Hot Topic Thursday: Performance Artist Protests Animal Testing

I just learned about the LUSH Cosmetics campaign to STOP animal testing by cosmetic companies. I'd imagine that the majority of us don't think about animal torture when we put on our makeup in the morning. Animal torture and cosmetics are not two topics that go hand and hand. This is the precise reason that 24-year-old performance artist Jacqueline Traide, a vegan and animal rights activist, created a piece to make more people aware of the plight of these animals.

At the London location of LUSH Cosmetics, Traide underwent a multitude of shocking procedures in the stores window for close to ten hours. She subjected herself to being covered in lotions, having liquids squirted in her eyes, shaving her hair, being force fed among other things. She did all of this in front of hundreds of onlookers demonstrating the things laboratory animals - dogs, cats, chimps, bunnies, etc endure during testing. 

images via Facebook / Lush Limited Cosmetics

LUSH is a cruelty-free company with the mission of shocking and unnerving passerby's with the hope of getting them to understand the horror of animal testing. The majority of consumers are unaware of what goes on behind the scenes of the products they buy on a daily basis, and the beauty industry definatey takes advantage of this. In this day and age we have made so many groundbreaking discoveries in technology and science that it is unecessary to continue to test on animals.

LUSH's Fighting Animal Testing campaign has been very effective. They have over 700 stores across the US, Europe, Australia, South Korea, Russia and so on, and everyone is encouraged to sign the petition and join the movement. You can sign the petition here to demand an end to this frivolous practice. In addition, the Human Society campaign has a page where you can learn 10 ways to help animals in laboratories. It's never too late to try and make a differnce.

How did you react to her performance? Did you think it was too intense to watch? How do you feel about their awareness campaign, and do you think it was successful in alerting people to this issue?