The Weird World of Rob ZombieLists about the heavy metal musician and horror filmmaker behind White Zombie, the 'Halloween' remakes, the Firefly family, and plenty of other dark and shocking things.
The first words that come to mind when mentioning Rob Zombie aren't typically "vegan," "animal lover," and "PETA supporter." As unlikely as it sounds, the filmmaker and frontman of White Zombie identifies with those three labels and doesn't make a secret of it at all. While his persona and aesthetic revolve around horror and gore, Zombie and his wife Sheri Moon spend their free time spreading the word about the food industry's treatment of animals.
The writer and director of gory films such as House of 1000 Corpses and Halloween uses his celebrity to educate others about the impacts of a diet high in meat and other animal products and has even teamed with PETA to detail the horror of a turkey's life before its appearance on the family dinner table.
Rob Zombie and Sheri Moon practice what they preach, as well, and both have followed a plant-based diet for more than 30 years. The couple also supports organizations like the Puppy Rescue Mission and takes every opportunity to share their compassion for animals with others. Please note that some of the images and videos linked to in this list may be upsetting to some viewers and not safe for work.
Zombie Shared A Video Narrated By Paul McCartney To Explain His Veganism
In 2009, former Beatle Paul McCartney appeared in a video called "If Slaughterhouses Had Glass Walls" in association with the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). In March 2016, Zombie shared it on his official Facebook page with the caption:
People always ask me why I am vegan. Watch this video, and you will know why. I am not preaching. I am answering the question.
Please do not comment unless you have bothered to watch the video. Trust me; it is rough and depressing. Sometimes the truth sucks.
The video features graphic footage of animals being slaughtered for human consumption. The genesis of the video came from McCartney's realization in the 1970s that the farm he owned in Scotland - where he raised, slaughtered, and ate his livestock - was inhumane. He believed if people knew what happens in animal processing plants and slaughterhouses, they would choose a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle - just as he and his wife Linda had done.
Although Zombie became a vegetarian and animal rights activist in high school in 1982, he holds McCartney's contribution as a reason to keep on his path.
A Sickly Childhood And A Slaughterhouse Video Led To His Vegan Lifestyle
While speaking to Men's Health magazine in 2005, Zombie revealed his vegan lifestyle came from a childhood filled with medications and various health problems. He chose to stop taking all of the medicine and change his lifestyle instead - including diet and exercise.
I was a really sickly kid, one of those kids like, "Here's your 25 pills, and you can't be in gym class." One day in high school, I was like, F--- it, I'm not taking any more medicine. I'm going to join the track team, and if I drop dead, fine. And of course, I got healthier. I stopped eating red meat. Even my asthma went away. I still eat super, super healthy all the time, and I take health quite seriously. I haven't had red meat in 25 years.
The site Metal Injection revealed that a video detailing the conditions of slaughterhouses also influenced Zombie's decision to give up meat as a high school student in 1982.
Zombie and his wife, Sheri Moon, married on Halloween 2002 after nearly 10 years of dating. In October 2014, Sheri Moon unveiled "EAT ME," a blog that describes how she and Rob follow a vegan diet while on tour and on set. The blog, which was last updated in 2016, not only features eateries from around the world that cater to a vegan diet, but also includes recipes from Sheri Moon, herself. She describes the purpose of her blog:
Choosing to be vegan for me was based on two things: my health and the health of animals. My aim is not to be preachy about being vegan, just to simply share my experiences of eating vegan on my travels in the US and abroad and also how I prepare vegan meals at home.
An unlikely and adorable fixture of Zombie's Instagram and Twitter feeds is his pug, Godzilla. Before Godzilla, Zombie owned another black pug named Dracula. He told Contact Music in 2006 that Dracula helped keep his band from losing their cool while on tour: "My pug has been on every tour. He's a good stress barometer. As soon as he thinks anyone is fighting or in a bad mood, he freaks out."
Godzilla appears to enjoy traveling, sitting in on recording sessions, and hanging out with Zombie and wife Sheri Moon.
His Instagram Depicts Examples Of Animal Farming Cruelty
While not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach, Zombie uses his social media accounts to share videos explaining why he became a vegan. Many of the videos are very upsetting and graphic, and seek to educate people on the realities of a meat-based diet and the cruelty inherent in bringing animal products to market for millions of people.
One video compares footage of a dog locked in a hot car with that of livestock placed in similar conditions during shipment. He comments, "Unless you happen to be a dog or a cat the world is a living Hell for most animals. But it doesn't have to be this way."
Another video shared on Instagram shows the heinous condition animals are kept in, while yet another explains the gestation crate many animals spend their entires lives in. Many more posts in the same vein pop up across his social media feeds to show people why he chose veganism and possibly sway them to change their habits.
He Performed At The First Annual Humanity Thru Music Concert
In 2010, Zombie lent his voice and presence to the first annual Humanity Thru Music concert alongside acts like Toto and Yes. The show benefited the Fur & Feather Animal Sanctuary, a no-kill shelter in Southern California. Fur & Feather also provides medical care to animals and education to the public.
As for Zombie's involvement with the shelter and various animal groups, he told Samaritan Mag in 2012, "I don’t really care about people that much, but animals I feel like they always need to be protected."
