Recently, on her show, Ellen Degeneres spoke out against the seal hunt in Nunavut. The hunt has been a hot topic off and on with celebrities for years. From Pamela Anderson to Morrissey (who won't tour Canada because of it) and even Paul McCartney, the lack of understanding around the hunt has been hurtful and, in my opinion wrong. Killa Enaruk Strauss is an Inuit young woman who was disheartened by Ellen's flippant remarks against the hunt and, well, I'll let you see her perfect argument for yourself.
When she talks about food in the Arctic, many of us don't quite understand what this means. Prices are beyond sky-high. Higher than most of us in the south could even fathom to understand. It's really so ridiculous for them to argue against something they really have no understanding of.
This blatant disregard for learning both sides of the coin, or even trying to understand why something is going on before someone opens their mouths seems to be the norm in Hollywood. Ellen claims to be an animal lover, but only when it suits her. When these celebrities stop blanket attacking people, cultures, and hardships and making them into their own personal cause célèbres, it will be much easier to take what any of them have to say seriously.
What do you think? Do celebs think before they speak?
If you liked this post, why not check out Where's My Yamma? or 'Newborn Moms' Brings Hilarity to Motherhood.
What do you get when you bring together two comedians, one of whom is a new mom and the other, a former childcare worker? You get Newborn Moms, a refreshing (and real) comedic take on what it means to be a new mom. Created by Nadine Djoury and Aurora Browne, the soon-to-be series is aiming to take a stab at the misery that can come along with parenting. While no topic will be taboo, the ladies are looking at talking about the parental (non) sex life, the value of breast milk, and the idea of "mean girl mommies." Check out this clip that's been submitted to the Independent Production Fund to help fund the series:
Since I'm in the middle of this hell and have been going through it for the last three and a bit years, this really speaks to me. The ladies are up for funding from the IPF, and I, for one, really hope they get it, because I would watch this as a weekly series for sure. What say you? Would you watch?
Like this story? Check out Celebrity Mums Who Went Au Natural and Amy Poehler's 'Ask Amy' Series Is Great For Girls.
Next up in my series, I'm pretty excited to interview Damian Abraham, of the Polaris Prize winning Toronto punk band Fucked Up (Damian also hosts The Wedge on Much Music). If you haven't figured out by now, I'm a big fan of punk rock, and I really enjoy the band's style, sound and it's evolution. I'm also a big fan of hearing about dads, music and the life of a travelling musician.
I originally met Damian because I knew his wife sold (and still sells) noise cancelling headphones for kids to protect their ears when they go to concerts, and Matt and I wanted to take the babies to see Iggy and The Stooges last summer. Both Damian and Lauren have inspired us to be more open to non-kid friendly events and making those events work for a small family.
I'm really loving the idea of taking kids to concerts, and there are a few outdoor festivals we're considering for this summer. Damian's bandmate Josh also helps organize Long Winter, which hosts a series of events including a kids concert each year. Speaking with Damian gives me hope that we can keep some semblance of our lives while being parents to our kids!
Liked this? Check out Talking Parenthood with Carolyn Brooks and Taking Your Kids to Concerts (The Grown Up Kind) where I interviewed Damian's wife, Lauren!
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