I thought it would be interesting to end my series of blogs about fur on a different note … coming to the defense of a wearer. Partially.
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This week has been a flurry of news reports about Gwyneth Paltrow being the new face of designer Tod’s fall line — complete with copious amounts of fur. This has apparently caused furious responses from several of Gwyneth’s close friends, including designer Stella McCartney, a designer who is not only the daughter of animal rights activist Sir Paul McCartney, but an avowed vegan who refuses to use leather or fur in any of her designs.
While I most certainly do not condone Ms. Paltrow’s decision to wear fur or to even go so far as to promote it, I have to say that I am surprised by the responses to this latest issue from those that do not agree with her decision. The goal is to get Gwyneth to consider the other side of the fur debate, not alienate her.
Perhaps with the new generation of animal advocates, it is also time to usher in a new approach to animal advocacy. While in the years of the past, harder tactics may have been perfect for getting the public’s attention, I would like to propose that with each new generation we get a whole different audience. An audience that is, in general, more compassionate and forward-thinking. Strong words and strong tactics may not only not work to educate them, but actually have the opposite affect and turn them the other way. A defensive listener is not a good listener … if a listener at all. Letting your anger and emotions tie too closely into your words can actually have the opposite effect and make you sound irrational and, therefore, unreliable in the information that you are giving.
So I call upon all of you animal lovers to consider your audience and consider what will get your message across. Remember: sometimes you get more flies with honey.