Sam Neill in meat ad

[Jacqui]

Meat & livestock Australia have just released their new ad campaign,
"Red meat - we were meant to eat it."
see more here http://www.mla.com.au/default.htm

[Dalron]

Sam Neill owns Two Paddocks winery so a boycott of his wine is a start (not that I've ever seen it for sale):

http://www.twopaddocks.com/profile.shtml

"Mr. Neill does not have an email address. All fan mail should be labeled "Fan Mail" and can be sent to him at the following address:
Mr Sam Neill
Shanahan Management Pty Ltd
P.O. Box 1509
Darlinghurst NSW 1300
Australia

http://www.ibiblio.org/samneill/fandom.html

I have also found these two email addresses which might get your message about how you feel to him:

neill@huntawayfilms.co.nz

admin@shanahan.com.au

[treehugga]

Yes I saw this ad last night and was horrified .

I hope Hugo Weaving is having a go at him.

Everytime I see him now I will feel depressed

[Roxy]

The whole ad is frickin disgusting!!!

What a wanker! There's a difference between our ancestors jumping out of a tree to hunt an animal, and the factory farming that goes on today.

Ugh - shit like that makes me mad! Is that ad on regular TV in Australia? The scene of that little kid ripping the meat off the bone like some kind of neanderthal caveman is actually disturbing. So is the butcher shop scene.

[Jacqui]

Thanks for the address Dalron, I'll be sending some fan mail.

We should look at the bright side. For them to be spending so much on an add campaign, they must be noticing that people are not buying as much.
I hope people are not brainwashed by that crap.

[Seaside]

The new ‘Red Meat. Feel Good’ campaign - 'Foundation Food’ - tells the story of how mankind evolved on red meat over the past two million years and includes the key message ‘Red meat – we were meant to eat it’.

Sure, we ate red meat, and we evolved. It doesn't mean one has anything to do with the other. We evolved IN SPITE of eating red meat, that's my view!

[Free_Tibet]

Actor - Sam Neill's animal sellout -
TV commercials for
Australian Meat Industry -

please email now & cross post

International Film Celebrity Sam Neill has unfortunately
signed on with the Australian Meat Industry and completed
his first ever advertising campaign to promote meat.
It commences on Australian TV tonight and will run
for five weeks. Please read article below then please
forward this widely. Ask everyone to contact Sam Neill
and explain to him that these commencials will sadly
further the continued exploitation and great suffering
of many animals in Australia. Please include sites and
information from sites like www.savebabe.com
and www.factoryfarming.com . Please ask him to view images
of today's "farming" methods http://www.factoryfarming.com/gallery.htm.
Also, please let Mr Neill know you will be boycotting any
future films of his or his company Huntaway Films until
he counters his poor decision of promoting animal suffering.
Please keep all correspondence polite as rudeness will
only hinder the cause.


Sam Neill's email: neill@huntawayfilms.co.nz



Food fight: Sam takes on Missy
By Christine Sams (Sydney Morning Herald and Sunday AGE)
March 12, 2006

Missy Higgins appearing in a series of ads for People
for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.



