DBTV: Red Carpet, 24th Annual Genesis Awards

The red carpet is no place for talking about things with substance…or is it? These celebs who strutted their stuff at the 24th Annual Genesis Awards had some interesting things to say about animals – and clearly, the ladies like compassionate guys.

I caught up on the red carpet and talked with Matt Grant of “The Bachelor: London Calling”, Kelly Carlson of “Nip Tuck”, Emily Deschanel of “Bones”, Wendie Malick of “Hot in Cleveland”, Michael Vartan of “Hawthorne”, Jon Lovitz, Owain Yeoman of “The Mentalist”, politician, Pedro Nava, Dominic Scott Kay of “Pirates of the Caribbean”, recording artist, Daniel Landers, and Twilight’s Booboo Stewart.

If you missed my interviews with Moby and Jeff Corwin, just click!

Special thanks to my sis, Joelle Katcher for shooting the vid!

City of Angels

I always thought of LA as a big, dirty strip-mall that extended for miles in every direction. Now, however – after visiting for a few days with an amazing tour guide, I think of LA as a big, dirty strip mall with tons of vegan joints for miles in every direction. I arrived in LA with a suitcase and a big bag of Dr. Cow’s Tree Nut Cheese to share with the west coast.

Here’s some highlights:

Vegan Spot

Vegan Spot, Silver Lake
3206 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026

Vegan Spot had some yummy sandwiches. I had the “Cheesy Roast Beef” and Zoe had the “Philly Cheese Steak”. They thin-slice seitan, and smother it in onions and melted-vegan cheeses. It was pretty scrumptious.

Wine and Cheese

We headed over to a wine and cheese party where we ate copious amounts of Dr. Cow’s Tree Nut Cheese with the likes of Skinny Bitch: Rory Freedman, Emily Deschanel, Ari Solomon of Scent of Scandal, Karen Dawn and Paula the pitbul of Thanking the Monkey, among other amazing veggies!

Vegan Beer, Dr Cow Cheese, and Olvera St Market

Good Micro Brew & Grill
3725 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026

Casa de Sousa
213 703 5236
634 N. Main St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(Located on historical Olvera Street)

We shared some Pinkus organic vegan beer over Hemp-Nut and Blue Manna Dr. Cow’s Tree Nut Cheese at Good Micro Brew & Grill. This appeared to be their only known vegan beer – and lucky for us – it’s a really delicious, light German beer. The Germans don’t use Fish Bladder (AKA isinglass) in their beer. Thanks Germany! This places serves meat but they have some decent veg options like the orange tofu. Ana loved the cheese! She works with Guayaki Yerba Mate, and gave me mate and a gourd!

Then we visited the historic Mexican district of Olvera Street and had vegan Mexican-chocolate lattes at Casa de Sousa, a vegetarian Mexican cafe!

Gala Time!

Farm Sanctuary Gala

When was the last time you wined, dined, and looked refined with EMCEE Melissa Rivers, and SPECIAL GUESTS Kristen Bell, Rachel Leigh Cook, Jennifer Coolidge, Emily Deschanel, Christine Ebersole, Lisa Edelstein, Swoosie Kurtz, Vanessa Marcil, Peter Max, Rue McClanahan, Esai Morales, Kevin Nealon, Eric Roberts, Daniela Sea, Ally Sheedy, Loretta Swit, True Whitaker, Persia White, Shawn Colvin and Debra Wilson Skelton? Probably never…

//www.emmys.tv/media/releases/2006/images/cta-melissa.jpg” cannot be displayed, because it contains errors.http://www.thetvaddict.com/blogpics/kristen_heroes.jpghttp://cache.viewimages.com/xc/76624954.jpg?v=1&c=ViewImages&k=2&d=17A4AD9FDB9CF1932A9B55D9B9C7D68D12F27616FBD77A91284831B75F48EF45http://cache.viewimages.com/xc/76606167.jpg?v=1&c=ViewImages&k=2&d=17A4AD9FDB9CF1932A9B55D9B9C7D68D8B6D24050E9A1EB5284831B75F48EF45//content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/3/3d/Eric_Roberts.jpg” cannot be displayed, because it contains errors.http://szub.net/images/rlc/RLC_Template.jpghttp://cache.viewimages.com/xc/76624543.jpg?v=1&c=ViewImages&k=2&d=17A4AD9FDB9CF1932A9B55D9B9C7D68DD6C1F578C9DB817C284831B75F48EF45http://cache.viewimages.com/xc/76625003.jpg?v=1&c=ViewImages&k=2&d=17A4AD9FDB9CF1932A9B55D9B9C7D68DEFCA4029FF703A55284831B75F48EF45http://www.nbc.com/Las_Vegas/images/placeholder/vanessa_marcil.jpghttp://l.yimg.com/img.tv.yahoo.com/tv/us/img/site/42/87/0000004287_20060919221144.jpghttp://www.sfstandup.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/kevin-nealon.jpghttp://cache.viewimages.com/xc/76624616.jpg?v=1&c=ViewImages&k=2&d=17A4AD9FDB9CF1932A9B55D9B9C7D68DC4F04F514F95C8F6284831B75F48EF45

This is a product of my friends’ blood, sweat, and tears. You’ll meet compassionate people you only DREAMED of meeting, and network with like minded GREENIES… and all to help the animals! What could be more wonderful? If you want to hang out, eat amazing food, meet amazing people (including myself, of course) then buy tix now!

BUY TICKETS HERE
They will (and always do) sell out.

