Abdessemed Gets Rejected, Eggs Get Approved
Thanks to Roger Yates for pointing out that the Glasgow International contemporary art festival has turned down Adel Abdessemed’s "Don’t Trust Me." I think it’s ridiculous to say it’s not meant to be sensational, and it’s just as ridiculous to call it art. Something tells me that if he filmed footage of a slaughterhouse it wouldn’t be called gallery-worthy art. (Here’s my original post on this topic if you forgot what this is all about.)
The installation was withdrawn from the Walter and McBean Galleries in San Francisco after the staff received death threats. Now, I don’t know whether that’s true, but I do know it makes no sense. That’s akin to the death penalty–murder is so bad, that if you do it we’ll murder you. Please, please don’t threaten anyone with death if you claim to believe in nonviolence. It takes a bit of the credibility out of your proclamation of nonviolence.
Next, thanks to Jenny Stein for directing me to a press release from Eggology that proudly announces its decade-long "close association with The Humane Society" and the bestowing of "the prestigious ‘Certified Humane’ designation" on some of its products.
If you must express your articulate, dignified opinion directly to the source, Eggology does have a blog. Entries from March 31 and March 26 specifically apply to the spectacular news about "Certified Humane," including that the hens are not debeaked. As you may know, in a stroke of spin genius doubtfully not appreciated by the hens, the mutilation of their beaks is now called "Beak Trimming."
[Humane Farm Animal Care] is aware that there is some confusion regarding the difference between beak trimming and debeaking. We do not under any circumstances allow debeaking; there are, however, humane reasons to allow beak trimming of laying hens, as long as it is practiced according to strict guidelines. It is accepted that in colony housing systems there is a great risk of outbreaks of cannibalism. The pain and suffering of the hens that are being pecked to death is appalling and may quickly affect a large proportion of the flock. HFAC allows minimal beak trimming in order to avoid heavy feather pecking and cannibalism among laying hen flocks.
. . .
[I]n 1997 Dr. M.J. Gentle of the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, UK, conducted research that showed that, although chicks beak-trimmed before 10 days of age may experience short-term pain, they do not experience the longterm pain that was associated with trimming chicks at ages older than 10 days. Our standards require that, if chicks are to be trimmed, the trimming must occur at 10 days of age or younger. Further, the trimming can only be carried out by trained and competent operators using approved methods. Only the tip of the upper part of the beak may be removed, in order to limit the hens’ ability to tear at flesh without inhibiting feeding, ground pecking, or preening. The lower mandible may be “stopped” (e.g., heat treated) without any beak being removed in order to avoid distortion of beak formation in later life.
Did you catch the bit about "stopping" or heat TREATING the lower mandible? Heat treating? Like as in burning? And beak trimming? I’m just glad they do it in sentient beings that are only a couple of days old and according to strict guidelines. That makes it all completely acceptable to me (if I want to justify my unnecessary consumption of animal products).
Friends, the "pain and suffering of hens THAT are pecked to death" is entirely avoidable. Not by maiming them and causing them a different kind of pain, but by not forcing them into a position where they might feel so trapped and panicked that they would actually peck each other to death. Please work diligently to undo some of the damage that the ASPCA and HSUS (both "partners" of Certified Humane) have done to animals and their plight by simply renaming their exploitation, terror and suffering.
All you need to tell anyone is this: There is no such thing as a humane egg. Period. Send them to The "Free-Range" Myth at Peaceful Prairie’s site, and remind them that eggs are the menstrual excretions of another species. That should do it.
I don't think it was vegan animal rights people who were offended by the Don't Trust Me exhibit. I think lots of "normal" people who eat meat were rightfully outraged. So that's probably where the death threats came from if they existed at all.
But I have to say, as someone who has received death threats, they are rarely an indication of actual violence and are usually just an expression that something you've done has hit a nerve with some people. One would imagine that accomplished, controversial artists and those who support them would be familiar with death threats and if they truly believed in their "art" they'd push forward anyway.