WITH Sam Neill spruiking the benefits of eating meat,
Missy Higgins telling people to go vegetarian and John
Farnham plugging milk, celebrity-fronted food campaigns
are the hottest trend in advertising.
Neill has filmed his first-ever advertising campaign, to
promote red meat as part of a deal with Meat and
Livestock Australia. In the big-budget advertisement
due to appear on Australian television screens for the
first time tonight, Neil uses the slogan: "Red meat;
we were meant to eat it."
"Lean meat, three or four times a week, is still an
essential part of the diet of the most highly developed
species on the planet," he tells audiences as part of
a five-week meat campaign.
The high-profile involvement of Neill is a coup for
meat producers, who are trying to fight claims
that there should be less red meat in the Australian diet.
"I think Sam brings a unique combination of great
trust and credibility because he's viewed not just as
a celebrity, but as a person in the public eye with
credibility," said David Thomason, general manager
of marketing at Meat and Livestock Australia. "It's
also his role as an actor which brings warmth and
humour to the whole thing.
"This is the first advertising Sam's ever been involved
in, so we're delighted," he said. "But it's down to the
fact we're not a commercial enterprise but we're
representing an industry… one that's very important,
particularly in regional Australia."
Neill's involvement also signals a battle of celebrity
loyalties regarding meat-eating and vegetarianism,
which is becoming more pronounced in Australian
advertising. After comedian Sam Kekovich's notorious
campaign for lamb, celebrities including Missy Higgins
threw their support behind giving up meat all together.
In her advertising campaign for People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals (PETA), Higgins nursed a baby
pig under the slogan "Need Another Reason to Go
Vegetarian?"
"I much prefer eating green vegetables to meat anyway,"
Higgins told reporters. It was also the first time the
vegetarian singer-songwriter had so publicly supported
a cause.
Mr Thomason said: "We haven't thought of it as a being
a war of celebrities, but the important part for us is about
getting the message across.
"Red meat certainly has its critics out there who argue
that we should be eating much less (or none at all), but
our campaign is really about putting that back into context."
Neill's fee for the meat campaign has not been revealed.
----------------------------------------------------------------

Please contact Sam Neill and please cross post. Thanks

SAM NEILL CONTACT INFORMATION:

Huntaway Films,
Level 1,
Steamer Wharf,
Lower Beach Street,
Queenstown,
New Zealand.

Phone:- +64 (03) 441 1441
Fax:- +64 (03) 441 1451
E-mail:- neill@huntawayfilms.co.nz

His business partner's (John Clarke) details in Melbourne:
Huntaway Films,
PO Box 12553,
a Beckett Street,
Melbourne,
Victoria, 3001
Australia.

Phone:- +61 (03) 9416 0524
E-mail:- clarke@huntawayfilms.co.nz




Huntaway Films

Huntaway Films was set up in New Zealand and Australia by Sam Neill, John Clarke and Jay Cassells.

This step was taken after number of cups of tea in the Clarke kitchen and after a combined 90 years experience in the film and television industries.

It is based in New Zealand in Queenstown in the southern province of Otago and in Australia in Melbourne in the state of Victoria.

If it was grown up enough to have a Mission Statement

[Geoff]

And there's Cindy Pan with her dairy ads. Even worse as she's a medical practitioner and should know that what she's saying is untrue.

[Nest]

Meat & livestock Australia have just released their new ad campaign,
"Red meat - we were meant to eat it."
see more here http://www.mla.com.au/default.htm

I haven't seen the ad yet ... and apparently my computer is a vegan too because it refused to show the ad from the website!

Having said that, I used to think that Sam Neill was a nice bloke.

[insubordination]

Just heard it in the background while cooking a vegan stirfry not half an hour ago. Didn't realise it was Sam Neil.

The ad was nauseating. It suggested we were meant to eat red meat 3-4 times per week and that's what makes humans smart.

It would be sort of amusing if I didn't know a lot of people are going to go out and do so.

Sam Neill is (used to be?) big lefty too. How frustrating!

[Jacqui]

... and apparently my computer is a vegan too because it refused to show the ad from the website!

I felt dirty downloading it.

[Pilaf]

Sam Neill is (used to be?) big lefty too. How frustrating!

You'd be surprised at how many so-called "lefties" and "liberals" chow down on animal flesh every night.

[treehugga]

The whole ad is frickin disgusting!!!

What a wanker! There's a difference between our ancestors jumping out of a tree to hunt an animal, and the factory farming that goes on today.

Ugh - shit like that makes me mad! Is that ad on regular TV in Australia? The scene of that little kid ripping the meat off the bone like some kind of neanderthal caveman is actually disturbing. So is the butcher shop scene.

Yes Roxy, I'm afraid it is on regular tv here. I have had to see it at least once a night. I think I'll read instead now.

