The Discerning Brute: fashion, food & etiquette for the ethically handsome man

Running With Russell, Vegetable Frenzy & Rise of the Power Vegans

Ryan Olbrysh,  www.lasvegassun.com

• Power Vegan. What does this phase connote? According to the Business Week article from Nov. 4th, The Rise of the Power Vegan is an interesting turn of events for a culture of executives and power-players who want to take control of their own health, and thrive for as long as possible.

…a growing number of America’s most powerful bosses have become vegan. Steve Wynn, Mort Zuckerman, Russell Simmons, and Bill Clinton are now using tempeh to assert their superiority. As are Ford Executive Chairman of the Board Bill Ford (F), Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, venture capitalist Joi Ito, Whole Foods Market (WFMI) Chief Executive Officer John Mackey, and Mike Tyson. Yes, Mike Tyson, a man who once chewed on human ear, is now vegan

• A new, slightly controversial article in New York Magazine explores why vegetables are the new meat, becoming the focus of entrees at unlikely restaurants throughout cities famous for fervent foodies. Vegetables Are the New Meat, they say – but they make sure to distinguish themselves from vegetarians, still calling on meat, butter, and cheese for flavor. What do you think about the “vegivore” trend? Leave a comment!

“Sales are up 15 to 20 percent,” says Mountain Sweet Berry Farm’s Rick Bishop, whose spigarello broccoli and spring-ushering ramps have cult followings at Union Square. “You see lines at the market now for vegetables. People used to only line up for eggs and fish.”

• If you like football, but hate the stereotype of the meat-maniacs that fill the parking lots, you’ll love Peta’s list of the Top 5 Vegetarian-Friendly NFL Stadiums:

1. Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia Eagles), where protein-packed mock-steak sandwiches, faux-chicken sandwiches, veggie dogs, and veggie burgers are coming off the grill faster than DeSean Jackson in the open field.
2. Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum (Oakland Raiders)
3. Lambeau Field (Green Bay Packers)
4. Georgia Dome (Atlanta Falcons)
5. (Tie) Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City Chiefs) & Ford Field (Detroit Lions)

• I made my debut on Oxygen Network’s Running Russell Simmons last night, where I was drenched in fake blood and wrapped up in a meat tray in times square! So may people have been Tweeting that they are considering going veg! Thanks to the amazing Simone for asking me to join her at this event! Watch the full episode (the PETA demo starts at about 36 min. in):

• Win a Gardein Stuffed Turk’y Thanksgiving Meal from Mercy For Animals! Gardein has provided MFA with five coupons for free Savory Stuffed Turk’y products to give away to our supporters. All you have to do is enter MFA’s Savory Stuffed Turk’y contest for your chance to win a free coupon. So, what are you waiting for? Enter to win today! Five lucky winners will be randomly selected on November 15.

4 Comments

joshuakatcher, November 10th 2010 | Tags: and Bill Clinton, Atlanta Falcons, Bill Ford, biz stone, Detroit Lions, gardein, Green Bay Packers, John Mackey, Joi Ito, Kansas City Chiefs, Mike Tyson, Mort Zuckerman, new york magazine, Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles, power vegan, running russell simmons, Russell Simmons, simone reyes, Steve Wynn, vegetarian NFL stadiums, vegivore
Posted in accessories, activism, animal rights, contest, cruelty-free, event, fashion, food, green, Health, news, philosophy, restaurant, social responsibility, sustainable, vegan, vegetarian, video

Bob Harper Video Interview

Being a loser was never so cool. When I was in Los Angeles a few weeks ago I sat down with Bob Harper, host of NBC’s Biggest Loser to discuss his role as the 2010 National Spokesperson for Farm Sanctuary’s Walk for Farm Animals. We discussed his recent evolution to a vegan diet, how he grew up on a cattle farm, and or course, food and nutrition! Check out the full interview, and sign up for the Walk for Farm Animals in your town! The new season of NBC’s Biggest Loser premieres tonight.

9 Comments

joshuakatcher, September 21st 2010 | Tags: biggest loser, Bob Harper, farm sanctuary, Joshua Katcher, walk for farm animals
Posted in activism, animal rights, celebrity, food, green, Health, interview, news, vegan, vegetarian, video

Viva Las Vegans & Chrissie Hynde’s Clothing Line

Steve Wynn

• Vegans of Nevada and ethical gambling tourists will rejoice now that there are “dozens of vegan dining options …available at Wynn Las Vegas and Encore Las Vegas, two resorts operated by mogul Steve Wynn, who recently decreed that every restaurant at his Vegas properties would provide several vegan choices. That includes, yes, even the lowly buffet, which now has a vegan dessert section,” according to AOL News. The 68-year-old casino mogul is rumored to have gone vegan recently. Read the full story here.

• Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders is set to launch a line of clothing called Fairground Luck, featuring “leather” jackets, skinny jeans, and cowboy boots – all totally vegan, according to WWD. The line is a collaboration with her recording partner, JP Jones, a Welsh singer – and this leads me to believe (and hope) that the line includes things for men! Discerning Brute pals Todd Oldham and John Bartlett are rumored to have consulted on the line. Full Article.

