Talking Animals

Alec Baldwin, Actor-Animal Advocate

Alec Baldwin–the Oscar-nominated, Tony-nominated, Emmy-winning actor, currently starring in NBC’s “30 Rock,” frequent guest host on “Saturday Night Live,” and veteran animal rights advocate–discusses his path into animal advocacy some 20 years ago; addresses the appeal and importance for him of organizations with long-term stability of leadership and his relationship with those leaders (Ingrid Newkirk at PETA, Pat Derby & Ed Stewart at PAWS, Neal Barnard at PCRM, etc.), observes the way celebrity presence is a pivotal gambit employed by these groups and how he’s happy to oblige when he can.

Baldwin more specifically comments on Newkirk and PETA, for whom he’ll host PETA’s 30th Anniversary Gala & Humanitarian Awards in Hollywood on Sept. 25; offers an array of impressions and observations about elephants and other animals performing in circuses, various facets of factory farming, the enormously grey and complex issue of meat consumption in this country, and more.

COMEDY CORNER: Jackie Kashian’s “Animals” (snippet) (www.JackieKashian.com)

MUSIC: Booker T’s version of Tom Waits’ “Get Behind The Mule,” EELS’ “I’m A Hummingbird,” instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Al Hirt’s version of “Flight Of The Bumblebee”/”Green Hornet