Central Park Patrons React to Lea Michele's PETA Ad

By Amber James Posted Jan 6th 2011 10:07AM

Horse-drawn carriage rides through Central Park can be romantic and old fashioned, making them a staple among tourists visiting New York City. But 'Glee' star Lea Michele believes the Big Apple can do without the sight of carriages and has joined People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in a campaign to end the practice. Michele urges people to boycott the activity, claiming the horses are "raised in terrible living conditions and forced to do hard physical labor all day, seven days a week -- whether it's sweltering hot or freezing cold outside."

PopEater wondered what people on the street thought about Michele's PETA ad, so we trekked to Central Park on a frigid winter afternoon to see their reactions to the new campaign. Our fingers and toes were frozen after just 30 minutes in the cold, so we can only imagine how the horses must feel.

Watch Central Park patrons react to the PETA video:

Tags: peta

Comments

(44)

Thursday 06 January

By Norman R.

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This is dopey on so many levels I can't believe I wasted my time.

And really, they can't find ONE dissenting opinion on the streets of New York? Not one?

Yeah, this was reporting without an agenda.

By Ashley K. Edwards

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I think I can get on board with this issue. Just curious, though, if you edited this video just to support the cause? Meaning, surely there were some folks you interviewed who don't see anything wrong with horse-drawn carriages?

One thing I personally learned from this video is that Leah Michele is not a public speaker.

By Ash

I live in Charleston,SC and we have the carriage rides. I think they should be stopped. I dont think the horses are taken care of like they should be. They take up the roads and slow traffic down here. They also make the downtown smell. Especially in the summer.

By Lilly

I live close to Charleston too and I'm sure the old cobblestones are even worse on their feet than the streets of New York not to even mention the hot and humid weather. I agree with you!

By charleyvldm9

PETA what you gonna do about cows,goats,sheep,pigs,dogs,monkeys etc.etc.arent they animals too? why dont your membership get a college degree and have a Mental Checkup.People only mock and laugh at you.

By VIC POWERS

if they were being mistreated the animal control people would be on them like stink on crap!... PETA is a scam and a sham... if these animals were not working here they would probably be on the ingredients label on a can of ALPO... hey, they could have been born in china or afghanistan... think they'd be treated kindly there?... no! they'd be towing far more, treated as far less, living out a miserable life until death graciously came and dragged them away... these animals aren't being mistreated!... they are their owners' livlihood!... if for no other reason thatn that they are treated better than most animals... PETA and lea , you need to get WAAAAAY over yourselves... this is a bad career move sweetie...

By james reginelli

thers a place for all gods creatures, right next to the potatoes and gravy

By kelly

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why are you so against animals being treated properly, at least giving them decent conditions....are you that awful of a person?

By Cory

I find that these vegan/vegetarian animal rights folks to be generally angry individuals incapable of maintaining loving relationships with humans.

By `Greacia

I wish all those anti Peta Freaks would pull a cart for only an hour with out mittens or gloves today and then see how the react to this protest.

By Lynn

So, you think we should equip all the horses with mittens? Do you really know anything at all about horses? Hooves don't get frost bite sweety. I live in a cold area, and I do not have a heated barn. My horses do just fine in 40 below and 90 above. It is what they are accustom to. And having a 2000 pound animal pulling a carriage is just a tad different than a 200 pound man.

By themeeker

Kelly, you're an idiot. he never said he didn't like animals, he said he didn't like the animals who call themselves PETA. Stop overreacting and shut up.

By Susy Q

Wow. What a bunch of mean spirited people. When were humans given the right to say that an animal was put on this planet to work for us? We are too far an advanced society to be thinking like that when there are alternatives to having an animal work like that for the pleasure of a human. Don't forget, there was a time when humans thought is was ok to have other humans working for them like animals. Society didn't tolerate that for all eternity. Times change. It is not necessary to have animals perform for the sheer pleasure of a human. Period!

By FREEFOOD

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F animals! They were put here to serve mankind anyway.

By darlalafem

Shes so stupid there just overdoing everything
Pretty soon we wont be able to have a cat or dog
because we keep them in our house instead of being out all the time why dont those people get a life

By dumbneasy

Lea, I love you as a singer and actress; but you're way, way out of your element as an advocate and it makes you look very foolish. Stick to what you know...and you don't know horses.

For one thing, animals like horses, cows, etc. grow a winter coat, unlike humans. For another, their extremities don't react to heat and cold the way humans' limbs do.

To say that horses are out of their environment in New York City may be correct; but I would argue that New York City's environment for humans is equally bad. So would you prefer to put horses on a pedestal and make the humans suffer? I don't think so...

Friday 07 January

By Nikki

The difference is that humans choose to live in NYC, but the horses do not. They are not given a choice in their lives, and they are forced to work. That is unfair.

LOL cigar

By Jena

Thank god someone is bringing to light how awful horse-drawn carriages are in cities. It's such a stupid old "tradition," and as a New Yorker, I know we many better ones. Thanks Lea Michele!

By Madeleine

As a Native New Yorker I think things have greatly improved for these animals, they have larger new stalls now and I do know when it gets bitter cold most horses are not put on the street, especially when there is snow, this is also an individual drivers option same with the heat. I have ridden in these carriages and I think the horse like trotting along more than he does hanging around , they don't seem to mind it and they are cetainly well fed. There have been horses on the streets of NY since it was founded, milk used to be delivered by horse and wagon, and I think they still sell veggies and fruit from wagons in the 5 boroughs on wagons with horses. The cops still ride horses on the street, this is nothing new. I think this is just another way to rid us of our culture, one more landmark biting the dust, it must be offending someone. No one peta interviewed had a new york or Brooklyn accent, all out of towners. there is nothing worng with the horses and carriages, if they go trotting 7 or 8 times a day thats a lot , all they do is stand around most of the time, its a very nice ride too. These horses are used to the city, I used to rent a horse to go riding in Prospect park, they would trot along side of the cars until they got into the park trail itself, they knew exactly where they were going. They used to like to gallop on the dirt trail. Horses have been part of New york and the 5 boroughs since the beginning . Peta ought to worry about farm animals, they are neglected for the most part, shoved in cubicles to spend their lives in bondage while waiting to be slaughtered or to give milk or lay eggs or in the case of pigs,killed for pork.now that is cruel.How about the cats and dogs starving in the street as if they don't exist? there are a lot better causes to go after.

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