Current Press Releases

This Halloween, Farm Sanctuary and Frankie Say “Go Veg!” — For Health, the Environment and Animals

Nation’s Leading Farm Animal Protection Organization Hits Times Square to Educate New Yorkers on the Real-Life Horrors of Factory Farming and Remind Them:  “Frankenstein was a Vegan”

NEW YORK, NY – October 26, 2009 –On October 28, three days before the streets of New York City’s Greenwich Village fill with goons and goblins, Farm Sanctuary, the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization, will have New Yorkers doing double-takes in broad daylight as they unleash a pack of Frankenstein monsters onto Times Square to deliver a lunchtime message that many will find surprising: Frankenstein, the man-made “monster” of Mary Shelley’s classic Gothic horror novel, was actually an ethical vegan.

Bearing signs emblazoned with a slogan that is part literary, part 80’s pop culture reference—“Frankie Says ‘Go Veg!’”— and handing out educational leaflets on the benefits of consuming a plant-based diet for health, the environment, and of course, the animals, the Frankenstein doppelgangers will give harried New Yorkers a reason to pause as they see a familiar “monster” in a new, kinder light. Taking their inspiration from the book Frankenstein, in which the “monster” is quoted as saying, “I do not destroy the lamb and kid to glut my appetite; acorns and berries afford my sufficient nourishment,” Farm Sanctuary aims to illuminate what many critics have pointed to as an expression of the “monster’s” inherently innocent and benevolent nature.

“Many people will be surprised to learn that one of the world’s most iconic monsters was actually a compassionate guy,” said Farm Sanctuary Campaigns Manager Jasmin Singer. “The real horror of Halloween, and every day for that matter, is the way animals raised for food are treated on factory farms in this country. When people learn about the severe confinement and abuse farm animals are forced to endure behind closed doors, they are understandably and justifiably appalled. Images of calves raised for veal, pigs used for breeding and egg-laying hens trapped in crates and cages so small they cannot even lie down comfortably, turn around or fully extend their legs or wings are more horrifying than any ‘monster’ you will ever see.”

Farm Sanctuary’s “Frankensteins” will be in Times Square on Wednesday, October 28 at 12:15 p.m., near the Northeast corner of 41st Street and 6th Avenue.

To further celebrate Frankenstein’s compassionate diet and raise awareness for farm animals, on October 29 at 7 p.m. Farm Sanctuary will host Frankapalooza, a Halloween-themed rendition of their popular Rockin’ Out for Farm Animals awareness-raising concerts, at Kenny’s Castaways in the heart of Greenwich Village at 157 Bleeker Street. The show, hosted by Farm Sanctuary’s National Advocacy Organizer Jasmin Singer and New York Advocacy Organizer David Benzaquen, will include performances by Debra from Devi, HERE and Athena Reich. Admission is $10 and you must be 21+ to attend.

For more information on the benefits of veganism, please visit: www.vegforlife.org

If you would like to speak with Farm Sanctuary Campaigns Manager Jasmin Singer, please contact Meredith Turner at mturner@farmsanctuary.org or 646-369-6212.

Farm Sanctuary is the nation's leading farm animal protection organization. Since incorporating in 1986, Farm Sanctuary has worked to expose and stop cruel practices of the "food animal" industry through research and investigations, legal and institutional reforms, public awareness projects, youth education, and direct rescue and refuge efforts. Farm Sanctuary shelters in Watkins Glen, N.Y., and Orland, Calif., provide lifelong care for hundreds of rescued animals, who have become ambassadors for farm animals everywhere by educating visitors about the realities of factory farming. Additional information can be found at www.farmsanctuary.org or by calling 607-583-2225.