A letter to Benedict Cumberbatch - Ice Bucket Challenge and animal testing

Dear Mr Cumberpants,

Yes that means you Benedict.  ;-). 

Firstly may I congratulate on a thoroughly fantastic Ice Bucket Challenge.  It was funny, entertaining and dare I say, rather oooer exhilarating.  We, your fanbase, enjoyed a wet t.shirt scene, a suited and booted scene, a motorbike scene and, phew, it’s getting hot in here, a shower scene.  It was almost too much for a fangirl to handle.  However, I struggled on, and watched the video a few more times (ahem). 

It was a challenge well worth waiting for.  I was particularly impressed by the pant slipping scene.  I assume it was acted but it looked very real. I do hope you didn’t twist your ankle mid-slip.

Despite the majesty of your challenge, I wonder if I can draw your attention to the animal testing activities of the ALS?  Obviously everyone absolutely wants a cure found for this disease.  Much like we want a cure for Cancer and other terrible diseases.  However, is animal testing really necessary, given the advances in Science? 

I would like it if wonderful actors such as yourself, would use your position to encourage the ALS to refrain from animal testing.  If there weren’t alternatives, perhaps, at a push, we could prioritise the avoidance of human suffering over that of the suffering of animals but there are alternative methods of researching.  So why test on animals?

I was alerted to the animal testing activities of the ALS by Pamela Anderson.  I was taken aback by her bravery to stand up against animal testing rather than taking the Ice Bucket Challenge.  That said, I enjoyed your challenge immensely.  And take nothing away from the effort expended in taking time out of your schedule to simultaneously appease and entertain your fans whilst raising awareness.  However, I ask that you speak out against animal testing.  Goodness knows that your fans hang off your every word.  If a man such as you speaks out against animal testing, people will actually listen and, moreover, societal change might occur. 

You can’t stand up for every cause, I know.  There are only so many hours in day.  You already do a lot for charities.  But a few words against animal testing, mentioning the ALS but also animal testing in general, could make a difference.

Your humble fangirl, random blogger and the original Renegade Glitter Fairy,

Hazel xx

Animal testing

Following some recent research on the Internet Mark and I have discovered that many more companies than we realised still test on animals or use suppliers that test on animals. We were aware of quite a few and as a result were wholeheartedly avoiding the companies in question. The Body Shop is one of these. Once a celebrated organisation that championed beauty without animal cruelty, now owned by the cosmetic giant L'oreal. L'oreal do test on animals so The Body Shop who is owned by L'oreal is guilty because of its parent company.

Sadly, even companies that I believed were founded on sound ethical principles need to be avoided and Ecover is one of these. Many companies operate a 5 year rolling rule which means they exclude ingredients that have been animal tested within the last 5 years because this is not a fixed date, they can exclude an animal tested ingredient one year but include them the next year. The only way a commitment has been made is by operating a fixed cut off date i.e. a company will not buy anything that has been tested on animals after 1994 for example or by stating that the company will not buy, test or be involved in any capacity in animal testing ever (which is basically what Lush does).

There is a large list of companies to avoid. Some of which I have recently written positive reviews on, without realising that they were either involved or linked to animal testing. Unfortunately the reviews I've written can't be removed but I can encourage people not to use companies that animal test. Why should our vanity and lifestyles create suffering and death in animals? It is massively cruel for an animal to experience pain or death just so I can wear some make-up. Cruel and completely unnecessary.

These are some good companies: Lush, Aldi, Argos, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury's, Nisa Today, Co-op. Many of these still sell products from companies that are associated with animal testing but their own brand cosmetics and / or cleaning products are not linked to animal testing. http://www.uncaged.co.uk/crueltyfree.htm provides more important information on this.

These are some good cosmetics brands: Barry m, Urban decay, Jason Natural Cosmetics, Weleda, BWC (Beauty without cruelty), Green people. Again http://www.uncaged.co.uk/crueltyfree.htm provides more important information on this.

Boycott, avoid at all costs, tell everyone to do the same for:
Avon, Jeyes, Miners, L'oreal, Nestle, The Body Shop, Ecover, Givenchy, Revlon, Christian Dior, Chanel, Lancome, Virgin vie, Yves saint laurent. There are many others so please confirm at: http://www.uncaged.co.uk/crueltyfree.htm

This is an important issue. The more people that boycott bad companies and put pressure on the same to stop cruelty, the better chance that cruelty will actually stop.