Pamela Anderson Protests Foie Gras in France

Actress-turned-activist Pamela Anderson appeared before the French Parliament yesterday to highlight the cruelty involved in the production of gavage, the force-feeding of ducks and geese through tubes used in the production of foie gras. The appearance—which was organized through the Bridget Bardot Foundation—came in support of a bill proposed by Laurence Abeille of France’s Green Party that would ban the force-feeding of ducks and geese. The French are notorious proponents of foie gras and consider it a delicacy. As such, the actress’ appearance stirred controversy among Parliament members—some of which made defamatory statements against the former Baywatch cast member’s character. However, Abeille stated that her appearance “was guaranteed to draw attention to the issue.” Anderson has also thrown her celebrity weight behind issues such as animal agriculture’s role in the California drought and whale hunting in Japan, while also recently launching two vegan shoe lines.