Bob Barker revisits an old battlefield
July 16th, 2009 by admin
This weekend’s Miss Florida USA pageant will determine Florida’s representative to Donald Trump’s Miss USA pageant to be held next April.
From 1967 to 1987, the national Miss USA pageant was hosted by television personality and animal rights activist Bob Barker. During his reign, the televised contest experienced its highest ratings ever. Despite this, the pageant refused his request that fur coats no longer be given as prizes, so Barker followed his conscience and stepped down as host.
Fur is no longer a part of the Miss USA pageant. Unfortunately, the Fur Information Council of America remains a sponsor of Florida’s preliminary competition (read our previous posts here). Recently, Bob Barker joined with the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida in urging the Miss Florida USA pageant to end its association with the cruel fur trade. In a letter to pageant producers, he wrote:
“After my requests to discontinue the use of fur prizes were ignored, I was forced to step down from my position with the Miss USA Pageant. To my disappointment, I have been informed by ARFF that Miss Florida USA continues to be sponsored by the Fur Information Council of America. It saddens me greatly to know that Miss USA has yet to shed the cruel fur industry from its otherwise beautiful pageantry. What a terrible shame it is that Miss USA and all affiliated pageants have not recognized fur coats for what they are – the stolen skins of ruthlessly tortured animals.”
Please join ARFF at the pageant finals this Saturday and help us send a message to organizers that the ugliness of fur has no place in a pageant.
Demonstration Date: Saturday, July 18
Time: 6:00-7:30pm
Location: Bailey Concert Hall, Broward Community College, 3501 South West Davie Road, Davie, Florida
Click here for a map and directions.