Food & Water Watch Releases Star-Studded Video Supporting California’s Prop 37
Los Angeles – “What makes you think you have the right to know?” asks Danny DeVito in a witty, ironic public service announcement released today by Consumer Advocates for Safe Food and Water, sponsored by Food & Water Watch, in support of Proposition 37, California’s ballot initiative to label genetically engineered foods. A diverse, all-star cast joins DeVito in the “Right to Know” PSA, including Bill Maher, Dave Matthews, Jillian Michaels, Emily Deschanel, John Cho, Glenn Howerton, Kaitlin Olson, KaDee Strickland and Kristin Bauer van Straten.
“The ability to make an informed choice about what you feed your family is a right no American should be denied,” said Jillian Michaels, fitness expert, author and trainer who has appeared on TV’s The Doctors, The Biggest Loser and Losing It With Jillian. “I support Prop 37 because regardless of how you feel about the safety of genetically engineered foods we all deserve the right to choose whether or not we want to consume them – and labeling GMOs grants us that right.”
In an entertaining, tongue-in-cheek round robin, the celebrities demonstrate the absurdity that U.S. consumers currently don’t have the right to know whether they’re eating or buying genetically engineered food, and how Prop 37 will allow Californians to join more than 50 countries in requiring mandatory labeling of GE foods, also called GMOs. The team behind the scenes includes executive producer Michelle Walrath; director and producer Stephanie Soechtig; producers Sarah Olson, Jill Latiano Howerton and Josh Kunau; writer Ronny Northup; and the advertising luminary Alex Bogusky as creative director.
“While the parody of the food and pesticide companies’ arguments in opposition to Prop 37 is humorous, there really is nothing funny about the fact that Californians lack the most basic information about the food we eat,” said Food & Water Watch Pacific Region Director Kristin Lynch. “We hope the fans of these popular artists, as well as those wanting to see genetically engineered foods labeled, share this video with everyone they know to spread the word about how important it is to vote yes on Prop 37 to make GE labeling the law.”
Proposition 37 is a ballot measure that requires clear labels letting consumers know if foods are genetically engineered. It was written with broad input from food groups, industry, science, legal and health experts and qualified for the November ballot with more than 1 million signatures from California citizens.
Along with Food & Water Watch, Center for Food Safety is one of several health and consumer protection organizations supporting Prop 37. “Food labeling empowers Americans to take control of what we eat, but 90 percent of Americans who want to know if their food is produced using genetic engineering are denied this freedom because these products are not required to be labeled in the U.S.,” said Center for Food Safety West Coast Director Rebecca Spector. “Prop 37 is a reasonable response to government inaction to label GE foods.”
The one minute, 42 second “Right to Know” PSA video is intended to be shared widely through online news and entertainment websites and social media. The video is one of four that will be released over the coming days and weeks leading up to Election Day, Nov. 6. Consumer Advocates for Safe Food and Water, sponsored by Food & Water Watch, is working to raise money to ensure that this important announcement receives a spot on network television.
“As California gets deluged with a misleading advertising campaign funded by the pesticide companies that are trying to confuse voters about Prop 37, we are so happy to see these celebrities stand up for Prop 37 and stand with the 2,100 endorsing organizations and millions of moms, dads and consumer advocates who are saying Yes on 37 because we have the right to know what’s in our food,” said Stacy Malkan, Media Director for the Proposition 37 Campaign.
The series of PSA videos is part of a larger campaign that Food & Water Watch is waging nationally and Consumer Advocates for Safe Food and Water is waging throughout California in support of Proposition 37 and mandatory GE labeling. Consumer Advocates for Safe Food and Water is engaging in several efforts to encourage a Yes on Prop 37 vote including the unveiling of 90 billboards throughout Los Angeles County later this week, a $10,000 contribution to the California Right to Know campaign and email notifications to its more than 60,000 California supporters. The video and more information about Prop 37 and Food & Water Watch’s commitment to mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods can be found at: http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/yeson37.
Consumer Advocates for Safe Food and Water is the political action committee for Food & Water Watch.
Contact: Anna Ghosh, 415-265-1568, aghosh(at)fwwatch(dot)org