[coconut]

Sam Neill doing a meat ad?! Now every time I watch Jurassic Park I'll be crossing my fingers for the T-Rex to gobble him up!

[insubordination]

You'd be surprised at how many so-called "lefties" and "liberals" chow down on animal flesh every night.

Yeah but actively supporting the corrupt meat and livestock industry? I'm disgusted so I'm going to sink down to a lower level.

He's a pretty crap actor most of the time and rarely does anything impressive (with a couple of exceptions, of course).

I once heard a review of Jurassic Park 3 (He was in one and three, right?). It said something like, "The technology has improved since JP1, this time Sam Neill was almost life-like."

[veganblue]

Amusingly one of our members here made the following observation;

If meat eating leads to intelligence; why do we consider ourselves more intelligent than those animals that exculsively eat meat?

Considering the broad phytonutrient rich diet of our nearest relatives, the Chimps (who only rarely eat meat) - isn't it a bit hard to suggest that we *need* meat?

It's been 15 years for me - oh dear I should have died a long time ago !

[insubordination]

Good point.

The ad is likely to anger Christians anyway. Darwinism and the like. I saw the add again. It really is silly.

We also 'need' dairy as it's "Nature's perfect food" (for calves).

[StmpyElephant]

I recently saw this ad, laughed my head off and screamed 'PROPOGANDA'

Meat 3-4 times a week....yeah, good luck with heart disease folks.

Did anyone else read into the fact that if the meat industry needs to put these kind of ads on tv, it could be because their profits are in decline and perhaps people are turning away from meat? Hmm, I do wonder.

I think it was the fact the ad was so insistent that we need meat and that it's the only way we shall live and live properly. I can't recall an ad as completely open as that...but that could be my ignorance showing.

If only there was a counter ad to this....or one that sexed up chickpeas and lentils. When I become ruler of the world, I shall make sure this happens.

[Pilaf]

I recently saw this ad, laughed my head off and screamed 'PROPOGANDA'

Meat 3-4 times a week....yeah, good luck with heart disease folks.

Did anyone else read into the fact that if the meat industry needs to put these kind of ads on tv, it could be because their profits are in decline and perhaps people are turning away from meat? Hmm, I do wonder.

I think it was the fact the ad was so insistent that we need meat and that it's the only way we shall live and live properly. I can't recall an ad as completely open as that...but that could be my ignorance showing.

If only there was a counter ad to this....or one that sexed up chickpeas and lentils. When I become ruler of the world, I shall make sure this happens.

Their fear is showing..their inability to cope with a changing world.

It's time we begin to strike aggressively. If every single person on this forum could convince at least one other to give up meat in his/her lifetime, the world would be a better place.

I've converted my first "veggie" already, a girl I know has gone from complete omni to sort of a "pesco-vegetarian" (she's given up most all animal products except fish). Maybe someday she'll be vegan....

But my point is, it's time we start recruiting. If they're afraid of us because they know we're right, let's make them even more afraid. I bet we could triple or quadruple the number of vegans and vegetarians in the world within another 100 years. It's not too late to squash the kind of ignorance these desperate ads are trying to promote.

Now is the time for mankind to stand up for the future. Not later..later might be too late. Let's all get out there and spread the word..educate in any way we can to counter these desperate meat ads. I already leave pamphlets in public places..talk to anyone who will listen, eagerly discuss the lifestyle on any message board or chatroom possible. Together we can pave the way.

*suddenly stops and looks around* Oh..I started to give a speech there. Sorry. Ahem...as you were. *skulks away*(I hope the CIA doesn't moniter places like this.)

[kriz]

You'd be surprised at how many so-called "lefties" and "liberals" chow down on animal flesh every night.

Oh, yeah, Susan Sarandon, Ed Harris and a bunch of other "lefty" celebs do advertising for The Heifer Organization. Their "liberal hearts" do not bleed for animals.

[kriz]

If only there was a counter ad to this....or one that sexed up chickpeas and lentils. When I become ruler of the world, I shall make sure this happens.