THE EVENING
Three-course Gourmet Vegan Dinner
Farm Animal-inspired Auction
Award Presentations
Entertainment

Tickets are $400 per person.
To purchase tickets, donate and learn more, or to find out about sponsorship and advertising opportunities and make product donations and auction contributions to support the event, please contact us at 607-583-2225 ext.221 or gala@farmsanctuary.org

Planning Committee
James Costa, Chair
Madeline Davis, Chris Haynes, Dennis Erdman, Joy Pierson, Sal Scamardo, James Warren, Vanessa Noel, Benay Vynerib

You won’t regret attending this event.

A Discerning Brute: Gene Baur

Gene Baur

When I attended the NYC launch of Gene Baur’s national book tour, I didn’t expect to be fed amazing food from Candle 79, mingle with Moby and other smart celebs, and have fuel added to the fire of my passion for animal advocacy while listening to Gene read from his book.Farm Sanctuary continues to be this Discerning Brute’s favorite animal advocacy organization (especially since I make routine trips to their sanctuaries to hang with the animals!). I met Gene for the first time last fall in LA at their star-studded Gala.

Gene, Coral Smith, Billy McNamara, Joshua Katcher
Gene Baur, Coral Smith (MTV’s Real World), Billy McNamara, Joshua Katcher

Twenty years ago, Gene started Farm Sanctuary with meager resources, and today it is the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization. Farm Sanctuary has worked to expose and stop cruel practices of the “food animal” industry through research and investigations, legal and institutional reforms, public awareness projects, youth education, and direct rescue and refuge efforts. Farm Sanctuary shelters in Watkins Glen, N.Y., and Orland, Calif., provide lifelong care for hundreds of rescued animals, who have become ambassadors for farm animals everywhere by educating visitors about the realities of factory farming. Additional information can be found at www.farmsanctuary.org.

Attend the Book Tour:
Click HERE for a list of cities and dates. Gene Baur’s national book tour is scheduled to visit cities across the country to promote the book and share his experiences from more than 20 years on the front lines of the animal protection movement. He will explore the ethical questions involved in the production of beef, poultry, pork, milk, and eggs and address the systematic mistreatment of 10 billion farm animals who are exploited specifically for food every year in the U.S.

Buy the Book: 100 percent of author proceeds will be donated to Farm Sanctuary. Click Click Here.

Wine & Dine in NYC with Gene, Celebs, the Ethically Fabulous, and Yours Truly:
Farm Sanctuary will be hosting its next Gala for Farm Animals on Saturday, May 17, 2008 in New York at Cipriani Wall Street! For more information on this event, please visit the Gala website.

Gala


Are you an artist or crafts-person? Want to donate a farm-animal related item to the Auction?

At the past auctions, Fred Willard, Deborah Skelton, Emily Deschanel, Alicia Silverstone, Dennis Kucinich, Paul Reuben, Moby, and hordes of other amazing people bid on artwork from huge atists like Peter Max and Sue Coe, and artists just like you! Farm Sanctuary’s Gala auction raises over $50,000 for farm animals in need. This crucial fundraising effort is only possible thanks to the generosity of artists and other contributors. For information about contributing to the Gala auction click here, or contact Chloe Jo Berman at 212-989-8482 or cberman@farmsanctuary.org.

DB’s Etiquette Recommendation: Book parties are great places to meet people who have similar interests, so show up and look like you mean it! If you come to the NYC gala, and want to hang out with me, drop me a line! Don’t forget to get a nice eco-friendly suit from one of the many designers listed in the right (or just get one from your local thrift store)!

THANKING THE MONKEY

Thanking the MonkeyIf you are a Discerning Brute, like I am – knowing what the hell is going on in this crazy world we live in, and pursuing knowledge, intelligence and understanding in order to navigate through it (lightly!) is crucial. That is why I am recommending Karen Dawn’s (of Dawnwatch) new book Thanking the Monkey: Rethinking the Way We Treat Animals.

I am reading it right now (got a proof at the press lunch) and it’s full of my favorite celebrities, features art and cartoons by the likes of the legendary Sue Coe, Anthony Freda and Dan Pirraro (of Bizarro), and reveals jaw-dropping information that you absolutely must know about!

The release of this book marks a milestone concerning the position of non-human animals in our culture. Where others have been prohibitively academic and heavy-handed, Dawn’s approach retorts with conversational humor and easy-to-understand philosophy, but doesn’t compromise at all when it comes to thorough research and honesty about everything from circuses to slaughterhouses.

With glowing reviews from Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Booklist, and incredible endorsements from Gloria Steinem, Bill Maher, Anthony Kiedis, Emily Deschanel, Paul Haggis, JM Coetzee, Matthew Scully, Rory Freedman, Persia White, Bruce Greenwood and many more – it is a must-read for anyone who has ever wondered about the position of animals in our society and wants to consider themselves ethically fabulous.

WATCH THE VIDEO:
I produced this video for Karen and spoke with a bunch of really intelligent celebs about the book:

BUY THE BOOK:
Harper Collins retail price $19.95
To buy a signed copy in advance, for just $14.95 plus shipping (USA only from this website, sorry) please use the “Buy Now” button below. It will take you to a Paypal page, but those without Paypal accounts can choose a regular credit card option. Shipping is $4.95 for one copy, $1.95 for each additional copy up to five, and free for all copies after five. The on sale date, when books will be in stores, is March 24th, 2008. Signed copies will be shipped in March.

buy now