1 Comment

joshuakatcher, August 26th 2010 | Tags: fariground luck, JP Jones, Steve Wynn, vegam chrissie hynde
Posted in animal rights, celebrity, cruelty-free, fashion, food, vegan, video

EDUN: Grow to Sew

EDUN, started in 2005 by Ali Hewson and Bono, has relaunched their website, and along with it, a crucial new initiative: Grow to Sew. One hundred percent of proceeds from the Grow to Sew series will go to the Conservation Cotton Initiative (CCI) in Uganda, an organic farming program created by EDUN and the Wildlife Conservation Society that aims to build sustainable, organic farming communities and offer farmers a fair trade market for their cotton. This comes at the first signs of peace after decades of civil war, strife, and unrest in this once-fertile, cotton growing region of Uganda called Gulu.

As part of the Pre Fall Collection created in honor of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, EDUN introduces a Special Edition Grow to Sew African produced tee shirt series, which features organic cotton, and bold black and white graphics inspired by the vibrancy of the continent. Included in this series is a “South Africa 2010” soccer ball graphic tee that features the shape of the African continent at the center of the ball.

In addition to this initiative, EDUN’s mens’ A/W 2010 collection is looking tremendous with subtle grays, slate blues, tans, and olive. All fair trade, mostly organic cotton. I love everything EDUN stands for, but I do wish they’d ditch that one leather jacket they offer, being that livestock is the worst ecological offender out there ( and it’s just mean) – and there are so many amazing, sustainable alternatives.

3 Comments

joshuakatcher, June 21st 2010 | Tags: ali hewson, Bono, edun, ethical fashion, grow to sew, menswear, organic cotton, uganda
Posted in accessories, activism, design, environmental justice, fair trade, fashion, green, news, organic, social responsibility, sustainable, trend report, video

Noons’ Fight

Fighter KJ Noons to animal abusers: “Pick on someone your own size”

KJ Noons joins other professional fighters like Jake Shields, Mac Danzig, and the impressive list at www.knockoutdogfighting.org who have spoken up for animals.

Check out his new PSA against animal abuse and dog fighting.

KJ Noons’ 8-2 record includes wins over Nick Diaz to secure the EliteXC 160 pounds title, and a subsequent title defense against Yves Edwards. He most recently won his fight over Andre Amado at DREAM 13 in Japan.

KJ’s next fight is with Strikeforce Live on June 16.

Check out KJ’s website and fighter profile at Sherdog to learn more about the Hawaii native.

2 Comments

joshuakatcher, June 15th 2010 | Tags: Andre Amado, DREAM 13, EliteXC, kj noons, Mac Danzig, strikeforce, Yves Edwards
Posted in activism, animal rights, celebrity, sports, video

Comme des Garçon’s WONDERWOOD

• Someone who loved wood more than words could say? Sounds like one of us. Trees, forests, nature, and the smell of wood is something that echos in the most primal part of our brains. Guys who get down with sophisticated, organic smells will probably love Wonderwood, and being that Jaisalmer is my favorite scent – with hints of cardamon, cinnamon, pepper, benzoin, ebony wood and gaiac wood, I have a feeling I’ll love this one too. The Brother’s Quay, a pair of renowned animators known for their distinct, dream-like, and haunting imagery, have crafted a gorgeous, hallucinatory short film to usher in the new scent. It is screening on thelovemagazine.co.uk exclusively all this week. (Thanks to HINT for the hint!)

It’s sometimes hard to tell when a scent is cruelty-free, so I put in a call to Comme des Garçon’s offices in London and Paris to check if the fragrances would be considered suitable for vegans, and whether or not they’re tested on animals. The Europeans were not phased by the question one bit. I was told that there are no animal-derived ingredients in the scents, and that the labs do not test on animals, but could not be given a 100% guarantee. I am in the process of following-up to get that guarantee, but so far, this is great to know! Now I’ll see if I can convince them to put the leaping-bunny or certified vegan logo on their packaging. Stay tuned.

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joshuakatcher, May 18th 2010 | Tags: animal testing, brothers quay, Comme des Garçon's WONDERWOOD, cruelty-free, vivisection
Posted in animal rights, art, film, green, news, vegan, vegetarian, video

PARISIAN PIONEER: C-PAS’ Pierre-André Senizergues

Pierre-André Senizergues has a Hollywood story. He went from a Parisian childhood, to being homeless on the streets of Venice Beach, to becoming an international skateboarding champion and then one of the most influential and respected businessmen in the apparel and skate industry, heading-up Sole Technologies, Inc. Now, with over 25 years of revolutionizing skate culture, Pierre is again setting new standards and breaking new boundaries with social responsibility and environmentalism. C-PAS is Pierre’s latest personal endeavor, and along with designer Pierluigi Pucci, Senizergues is making menswear from recycled parachutes and tarps, organic cotton, soda bottles, sustainable fabrics, and he is finally addressing the fact that leather can never be sustainable.

I stopped by the Soho, NYC studio to try on some of the clothes, and chat about C-PAS, sustainable fashion, and menswear.