Just ahead of the Miss USA pageant in Las Vegas this weekend, four past Miss USA winners are posing nude for a PSA for PETA. The idea for the cleverly shot advertisement is: "Feel beautiful in your own skin and let animals keep theirs."
The lovely ladies in the advertisement, which is a part of the "Rather go naked than wear fur" campaign, are: Shanna Moakler (Miss USA 1995), Shandi Finnessey (Miss USA 2004), Susie Castillo (Miss USA 2003) and Alyssa Campanella (Miss USA 2011).
In a video interview, the former winners of the beauty pageant explain why they signed up for the campaign. "The reason I wanted to get involved with PETA is that I've been an animal lover all my life and the more I learn of the torture that animals go through in the name of fashion, I just think it's so unnecessary," said Castillo, who was horrified to learn that fur coats are still given out as awards at some pageants. "So I thought if there's something I could do to get my fellow pageant sisters together and tell the fashion industry not to support the fur industry. I feel so blessed that they all agreed."
"I had won a title and was given a fur and was asked to sign autographs at the Trappers' Association. People came in with photo albums of animals that they had trapped. I looked at pictures where animals are gnawing through their own paws in order to free themselves. I was so disgusted that I would wear this skin of this living being on my body and consider myself beautiful," said Finnessey.
"Throughout my reign, I was offered a lot of gifts, like fur shoes or coats. Of course, sponsors wanted me to wear their products, but I would always put my foot down, because it's just so cruel and I don't want to be a supporter of that," added Campanella.
"I always try to get people to go to the PETA website, because there's such a wealth of information," said Moakler.
PETA launched the "Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" campaign in 1991, with The Go-Go's being the first celebrity advocates for it. Since then, other stars like Olivia Munn, Eva Mendes, Dave Navarro and David Cross have posed in their birthday suits for the cause.
