Travis Barker Talks Benefits of Pet Adoption, Meat-Free Way of life in PSA

It’s not a stretch to say that when Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker will get behind his package he’s an animal. The hard-bashing, in-demand producer and collaborator assaults the skins like they owe him cash. But in a brand new PSA for Humane World For Animals (previously generally known as the Humane Society of the United States), Barker, 50, steps out from behind his drums to share a really particular message about taking motion to face up for animals as a part of the group’s Small Steps For Good marketing campaign.

“I haven’t eaten meat since I was 13 and I’ve been a vegetarian since then,” Barker, 50, tells Billboard about his longtime meat-free way of life. “I didn’t like the taste at the time and then I figured out where hot dogs and ham and steak came from and there’s not a chance … ‘nope, can’t do that!’ I’ve always loved animals and I never liked the taste of meat.”

Barker says he teamed up with the Humane World For Animals as a result of he felt a kinship with their mission. Plus, the objectives of the marketing campaign felt like a pure match for him, together with adopting pets from native animal shelters, not carrying merchandise made out of actual fur and utilizing cruelty-free merchandise reminiscent of these from his personal vegan wellness firm, Barker Wellness.

He’s been such an outspoken advocate for animal welfare that Barker says a few of his favourite designers will make vegan variations of their garments or sneakers for him and his subsequent collab with VANS is deliberate as an all-vegan shoe. “All my clothes are vegan-friendly,” says Barker, who describes his day by day “uniform” as Dickies pants, all-vegan Vans and a T-shirt.

He’s additionally joyful to place his cash the place his meat-free mouth is, together with investing in L.A.’s upscale plant-based Crossroads Kitchen after chef Tal Ronnen pitched him on the thought at a Bad Brains present. “The other day I was at Jay Leno’s garage and we drove some cars and when I left with my 84-year-old dad I said, ‘let’s eat at this spot,’ and I could tell he wasn’t thrilled,” he stated of his selection of Lotus Vegan, a spot he remembered driving his bike to when he lived in North Hollywood.

“And then during our meal, I said, ‘dad, I eat at these places because they’re all vegan and they need the support to stay open for business another month,’” says Barker, who turned vegan after his the horrific 2008 airplane crash that took the lives of two of his finest mates and the airplane’s two pilots. “Rather than eating at a restaurant that has vegan options, I like to eat at an actual mom-and-pop, struggling vegan restaurant doing their thing.”

The 30-second PSA opens with Barker in suburban dad mode, chilling out in a cream-colored turtleneck sweater, glasses and denims, lamenting, “Being good? I always thought that was boring,” earlier than he rips off his shirt to show his famously inked-up torso. “But f– that. Good is never boring!” he says because the jazzy soundtrack switches to a punk rock beat.

Slipping right into a Cookie Monster-blue jacket, Barker says, “Faux fur is way cooler than real fur. Plant based in plant based!,” he provides as he digs right into a bowl of beans. “I always support people doing good in the world … just do good. That’s the move.”

“Creating a better world for animals takes bold systemic change, and it starts with the small choices people make every day,” says Humane World for Animals president/CEO Kitty Block in a press release. “That’s the idea behind our Small Steps for Good campaign: Showing that everyone has the power to make a difference for animals. Travis has inspired people for years by using his voice and platform to advocate for animals in a way that is authentic to who he is. We hope this campaign encourages others to discover their own small steps and see how those actions can add up to meaningful change.”  

As for whether or not Barker’s spouse, Kourtney Kardashian, or their blended household are on board the vegan practice, Travis says that he doesn’t choose anybody for his or her selections — his good good friend podcaster Joe Rogan is a loud and proud meat consuming hunter — however he stated his daughter Alabama has been a vegetarian her entire life and his different children eat vegan once they’re out to dinner with him, together with the couple’s two-year-old son, Rocky Thirteen.

At the tip of the day, Barker says the marketing campaign’s message is completely clear: “Be nice to animals. It’s not that hard and it won’t cause too much of an identity crisis for anyone.”

Check out Barker’s PSA beneath.