ecorazzi.com :: the latest in green gossip

June 23rd 2009

Moby’s NYC Vegan Restaurant “Teany” Gets Destroyed In Fire

Filed under: food & drink, green and famous — Michael Parrish DuDell @ 8:49 am

Bad news for all those tea drinking vegans on the lower east side. 

Late last week, Teany Cafe — an NYC vegan eatery co-founded by Moby —  was destroyed in a fire.  According to reports, an electrical fire ignited the vegan restaurant and gutted the building on Rivington Street.

Moby opened the joint in 2002 with this his then girlfriend Kelly Tisdale, and later turned it over to Tisdale exclusively. 

On his blog, Moby wrote:

 ”Apparently Kelly is working hard to repair it and get it re-opened. So there’s a good chance that Teany will re-open at some point in the next month or two.”

Woo! We’re happy to hear that the veggie restaurant will once again stand tall. Oh wait…I mean stand “Teany.”

May 8th 2009

Green Celebrities On Twitter: Mraz, Frye, Begley, Branson, Moby

Filed under: web — Michael Andre d'Estries @ 4:10 pm

We love Twitter — not just because we get to communicate with people in 140 characters or less (Soon, everyone will speak this way too) but because it also gives us yet another insight into what some of our favorite green celebrities are up to. Of course, as some will point out, knowing exactly when someone is about to order a latte isn’t exactly riveting stuff, but for those that are already enjoying the Twitterverse, let us point you towards these five green celebrities we’re enjoying tweeting with.

Click here to continue reading our list of five green celebrity twitterers…

March 31st 2009

Joaquin Phoenix Narrates New Audiobook Version Of “Earthlings”

Filed under: animals, film-tv, movies — Michael Andre d'Estries @ 9:49 am

Much has been said about Earthlings — the stunning documentary about how dependent human beings are on animals. Ellen DeGeneres credits the film with making her go vegan, but acknowledges, “I don’t know if people will actually sit through it, but if they could, it would be amazing. It’s hard to watch.”

Obviously, there’s a great deal of graphic visuals showing animals suffering — something that’s deterred many from taking a look. It’s the unfortunate reality for some that ignorance is bliss — and Earthlings does an amazing job of pulling back the curtain on day-to-day practices that some people would rather not know about.

In an effort to reach out to those who might want to hear the message, but not necessarily see the images, the producers have released a new audiobook of the film adapted from the original feature-length film. It’s once more narrated by Joaquin Phoenix and features music by Moby. “Releasing Earthlings as an audiobook allows us to present this sensitive issue in a way that educates its audience without alienating or overwhelming them,” said Earthlings executive producer Babak Cyrus Razi. “We understand that the film’s shocking images are not suited for all viewers, so the audiobook is ideal for anyone who has been hesitant to see the film, or as a way for animal activists or pet owners to introduce their friends and family to animal rights, vegan lifestyles and the exploitation of animals for profit.”

Want to grab it? The audiobook is available for immediate download at the official site for $13.97 or preorder a two-CD set for $19.99. Alternatively, check out our recent interview with Earthlings director Shaun Monson here.

March 25th 2009

Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine Holds Star-Studded Vegan Event

Filed under: events, events: nyc — Michael Parrish DuDell @ 10:43 am

I hate going to the doctor! Luckily, I’m a pretty healthy dude (see also: vegan superhero) and have only been twice in the last 4 years. But still, the thought of sitting on a cold examining table and being not listened to for 3-5 minutes makes me shiver with frustration. Why oh why, I ask, can’t all doctors be like the rockstars at Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine?????!!!!!

You see, last night I had the chance to attend a benefit for PCRM at Peter and Mary Max’s lovely midtown studio and left actually wishing that I hung out with M.D’s more! 

The event was absolutely lovely with Morgan Spurlock, Moby, Dan Piraro, Dreama Walker and many more well-known figures in attendance. Of course we also hung out with some of our favorite regular do-gooders like Chloé Jo Berman, Joshua Katcher, Kris Carr and Victoria Moran. 

And how could we not spend some time with Dr. Neal Barnard – the founder of PCRM who recently sat down with Ecorazzi for an exclusive interview?

While munching on delicious chow from Bonobo’s, 4-Course Vegan and Candle 79, the PCRM crew spoke about their continued progress and optimistic outlook for the future. Does it really get any better than that?

If you don’t know all about PCRM’s important work, get thee to their website and learn how this special group of dedicated professionals is helping to change the world.

December 31st 2008

The Green Quote: Moby Thinks Veganism Makes The World A Better Place

Filed under: interviews — Michael Parrish DuDell @ 10:25 am

“Certainly, if the entire world decided to become vegan tomorrow, a whole host of the world’s problems would disappear overnight. Climate change would decrease by 25 percent, deforestation would cease, rainforests would be preserved, our water- and air-quality would increase, life-expectancy rates would increase, and our rates of cancer would plummet, so certainly, with that one action of becoming vegan you are quite effectively making the world a better place.”