It just goes to show that whatever lame excuses they used to justify putting that "art" on display fell short when it came to actually challenging social norms or making people think. I think that's because they finally realized, hey, this isn't challenging social norms, this is killing animals for fun and profit and that brutal animal snuff films do not constitute serious art.
The best, most accurate description of HSUS’s Farm Animal section is “a large public relations consultant for the animal agriculture industry, ensuring the industry’s long-term survival by guiding its strategies as it responds to growing public concern over its practices, and making consumers feel better about consuming animal products.”
What was HSUS’s response to the undercover videos which led to the recent beef recall? Was it “go vegan”? No. It was “industry shouldn’t slaughter downers” (for its own good). HSUS is a consultant to, not an opponent of, Big Animal Agribusiness.
It is absurd that the word "humane" is in their name.
Mary, thanks for sharing this info with your readers. A couple hours after I posted the original press release to AR-News, they put up a "corrected" version, so I am reposting the original press release below. The difference is that HSUS is not quoted and not named so directly in the new press release. You are correct in pointing out that they are behind the Certified Humane label, along with a few other animal advocacy organizations, but the general public doesn't necessarily know that, nor do many animal activists.
I find it interesting that this press release is tied to the CA initiative. Wouldn't Eggology naturally have a commercial interest in the passage of this initiative since it would give them a competitive advantage? Meanwhile, what do the animals gain by having an egg producer certified as "humane" and endorsed by high profile animal advocacy groups? It's hard not to see this as a blatant conflict of interest.
ORIGINAL PRESS RELEASE:
March 31, 2008 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time
EGGOLOGY BECOMES FIRST EGG PRODUCTS BRAND CERTIFIED HUMANE ENDORSED BY THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES
CANOGA PARK, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Eggology, the leader in the all-natural egg whites industry, has become the only liquid egg brand to be Certified Humane endorsed by The Humane Society of the United States, it was announced today by company founder Brad Halpern.
The first company to offer 100% organic and cage-free egg whites, Eggology has maintained a close association with The Humane Society since being founded in the mid-90’s.
Receiving the prestigious Certified Humane designation affirms that Eggology meets the stringent Animal Care Standards endorsed by The Humane Society. These include providing animals a nutritious diet without antibiotics or hormones, as well as raising them with shelters, resting areas, sufficient space and the ability to engage in natural behaviors (please find below additional information about the non-cruelty standards Eggology maintains).
Certified Humane hens have over 3 times the space that hens have in battery cage factory farms. The Certified Humane logo will be featured immediately on the http://www.Eggology.com website and will begin appearing on the company’s line of products over the weeks ahead.
Eggology has also become a staunch supporter of The Humane Society’s efforts to pass a precedent-setting California ballot in November eliminating chicken cages in the state.
“You don’t need to be a scientist to know that confining a bird to a space in which it can barely move is cruel and inhumane,” said Paul Shapiro, Director of The Humane Society’s factory farming campaign.
Added Eggology founder Brad Halpern, “We are truly honored to receive this prestigious certification since the welfare of chickens and all animals has always been of tremendous importance to me personally and to Eggology corporately. I look forward to working closely with the great people at The Humane Society on this important November ballot and to doing everything humanly – and humanely – possible to eliminate the caging of chickens in California.”
I assume Eggology’s “wonderful” facilities are open to public tours? Would we see chickens debeaked, living in their excrement? Will the facility stink of ammonia? How about the male chicks? Do they get gassed or tossed into wood-chippers? How about forced molting? How about what happens after these “animal machines” can't churn out eggs anymore? Do they go to the same slaughterhouse as KFC and Tyson Foods’ chickens?
The deception that HSUS and Eggology are responsible for is appalling. It’s like a news story telling us how wonderful it is to vacation in sunny Bagdad right now without mentioning there’s also a war going on.