.
Before you throw your arms up in total disgust about this topic, consider this: I have not gone vegan, I won't throw red paint on you if I see you in a fur coat, and I don't plan on making any major life changes because I saw a photo of a rabbit with its eyes burned out of its head. This post isn't about judgment - it's about awareness.
There is a list available on the website referenced above of companies that DO test on animals, and ones that DO NOT test on animals. Out of curiosity, printed out the former, and went through every closet in my apartment and removed products that had been labelled as hurtful...I won't list them here, because that would be, well, boring. But I took photos, because I like to pretend that I'm a savvy blogger.
Here are the household products that I have purchased, that have come at the expense of a helpless animal:
(click to enlarge - does not include Lysol Wipes and Ziploc baggies, which I overlooked)
And for personal products? See for yourself:
Yes, I have a tendency to pick blue, white or silver packaging. What of it?
I don't see the point in throwing them away, frankly, becuase Proctor, Gamble, S.C. Johnson, and Gillette aren't going to be standing in my condo to witness my disposal of their brand names. But I'll be thinking long and hard about buying their products in the future. I appreciate people who start letter-writing campaigns for this cause now, because the thought of someone removing a chunk of my dog's leg muscle for testing (then tossing him onto a concrete floor for disposal while still alive) brings white, hot tears to my eyes. I often look at products (particularly cosmetics) and wonder what the big deal is about something being cruelty-free. Now I know.
Not a blog post that will change the world, but something to think about.
Seriously though, I've been doing a lot of thinking on the concept of adulthood and personal responsibility. I, like a lot of people my age, live a somewhat contradictory life. For instance, I see the logic behind "Super Size Me," but still enjoy McDonald's french fries. I also love things that come from suspicious environments like Nike sneakers and juicy steaks, among others. Today, I managed to get myself lost as hell on the internet while I was eating my lunch, and ended up at this website. I have to admit I was intrigued...I'm a beauty product whore/junkie like you wouldn't even believe, so I was particularly interested in the bad rap given to the cosmetics divisions of many consumer packaged goods companies.
Allow me to be the first to say (well, second if you count Joey Lawrence), WHOA. I struggle to find a non-preachy way to say this, but have you seen how many brands test on animals? Rabbits, dogs, cats, you name it...blinded, burned, cut open, scalded, immobilized for weeks at a time - unfortunately the list goes on and on.
Before you throw your arms up in total disgust about this topic, consider this: I have not gone vegan, I won't throw red paint on you if I see you in a fur coat, and I don't plan on making any major life changes because I saw a photo of a rabbit with its eyes burned out of its head. This post isn't about judgment - it's about awareness.
There is a list available on the website referenced above of companies that DO test on animals, and ones that DO NOT test on animals. Out of curiosity, printed out the former, and went through every closet in my apartment and removed products that had been labelled as hurtful...I won't list them here, because that would be, well, boring. But I took photos, because I like to pretend that I'm a savvy blogger.
Here are the household products that I have purchased, that have come at the expense of a helpless animal:
(click to enlarge - does not include Lysol Wipes and Ziploc baggies, which I overlooked)
And for personal products? See for yourself:
Yes, I have a tendency to pick blue, white or silver packaging. What of it?
I don't see the point in throwing them away, frankly, becuase Proctor, Gamble, S.C. Johnson, and Gillette aren't going to be standing in my condo to witness my disposal of their brand names. But I'll be thinking long and hard about buying their products in the future. I appreciate people who start letter-writing campaigns for this cause now, because the thought of someone removing a chunk of my dog's leg muscle for testing (then tossing him onto a concrete floor for disposal while still alive) brings white, hot tears to my eyes. I often look at products (particularly cosmetics) and wonder what the big deal is about something being cruelty-free. Now I know.
Not a blog post that will change the world, but something to think about.
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