Even though beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin believe it has more to do with what you eat. These two straight talking authors have built a Skinny Bitch book and DVD empire by telling women that if they want to be hot – they have got to give up animal products.
Their no-nonsense and hilarious brand of compassionate health and diet advice has driven several of their books to the top of best-sellers lists in North America and created an insatiable demand for more of the gals’ almost caustic advice.
Their first novel Skinny Bitch — opened up a feminist can of whupass with its unrelenting exposé of the food industry and was an instant hit. Since then, the gals have published Skinny Bitch in the Kitch, Skinny Bitchin’, Skinny Bitch Bun in the Oven, and they have recently released two workout DVDs entitled Skinny Bitch Fitness: Boot Camp and Skinny Bitch: Body.
We caught up with Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin to ask a few questions about their Skinny Bitch empire and to find out what comes next in their Skinny Bitch series.
Please start by telling us a bit about the Skinny Bitch brand.
Kim: Rory and I met at a talent agency about twelve years ago, and instantly bonded over food. We both ate pretty poorly and were pretty mean, unhappy, negative people. Once we changed our diets, our lives changed completely. We felt passionately about what we were learning and experiencing, and wanted to share it all with everyone. For months, I kept bugging Rory that we should go into some kind of business together, but I didn’t know what, exactly. She called me one day and said, “I’ve got it! We’re gonna write a book called Skinny Bitch and we’re gonna change the world.”
After several popular books, you gals have recently launched two new workout Skinny Bitch DVDs – Bootcamp and Body. Tell us a bit about them.
Kim: We were thrilled that we got our readers to start eating better, but it wasn’t enough; we wanted to get them exercising, too.
Eating well and being active work in tandem— they’re both part of the recipe for living a happy, healthy, fulfilling life.
Rory: That said, there’s no reason exercising shouldn’t be fun. We had an amazing trainer, Patrick Goudeau, design our workouts. But because we’re not professional bodybuilders or trainers, we didn’t take ourselves too seriously. Throughout the DVDs, you’ll see us messing up, laughing, complaining, and having a blast. We didn’t want to edit ourselves like we’re these perfect, buff robots, so there are lots of bloopers. We’re just regular women who want to look good, be healthy, and enjoy the process.
First the best-selling books, now the workout DVDs, are you gals building a Skinny Bitch empire?
Rory: We certainly have a lot on our plates, but at the end of the day, we’re just happy to be making a difference in people’s lives. We have no idea where this crazy journey will take us or what will come next, but we continue to be motivated by being of service.
Kim: When we first started writing the book and coming up with other project ideas, we kept joking that we wanted to build an empire. It just goes to show that you can create anything you set your mind to.
Why do you think the Skinny Bitch philosophy of eliminating animal products has proved to be so popular?
Rory: It’s really simple: People are generally kind, compassionate, and decent. So when they learn about factory farms and slaughterhouses, they cannot help but be horrified into action. I used to call myself an “animal lover,” yet sit down to eat chicken 
or meat without a second thought. But I changed in an instant when I learned that common farming practices include castrating pigs, removing their tails, and cutting their teeth—all without anesthesia. Or that chickens have their beaks seared off their faces. And that removing the horns and testicles of cattle, without anesthesia, is standard protocol. How on earth could I call myself an animal lover and contribute to any of that?
In addition, so many people care about the environment now. The United Nations released a 400-page report, naming animal agriculture as the number one cause of global warming (beating out all cars, planes, and trains combined)! There’s no such thing as a meat-eating environmentalist.
And for those who don’t care about the animals or the planet, they’re at least motivated by their health or appearances. Vegetarians have reduced rates of obesity, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
At times you gals seem almost caustic, why do you think people are eating up your no-nonsense health message?
Kim: We’re like your best friends who will tell you the truth, even if it’s hard to hear. Because it’s obvious that behind our caustic senses of humor, there are nothing but good intentions, our readers trust us and know we mean well.
Was it your intention to alleviate animal suffering? Or to promote health?
Rory: We wanted to do nothing less than make the world a better place for people, animals, and the environment. And going veg does all that. It’s an added bonus that it makes you beautiful from the inside out.
Do you really believe that you can't be hot while eating meat?
Rory: Check this out, then you tell me.Is just giving up animal products enough to be hot? What else is needed to be truly beautiful?
Rory: There are so many things that make someone beautiful. Compassion, of course, is at the top of the list. Being of service, caring about the effect you have on the beings and things around you, treating your body like a temple, kindness, generosity, confidence, and being your true self—they’re all part of the package.
Many people think of you as animal rights activists. How do you think of yourselves?
Rory: Being an animal rights activist is how I would identify myself, first and foremost, and is what I’m most proud of.
What's next?
Kim: We’re just putting the finishing touches on Skinny Bastard, which will be out in May/June 2009. We’re also gearing up for a TV show on NBC. Beyond that, we have a few other things in the works, but are also going to take some time for ourselves and for our lives.
Read our review of Skinny Bitch in the Kitch.
Visit: http://www.skinnybitch.net/
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