Emma Kenney Says ‘F*ck Fur’—and We Couldn’t Agree More
Actor Emma Kenney—the reigning queen of ranting in behalf of animals—is here to tell it to us straight: “F*ck fur!”
Need we say more?
For those who are somehow still unaware of the violence and cruelty that come with every fur coat, trim, and accessory, Emma doesn’t hold back as she rips into the fur industry and those who wear its products.
“[I]f you really want to look fresh, you should not wear anything dead—like fur,” Emma says bluntly in a PETA ad campaign. She then goes on to highlight the plight of the billions of animals—including rabbits, foxes, coyotes, minks, and raccoons—who are killed for their fur every year.
Emma is known for her longtime role as Debbie Gallagher on Shameless and also stars as rebellious Harris Conner-Healy on ABC’s The Conners. But to us, she’s famous for standing up for animals, whether it’s speaking up for dogs left in hot cars, promoting #AdoptDontShop, or now, taking on the fur industry.
Animals on fur farms spend their entire lives crammed into cramped, filthy wire cages. As if that weren’t torture enough, fur farmers then use the cheapest and cruelest killing methods available, including suffocation, electrocution, gassing, and poisoning.
Emma is joined by a special costar—her adorable adopted dog Charles—to spread the word about going fur-free. And speaking of dogs, Emma reminds us that a lot of fur in the U.S. comes from China—the world’s largest fur exporter—where dogs and cats are also slaughtered for fur. Fur from China is often deliberately mislabeled, so there’s no easy way to tell whose skin you’re in (although, of course, you shouldn’t be wearing anyone’s skin, because it’s gross).
Major cities and fashion companies are finally getting the message and making moves to ditch fur. Los Angeles became the largest city in the U.S.—and the world—to move toward going fur-free when the city council voted to ban the sale and manufacturing of fur by 2020. Other California cities—Berkeley, San Francisco, and West Hollywood—have also banned the sale and manufacturing of fur in recent years.
Fur is also disappearing from runways and the stores of the world’s top designers, as fashion brands such as Coach, DVF, Michael Kors, Gucci, Armani, and Burberry have gone fur-free.