We vegans need to accumulate more money, become powerful and kick some asses with heavy advertising. Now that's a great goal.

[Jane M]

kriz...I think you got a great idea!

[eve]

As Sam Neill says: "Lean red meat, three or four times per week, is still an essential part of the [human] diet", and as the Trade Practices Act says it is illegal to make a false or misleading representation concerning the need for any goods, please talk to the ACCC on 1300 302 502.

It's very simple and you don't need to write a letter. They'll just ask you what you're objecting to, why you're objecting, where and when you saw the ad, your postcode, your name and your phone number.

Tell them the ad is (take your pick): a lie, blatantly untrue, false, misleading, promoting ill health, and so on, and that if this ad was attempted in the US or UK they'd be sued.

It takes just a couple of minutes to ring the ACCC for the price of a local call, and they said that whether they do anything will depend on the number of complaints. Please act now.

[veganblue]

Complaint registered. Information posted to local network - thanks for this.

[veganblue]

Red meat, red herring
http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinio...083898475.html




March 24, 2006
The ad seems at times to tacitly suggest not eating meat may be dangerous.


An ad for meat tries to bypass morality by appealing to evolution, writes Richard King.

Amid the superhuman feats taking place in Melbourne this week, a lesson in human evolution has been doing the rounds on our TV screens. This is part of a marketing campaign by Meat and Livestock Australia, a company representing the interests of livestock producers, processors, exporters, food service operators and food retailers. Timed to coincide with the Commonwealth Games, the campaign includes the following tag line: "Red meat - we were meant to eat it."

The advertisement takes us on a whirlwind tour through 2 million years of human evolution - all the way from the African grasslands to a family meal in the Australian suburbs. Our guide on this tour is the actor Sam Neill, who, according to David Thomason, marketing manager at the company, brings "trust and credibility" to the role. Whence Neill's credibility comes Thomason doesn't specify, but I imagine it might have something to do with his performance as Dr Alan Grant in Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park. Grant knows his herbivores from his carnivores.

Here is the spiel from the company's website, an expurgated version of which appears in the current TV ad: "To understand the importance of red meat you have to go back millions of years to the time when our ape ancestors came down from the trees and moved to open grasslands. During this time, only the fittest species of early man would survive. Those who adapted to the new surroundings lived on. The big leap came when our ancestors started to eat red meat. The nutrients in red meat helped our brains grow. Hunting forced us to think. We learnt how to shape tools, communicate and work together - we were turning into human beings. Over thousands of years, our bodies adapted to a diet high in red meat. In fact, our bodies and nutritional needs are very similar to our early ancestors. This is why your body instinctively desires red meat for health and wellbeing."

Thus the advertisement tries to "position" red meat as a "foundation food". Far from being a rearguard action aimed at assuaging recent fears that red meat may be linked to bowel cancer, the marketing campaign is a proactive affair, seeming at times to tacitly suggest that not eating meat may even be dangerous.

My objection, however, is not to the science, but rather to the philosophy underpinning it. For it becomes apparent before very long that the question of what is or isn't natural is a red herring of immense proportions. The real issue is a moral one - and it is as moral beings, not animals, that we must endeavour to deal with it.

Most vegetarians do not object in principle to eating meat, but rather to the disgusting way in which animals are treated before slaughter. Sows confined to narrow stalls for the term of their reproductive lives; the trade in the live export of sheep and cattle; the systematic extermination of the majority of male chicks at birth; the appalling condition of battery hens - these are immoral practices perpetrated by the meat industry. The company tries to bypass morality with a direct appeal to evolutionary science. But to justify eating factory-farmed meat by reference to human evolution is a moral and intellectual cop-out. What if I tried to justify rape by reference to human reproduction? I'd be cast, quite rightly, as a moral imbecile.

Man is a moral being first. That is why an increasing number of people are choosing not to eat meat - and why even Sam Neill, fine actor though he is, will not convince them to change their minds.

Richard King is a writer based in Western Australia.

[Dalron]

If you've got a spare moment you can let this Aussie blogger know how you feel about his post on the ad and veg*ns:

http://www.clubtroppo.com.au/2006/03...carrots-scream

[veganblue]

My post...


As a vegan for the last 8 years and a very fit and healthy one at that, I personally find it hard to understand the argument that meat is an essential part of the human diet that we apparently have evolved to.

On the contrary, since 2000 the studies have been rolling in from the well respected science community that meat is not only unnecessary, but hazardous. The EPIC study in Europe of just under 500,000 people over ten years and many EU countries finds that the risk of colon cancer is 30% greater in people eating two 80 gram portions of red meat a day.

The Total Wellbeing Diet, published by the CSIRO and funded by the Meat and Livestock Industry was based upon a study of 100 overweight women with a metabolic disorder for several months and recommends 200 grams of red meat a day.

Nowhere does it suggest using cholesterol free and haem-iron free vegetable protein sources, even though the CSIRO (Adelaide) is publishing work that demonstrates the correlation between haem-iron and carcinogenic effects in the bowels of rats fed cooked meat.

There is a connection here: The Meat and Livestock Industry. They have a vested interest in people eating more of their product - just like any business involved in self -promotion, but the difficulty arises when they are involved in advertising themselves with erronious and potentially harmful advice. Their interest is not the well being of the population, but to counter the growing public understanding that meat is not only unnecessary but damaging.

The public are already uneasy about the way animals are treated in intensive farming. Most animals consumed are part of a factory line designed for efficiency, not animal welfare. The BILLIONS of animals used in food every year around the world are multiplied unnaturally - there is no natural system that supports this weight of animals - it is fossil fuel that makes it possible. Farming grain, harvest, transport, processing, heating cooling, lighting, etc. The efficiency is low, the waste great and the conditions, abysmal.

It’s just sad that the product is ultimately unnecessary.

[veganblue]

Sam Neill - ''Meat; it's cruel to eat it''.

Someone has been busy.

[dharma]

The ad was nauseating. It suggested we were meant to eat red meat 3-4 times per week and that's what makes humans smart.

High consumption of red meat has been shown to increase the risk of bowel cancer. Curiously, that bit of info isn't in the ad.

Amusingly one of our members here made the following observation;

If meat eating leads to intelligence; why do we consider ourselves more intelligent than those animals that exculsively eat meat?

That's right, lions really should be ruling the world.

[Imapeach]

Local vegie group, Vegetarian Action, is starting a quick campaign against this ad. If you want to letter-box drop for them check out the website: http://www.vegetarianaction.org.au/C...ns/RedMeat.htm

[I luv cress]

Do you think it's possible that taking this advert so seriously will just enforce the "vegans have no sense of humour" stereotype that we have. I think we ought to just laugh it off. It is quite a funny advert.

[Mystic]

I agree. Most people I know have common sense and know that this is not a healthful message - and a bullshit ad. And if they believe it, then they are VERY easily brainwashed. I used to make a big deal out of these things, but you know what? I am a vegan, living in a non-vegan world and shit like this is going to happen. All we have to do, like someone else said, is raise a shit load of money and start our own vegan advertising campaign so we can take over the world HAHAHAHAHAHA

[eve]

I see that Sam Neill, actor, producer, and wine maker, is named in the New Year's honours list - was this his reward for his pro-meat ad?

[Roxy]

What New Year's Honours List is this, Eve? I wonder who sponsors it.

[eve]

It's the Queen's honours list. As for sponsoring, I understand that a number of people can get together to sponsor someone's name, and they have to send it, with back up material, to the appropriate body that recommends to Her Maj.

[Roxy]

Ahhhh ok. Thanks Eve Maybe his meaty friends got together and sponsored him.

[alisha]

this ad absolutly angered me. its disgustingly blunt and forceful, completely uneducated. i hope sam is being confronted frequently and re thinking his participation in such a ridiculous ad.