-Moby discussing just why the veggie lifestyle is so damn green! I think it’s safe to say that Mother Nature has a strict “vegetarian only” dating policy!

via: vegnews.com

December 2nd 2008

Vegetarian Musician Moby Totally “Sucks” In New Vampire Film

Filed under: film-tv, movies — Michael Parrish DuDell @ 6:24 pm

Good news, Moby fans! It’s just been announced that the vegan musician is set to star in Suck — a new vampire movie being billed as “Spinal Tap meets The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” Moby plays on his vegan reputation as the lead singer of a band called the Secretaries of Steak. Come on vegans, that’s totally funny!

Suck follows the misadventures of an optimistically named rock band, The Winners, seemingly doomed to obscurity. Their fortunes change thanks to a meeting with a vampire (played by Dimitri Coats of Burning Brides), and they find themselves enjoying their newfound fame, at least until the bloodlust kicks in.

You know, sometimes we veggies get a bad rap for having a crappy sense of humor, so I’m super excited to see Moby showing off those acting chops and having fun with his herbivorous status! I’ll definitely be there!

via: i09.com

November 22nd 2008

The Green Quote: Moby Says Vegan Lifestyle Will Help With Drugs And Alcohol

Filed under: food & drink — Michael Andre d'Estries @ 9:41 pm

“I think that the only reason I don’t look like I’m a 130 years old after a lifetime of touring so much and living in hotel rooms, and drinking too much, is that I’ve been a vegan now for 22 years. Normally friends of mine, when they wake up and they’re hungover, they go out and have bacon and eggs and smoke cigarettes. When I wake up, I have a smoothie and vegan burritos. So for anyone who plans on drinking a lot or taking drugs, I do advocate a vegan lifestyle to try and offset it a little bit.”

– Music artist Moby in a recent interview with Black Book magazine.

September 9th 2008

KT Tunstall And Vanessa Carlton Head To Arctic To Study Climate Change

Filed under: green and famous — Michael Andre d'Estries @ 10:08 am

Singers KT Tunstall and Vanessa Carlton are joining a crew of other celebrities and scientists on a trip to the Arctic Circle. The trip is on behalf of climate awareness charity Cape Farewell — which is hoping the artists are inspired creatively by the opportunity to work side-by-side with oceanographers and researchers studying climate change. A spokesperson for the charity tells People.com, “It has been organized for several months. We are hoping that KT will be able to blog while she is on the trip.”

Tunstall was recently married on a remote Scottish Isle and is using the expedition as the first part of her honeymoon with new husband Luke Bullen.

According to DoSomething, Vanessa Carlton is planning on throwing a green bash in her NYC apartment in anticipation of the nine-day trip. All of the napkins, cups, and other accessories will either be biodegradable or or made with recycled paper. Guests include Moby, Martha Wainwright, Feist and many other greenies.

Stay tuned to see how this trip impacts the participants. No doubt, we’ll have a bevy of good quotes after everyone returns.

August 15th 2008

Razzi Snap: Secret Disney Messages Worked for Paul McCartney

Filed under: books, green and famous — sara @ 9:01 am

Former Beatle Paul McCartney has been an animal rights activist since he was a wee bairn–thanks to Disney. He says that the films Bambi and Dumbo turned him against animal cruelty early on–”If you think of Bambi, its mum gets killed by a hunter and I think that made me grow up thinking hunting isn’t cool.” To find out why Alicia Silverstone, Pamela Anderson, Moby, and Andre 3000 (aka Andre Benjamin) went veg, click here.

I never thought I’d hear the words “Jenna Jameson” and “too much sex is bad” in the same sentence. Leave it to PETA to pull that one off. Jenna’s posing for the “Too Much Sex Can be a Bad Thing” campaign to raise awareness about animal birth control.

We know that celebs are giving up their footwear for the causes they love; now they’re giving up eye wear, too. Today at 10 AM eBay will commence the Sightsavers Auction ‘Specs Appeal’, in which Ewan McGreggor, Michael Caine, and other celebs will be giving up their sexy specs to this charity to help alleviate blindness and preserve sight for people in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean.

According to designer Kelly LaPlante, “Green is a standard, not a style.” Her new book, Ecologique, features some of her custom celebrity eco designs, including a sunroom for Amy Smart and a restored chair for Michael Rappaport.

July 28th 2008

Moby Lets You Look Inside His Vegan Cabinets

Filed under: food & drink, green and famous, video — erinnuallain @ 10:00 am

In this set of four videos for Epicurious, Moby invites the cameras in for a tour of his New York kitchen and answers the age-old question of “So what does a vegan eat anyway?”.

The musician opens up his cupboards to reveal the health-conscious contents and sings the praises of veganism — though he does admit that there are occasional challenges with the food options available while on tour in other countries.

Moby also tells about when he finally gave into peer pressure and bought a microwave. Exceedingly pleased with the purchase, he happily states that it actually preserves the nutrients of foods better than other cooking methods and even uses less energy than the stove top. (Tip: Even though it says “Loading”, hit play to start the video…)

Continue reading about some unfortunate green observations…