‘Viva la Vegan Revolución!’ Gojira’s Joe Duplantier Raises a Fist for Animal Rights
After receiving a Grammy nomination for Gojira’s epic performance at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, lead vocalist Joe Duplantier is raising his fist in the air for animals in a new PETA ad. Surrounded by cows, pigs, and chickens, the heavy metal singer and animal defender displays a rallying call: “Join the Vegan Revolution.”
Powered by vegan foods, Duplantier rouses massive crowds with his guttural vocals and supreme guitar solos for Gojira—and he brings the same energy when it comes to advocating for animal rights and the environment.
“I became vegan for the animals. But another benefit to being vegan is for your health. I have more energy now when I perform since I became vegan,” Duplantier says in a thought-provoking PETA public service announcement from his Brooklyn studio, Silver Cord Studio.
The vegan revolution, Duplantier explains, is not a “trend.” “It’s an awakening,” he says. The outspoken rock star’s family, including his two kids, is also vegan.
“When my second child was born, we decided to go vegan as a family. It’s going fabulous. They love not hurting animals.”
Eating Meat Isn’t Metal
In the anti-establishment spirit of heavy metal, being vegan is a protest against structural speciesism—or the widespread and misguided belief that humans are superior to other species. The meat, egg, dairy, and fishing industries inflict immense suffering on sentient animals and wreak havoc on the environment. These industries tear precious calves away from their protective mothers, cram birds into filthy sheds, and repeatedly, forcibly impregnate animals to continue the cycle of cruel exploitation.
Even “cage free” or “free range” farms cut off cows’ tails, cut off the sensitive tips of hens’ beaks, and castrate males—all without painkillers.
Every animal is a unique individual who can feel love, fear, and pain, just as humans do. And as Duplantier says, this isn’t just an ethical question: “It’s also a question of survival for our species.” According to many experts, animal agriculture is a leading contributor to the climate catastrophe. A vegan revolution is critical, because if humans don’t act now, there won’t be a planet left to save.
Do It Like Duplantier: Go Vegan!
As a vegan, you can spare nearly 200 animals per year, reduce your environmental footprint, and improve your own health. Make the compassionate switch today by ordering PETA’s free vegan starter kit:
