Animals' lives matters too. That's something The Simpsons co-creator Sam Simon believed in right up until his death on Sunday at the age of 59. In 2012, Simon was diagnosed with terminal cancer and, sadly, the world is saying goodbye to the man who not only influenced television, but also impacted the animal world, too. For those unaware, Simon was an animal activist, who went above and beyond for the animal community.
Simon was so dedicated that after sharing with the world his cancer diagnosis, he vowed to donated his multimillion dollar fortune to charity, including PETA. Simon was always a lover of animals, so it's really no surprise that he'd want to lend a helping hand to the creatures he always had a fondness for.
In addition to helping out animal organizations, including his own Sam Simon Foundation, another way Simon fought for animals was through his voice. No matter the platform, whether it was during an interview or on Twitter, Simon wanted to educate others about the importance of helping, protecting, and rescuing animals. His words mattered and definitely got the attention of others, because, well, Simon was a blunt and honest man. He didn't sugarcoat anything, which is an admirable trait. If you didn't like what he had to say, well, he didn't care, because Simon was fighting for what he believed in.
With that said, here are six times Simon fought for animals through his bluntness and unapologetic ways. After all, for him, it was about saving animals and not worrying about if others agreed with him.
That Time He Called Out Britney Spears
She has a lot of fans, but that didn't stop Simon from fighting for his beloved dolphins.
That Time He Didn't See Beyoncé As A Role Model
Say what?! During an interview with Ecorazzi, Simon slammed Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian, and Beyoncé as role models, especially when it comes to the fur industry. He said, "The one thing that gives me a lot of concern is that we’re going backwards on fur. I blame Lady Gaga and Kim Kardashian and Beyoncé. I think they’re all fur hags and they’re bad role models."
That Time He Cheered On PETA
On more than one occasion Simon supported and promoted PETA, because he believed in the good the animal rights organization does. Not everyone agrees with that, but, hey, that didn't bother Simon. As he told Ecorazzi, "I want medical experiments on animals stopped. They don't do anything, and they don't work. Veganism is an answer for almost every problem facing the world in terms of hunger and climate change. It helps people's health. Meat is the biggest greenhouse gas producer. There's also the cruelty and suffering aspect. When people do meatless Mondays, and when people adopt instead of buying a dog, that's a PETA victory."
That Time He Didn't Support Kathy Griffin
If you wore fur, Simon was going to let you know exactly how he felt. Well, Kathy Griffin did just that during a New Year's Eve show and Simon let her have it on Twitter. I think his tweets speak quite clearly.
That Time He Held His Own Olympics
As noted above, Simon did not support fur lovers. He even held his own "Olympics" and handed out a medal to those famous faces wearing fur.
That Time He Admitted To Being A Pain
During a chat with The Hollywood Reporter, Simon admitted that he was a difficult person. With that said, it was how he handled things, got his point across, and fought for what he believed in. Here's what he said: "I can act like a little bit of a pain in the ass, I’ll admit. If someone innocently pitches that a character’s favorite day is at SeaWorld, I will want to change that. As a director, I won’t work with animals, except for dogs. It’s sometimes startling to see how outdated the [general] attitude towards animals [is]."
You might have not liked his methods, but at least Simon stood up for what he loved most.
Images: Getty (3)
