Joaquin Phoenix is urging Americans to stop eating turkeys this Thanksgiving in favor of vegan alternatives as part of a campaign with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
As people across the U.S. prepare to celebrate on the fourth Thursday of November, some dishes are all but certain to be on the table, from candied yams to green bean casseroles and fluffy mounds of mashed potatoes. Turkey is widely served as the centerpiece, but Phoenix is urging the public to rethink this choice.
The Oscar-winning Joker star, 49, has long been outspoken about animal rights, having been a vegan since he was just 3 years old. His partner, Rooney Mara, is also a vegan who has appeared with him in campaigns.
In an exclusive preview shared with Newsweek, Phoenix narrates a graphic new video that shows live turkeys being beaten and stomped on by workers at a farm. Readers may find the video itself and details in this story disturbing.
"They threw hens like they were basketballs," he says while narrating the PETA video, released to coincide with the upcoming holiday. "After failing to break their necks, they left the birds to convulse and die in agony.
"If you celebrate Thanksgiving, stop paying someone to hurt animals for your Thanksgiving centerpiece," Phoenix adds. "Choose a vegan roast so that everyone can have something to be thankful for this holiday season."
Per PETA, the footage was covertly taken of workers at Plainville Farms, a Pennsylvania turkey supplier to a number of the top grocery stores in the U.S. Pennsylvania State Police have charged 12 former Plainville workers with a total of 141 counts of cruelty to animals—the most in any factory-farmed animal case in U.S. history, according to investigators.
The former workers at Plainville Farms in New Oxford, Pennsylvania, have been accused of kicking birds that couldn't work, hitting them with a metal rod, and pretending to perform sex acts on turkeys as they were dying. This week, two defendants pleaded guilty to animal cruelty. This brought the number of former employees who have entered guilty pleas to eight.
On its website, Plainville Farms says that "humane treatment is the heart of our business. We use globally-recognized animal welfare practices to assure humane and responsible treatment of all turkey, chicken, pork, and beef to our highest standards. We work every day to promote the wellness of our flocks and animals, raising them in a stress-free environment where they never know hunger."
Newsweek contacted representatives of Plainville Farms via email for comment on Friday morning and will updated this article if a response is received.
Around 46 million turkeys are slaughtered each year for the Thanksgiving holiday alone, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). PETA says that these turkeys are typically aged between 14 and 18 weeks old.
PETA told Newsweek that workers at slaughterhouses often "hang the young birds upside down, drag them through an electrified bath, slit their throats, and dump them into scalding-hot defeathering tanks—often while they're still conscious."
The USDA says that the U.S. produced more than 5 billion pounds of turkey last year, more than 4.8 billion pounds of which was consumed domestically.
While there has been a notable rise in plant-based foods, the turkey market has continued to thrive. An estimated 88 percent of Americans consume Thanksgiving turkey each year, according to the National Turkey Federation.
The nonprofit trade association says that it "works closely with America's turkey growers, veterinarians and industry experts to develop and maintain strict Standards of Conduct and Animal Care Guidelines for raising healthy birds in a safe environment at every stage of a turkey's lifecycle.
"These standards align with ethical treatment of animals, production of wholesome quality meat, respect and value of our workers and the wise use of land and water resources."
"The National Turkey Federation does not condone the mistreatment of turkeys," it adds. "Research proves mistreatment of a turkey would be not only unethical, but also economically detrimental to the grower. It is our belief that happy, healthy turkeys will grow to their full potential and ultimately provide consumers with high-quality, nutritious protein."
Still, PETA stands by its motto, which reads in part that "animals are not ours to eat." The nonprofit is offering Americans meat-free alternatives via its ThanksVegan guide, which contains such information as recipes and cooking tips for the holiday. PETA also offers a free vegan starter kit on its website.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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