Tarkan might not yet be a household name in the United States, but with his forthcoming album – star studded with collaborations featuring some of the hottest US artists, it soon will be unforgettable. In Europe, Russia, and especially Turkey, the press has compared his effect to that of Elvis’ on the US in the 1950s. Tarkan, famous for his spellbinding performances, is an award winning German-born, Turkish pop-singer known as the “prince of pop” by the media on the other side of the Atlantic. He has several multi-platinum selling records, with a total of over 15 million albums sold.
Check out my interview with Tarkan at the Emilie Humanitary fundraiser at Fashion Week in NYC where we discuss his humanitarian, environmental, and animal causes in addition to music such as his fighting of a controversial dam in Turkey and his collaboration with PETA to help animals like strays in Turkey and those typically used in the fur industry.
Tarkan was confronted by PETA in 2008 for wearing fur on the cover of his album. Once he learned of the plight of fur-bearing animals, he made an apology and has sworn it off. He also really enjoyed the Dr. Cow’s vegan cheese I gave him, and I hope to get the opportunity to prepare him a full vegan meal soon!
“I’ve always been anti-fur – I love my pets…and I could never see them being worn. It’s a very human time right now, and what’s the sense in more carnage? There are other things in life to celebrate and design doesn’t have to be draped with dead animals.” - Voctoria Bartlett
John Norris might be one of the most recognizable faces to anyone who liked music during the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s. John had one of the longest-running VJ careers on MTV, and has incredible perspective on where we stand concerning pop-culture. His environmentalism, veganism, and massive, glitter-crusted Rolodex of important musicians spanning a quarter-century make his perspectives worth considering. I sat down with John recently at the Jivamukti Cafe in NYC to talk about the state of mass media, music, and his personal politics.
Here is the 3rd and final video in the interview series I did with Davey Havok of AFI. Thank you all for tuning in, and please check back on The Discerning Brute for more exciting interviews, contests, news and lifestyle info!
SIGN UP for the DB newsletter, and be the first to know about all things ethically handsome in the future! Check back next week for my exclusive interview with MTV News legend, John Norris, where he drops some rad information bombs on us!
I had the opportunity last week to interview Davey Havok, lead singer of the acclaimed rock band, AFI. Over the next three days you can check out the 3-part, exclusive interview where we talk about the forthcoming album Crash Love, ethical handsomeness, hedonism, try to predict the future, and even do a tattoo show-and-tell! We’d love to know what you think, so please leave us comments!
Don’t miss Part 2, going live Wednesday at 9am(EST), and Part 3, going live Thursday at 9am(EST).
Skinny Bitch and friend of The Discerning Brute, Rory Freedman has done it again. But this time, she’s going for the family jewels! I had some time to call up this savvy bitch on Skype and get the scoop on everything from erectile dysfunction and ‘whack & sniff’ testing, to prostate health and the hundreds of buff vegan athletes. If you’re a guy that doesn’t want a gut to be your rite of passage, then check this out. Skinny Bastard will knock your jock-strap off with hard-hitting truths and no-nonsense advice. Say goodbye to that beer-gut and hello to hard-bodied handsomeness. Your heart, your brain, and your libido will thank you.
Nigel Barker cares about stuff – and he’s not a sissy. I recently chatted on the phone with this amazingly talented, compassionate, and influential photographer. We talked about everything from his fashion industry work, to his time spent in Haiti exposing some of the worst poverty, to his documentation of the controversial seal hunt. He doesn’t think that you can be a fur-wearing environmentalist, and he likes to shop thrift. Listen to our conversation:
Zuriick is a pretty rad shoe line out of Salt Lake City, UT. They have many animal-free, vegan-friendly shoes, and I was assured by the lead designer that they are sweatshop-free. There’s tons of style/color combos to choose from, so check them outhere. Zuriick does make some leather styles – click here to find out why we’re not so stoked on leather – so make sure to double-check your item description before purchasing.
if you are in NYC, our pals at ALTER have styles for men and women!