Dan Mathews
Encyclopedia
Dan Mathews is the Senior Vice President of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
. He is known for heading PETA's most controversial and attention-getting campaigns, including the "I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" ads, as well as campaigns involving celebrities such as Morrissey
, Pamela Anderson
, Pink
, and Paul McCartney
.
In 2000, he was named by gay lifestyle magazine Genre as one of the most influential people of the new century. When asked by the magazine who he considered an influential gay, he said, spree killer "Andrew Cunanan
, because he got Gianni Versace
to stop using fur." In 2007, Mathews was ranked 37th in Out magazine's "50 Most Powerful Gay Men and Women in America".
Mathews has written a memoir, Committed: A Rabble-Rouser's Memoir, which he characterised as "an adventure story. It's like 007 wearing freaky outfits". Committed was published in the USA by Atria books in 2007 and in the UK by Duckworth Overlook in 2009. The book tells the story of how he became a public person, the various exploits he's enjoyed for PETA, and different campaigns he has done.
In May 2009 he commented on the actions of the Governor General of Canada who, in participating in an Inuit
tradition, consumed raw seal heart. He is quoted as saying to the Toronto Star "It amazes us that a Canadian official would indulge in such bloodlust. It sounds like she's trying to give Canadians an even more Neanderthal image around the world than they already have." Although Mathews admits to being attracted by extremes, he states that he and PETA only engage in legal activities, but they do not condemn the actions of animal rights extremists.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is an American animal rights organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. A non-profit corporation with 300 employees and two million members and supporters, it claims to be the largest animal rights...
. He is known for heading PETA's most controversial and attention-getting campaigns, including the "I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" ads, as well as campaigns involving celebrities such as Morrissey
Morrissey
Steven Patrick Morrissey , known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career,...
, Pamela Anderson
Pamela Anderson
Pamela Denise Anderson is a Canadian-American actress, model, producer, author, activist, and former showgirl, known for her roles on the television series Home Improvement, Baywatch, and V.I.P. She was chosen as a Playmate of the Month for Playboy magazine in February 1990...
, Pink
Pink (singer)
Alecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....
, and Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
.
In 2000, he was named by gay lifestyle magazine Genre as one of the most influential people of the new century. When asked by the magazine who he considered an influential gay, he said, spree killer "Andrew Cunanan
Andrew Cunanan
Andrew Phillip Cunanan was an American serial killer who murdered at least five people, including fashion designer Gianni Versace, during a three-month period in 1997, ending with Cunanan's suicide, at age 27...
, because he got Gianni Versace
Gianni Versace
Gianni Versace was an Italian fashion designer and founder of Gianni Versace S.p.A., an international fashion house, which produces accessories, fragrances, makeup and home furnishings as well as clothes. He also designed costumes for the theatre and films, and was a friend of Madonna, Elton John,...
to stop using fur." In 2007, Mathews was ranked 37th in Out magazine's "50 Most Powerful Gay Men and Women in America".
Mathews has written a memoir, Committed: A Rabble-Rouser's Memoir, which he characterised as "an adventure story. It's like 007 wearing freaky outfits". Committed was published in the USA by Atria books in 2007 and in the UK by Duckworth Overlook in 2009. The book tells the story of how he became a public person, the various exploits he's enjoyed for PETA, and different campaigns he has done.
In May 2009 he commented on the actions of the Governor General of Canada who, in participating in an Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
tradition, consumed raw seal heart. He is quoted as saying to the Toronto Star "It amazes us that a Canadian official would indulge in such bloodlust. It sounds like she's trying to give Canadians an even more Neanderthal image around the world than they already have." Although Mathews admits to being attracted by extremes, he states that he and PETA only engage in legal activities, but they do not condemn the actions of animal rights extremists.
External links
- Committed: A Rabble-Rouser's Memoirs from Duckworth Overlook site
- Dan Mathews in conversation with Richard Fidler (audio available)