My Little Activist
Flapper attended his first demonstration this past Friday evening.
Lark restaurant in Seattle serves foie gras on their menu. Foie gras is fatty duck liver, produced in factory farms where ducks are force-fed many times a day until their livers swell to nearly 10x normal size. It’s torture. There’s no gray area. It’s clear animal cruelty. Many places have outlawed it entirely, and many great chefs have publicly stopped using foie gras because of the cruelty inherent in how it is produced.
So Flapper joined the Northwest Animal Rights Network in a rally against cruelty to ducks, to encourage Lark restaurant to remove foie gras from their menu.
Flapper and I sat right outside the entrance to Lark, so customers could meet a healthy, happy duck before they enter a restaurant that serves diseased, tortured ducks on their menu. He let people feel his soft feathers and he really enjoyed all the attention. He ate some peas and sat on my lap while people took his picture.
Flapper did so well (he wasn’t stressed or frustrated) that we’re going to go back and try it again this Friday, if we can. It’s too easy these days to eat a meal with no thought as to how it got on your plate. Hopefully Flapper can help people see that torture is not acceptable on any menu.
You’re a good duck, buster. Mwah.
Special thanks to the members of NARN for all they do to end animal cruelty. You can learn more about them on their website:
All photos courtesy of David Shink.
27 Comments
Flapper my hero!!!! Good job!
He’s HUGE! I knew he was a big boy, but seeing him sit in your lap…he’s HUGE!
Such a good boy too! Impressive that he didn’t freak out. Hopefully seeing him in front of a restaurant will make people think twice about eating fois gras, or any meat for that matter.
Good job, Flapper!
Yur blog has been such a treat for me since i’m in my “between ducks” stage in my life. I have stopped eating foie gras since we’ve gotten our first duckling and it’s great to see people like you taking it to the next level. What a great way to introduce restaurant patrons to healthy ducks and understanding what they are enabling.
Looking good, Flapper! After the red carpet and the paparazzi, I’m sure the protest was a breeze. We’re lucky you were so willing to donate your talents, fame and movie star good looks to such a worthy cause.
These are such wonderful pictures. They bring tears to my eyes. It is just so nice. Be really careful if you go back again Friday. I know you will be. Flapper is the most precious thing in the world!
Awesome job you guys!!!
Go, Flapper, go! Nice job, T. xo J
All I can say is “Awwwwwwwww!”
and “Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!” again!
Great job, Flapper!
It is great to see Flap out of his natural habitat, your backyard, and handling it so well. I didn’t realize he was so big. What a duck he is. I’m proud to know him. Good work Flapper and continue to be the ’stand up duck’ against this terrible force feeding.
I’d make a crack about how Flappy eats up the attention from the ladies, but it’s in such a good cause that I can’t.
You rule, Flap!
Thanks so much, Mr. Flapper and Tiffany, for your support!!! Ducks and geese around the world thank you too…
It was so great to meet you on Friday night! I read your blog all the time now, and I love it : ) Hope to see you again soon!
Good on ya Flapper!!!! You are truly a prince among duckies. I think you should take O’Malley next time…especially if he is really cranky…
Tiffany I really think that Mr Flapper is the most effective way to demonstrate this cause. Thank you and to Mr Flapper for being there.
This is a very good cause. I hope this will stop Lark from serving such stuff in the future.
Tiffany & Mr Flapper – you’re doing good!
he he he… I love the last picture. Flapper surrounded by three ladies. He’s such a handsome boy.
Good for you Flapper! I wish I could have been there to meet you.
I love Flapper and Seattle so much! This post makes my heart flutter with happiness! I can’t wait ’til I can move back to my favorite city in the world!
I love this site, too. Thanks for keeping it up
Wow Flapper, you are truly a chick magnet! Maybe next week try to charm the socks off Mrs. Douchebag so she can ban foie gras from Mr. D’s menu forever. That will be such sweet revenge for your Duck Mommy!
I agree with Michele: Next time take O’Malley.
You can take both Flapper and Malley. After people have gotten a warm and fuzzy from petting Flap, you can pull back the curtain and unveil the pterodactyl:
“Stop eating foie gras or you’ll have to deal with THIS GUY.”
Pringles is so happy flapper is helping to save their friends. WAY TO GO FLAPPER!! HONK HONK from your friends on the east coast.
Flapper, you are fantastic! Thanks for standing up to gluttonous bullies!
Great job, Flapper and Mom! You two are the new dynamic duo!
Thanks for these extra pictures, wonderful! I am really proud of Flapper (and you ofcourse), he seems to at ease! If I would try this with one of my ducks they would totally freak out! If you go next Friday you should alarm the local tv station, or newspapers, Jay Leno!
Good job, Flapper and Silly Human!! I wanna know what your shirt says, Tiff.
My shirt says “The definition of suspense is…”
Good job you guys! Gosh Flapper is such a good boy.
thank you for informing me and educating me on foie gras.
i have been very active in the ant-foie gras lately and been educating friends and family and learning a ton. good luck!