Katy Perry’s been doing some rounds for her upcoming Prismatic tour. Katy was in Australia a few weeks ago to bash Miley Cyrus’ tongue and sell some tickets. She’s returned down under for some more appearances. Say what you want about Katy, she is great at selling out arenas. Kids love her Rainbow Brite shtick, and parents are willing to overlook the whipped cream boobs.
I do worry that Katy’s dumb-as-a-rock routine is detrimental to young girls. Sure, she writes power anthems like “Roar,” but Katy can’t express herself beyond her ripped-off lyrics. Maybe she really is an airhead. She revealed her updated views on feminism to the iWakeUpWithToday show. In 2012, Katy told told Billboard, “I am not a feminist, but I do believe in the strength of women.” She hasn’t educated herself any further by the sound of these quotes:
She doesn’t like the show’s stage lights: “Whoa, this is really bright! I hope it makes me look 21, I guess. I don’t want to look like a fetus. Fetus pop star!”
On her lasting power: “Sweetheart, if I was just a lot of fruff and bubble, I would have been gone in a second.”
Is she a feminist? “A feminist? Uh, yes, actually. I used to not really understand what that word meant, and now that I do, it just means that I love myself as a female and I also love men. I am a strong woman. And hear me roar!”
[From iWakeUpWithToday]
Ha. I don’t like to say that anyone is better off nodding prettily and smiling, but I feel that way when it comes to Katy’s thoughts on feminism. She’s not alone by any stretch. A whole drove of young starlets — including Miley Cyrus, Courtney Stodden, Selena Gomez, and Lily Allen — don’t know the true meaning of feminism. Sigh.
Here’s the video clip of Katy’s appearance. She is so bloody vapid.
Photos courtesy of WENN
Woooow. Just embarrassing.
Especially given the other examples of girls who don’t get it. They’re all in the under 22 set. Katy is pushing 30. I’ll give a little leeway to the younger gals, because they’re barely out of their teenaged years – some aren’t. There’s a lot of learning that happens even just between 18 and 23. – I’m going to hold out on a little bit of hope for them.
I learned most about feminism in my freshman year of college. Before that, I’m embarrassed that there was a short time where I didn’t get it at all either. I was about 18, but I also wasn’t surrounded by ‘yes men’ that made me feel like everything that came out of my mouth was something deep and important.
I also have to say that the quotes coming from these girls is just so upsetting. I spent my 20’s and part of my 30’s angry and frustrated to: 1) Not being paid equally as my male counterparts 2) Being overlooked for advancement because “You don’t have a family and he does” (Tell that to the divorced women I worked with that were raising kids on their own!) 3) Talked down to because I must have gotten my job because I knew someone (Er, no. I have a degree in Mechanical Engineering and I CAN do the job!)
Now that a lot of the issues before Gloria Steinem and the Femi-Nazis came to be are forgotten. Don’t women talk about these things with their daughters (and sons)? I’m 54, so I have mellowed, switched professions, and just generally hope that the lessons learned are not forgotten as the consequences will be repeated if they are.
HollyB – I don’t know about other women, but when I have kids, I’m going to make sure things like this stick. It’s sad how little knowledge people have, and it’s even more sad that people squirm at the word feminism as if it’s something vulgar.
Her age has little bearing to do with this mentality. Some of the most anti-feministic and/or clueless women I have met tend to be over 35, and especially in their 40s and 50s. Sadly, too, it has little to do with the generation they grew up, but this mentality that “I was a feminist in my early 20s, but realized it was a waste of time and as I got older I found that acting cute/feminine/bimboish helped me get along better with the opposite sex.” I call it the Blanche DuBois syndrome.
Mind you, I am not saying all women act like this — most with common sense don’t. I just think it a certain type of woman who made money or got attention from acting and looking a certain way that perpetuates this. Katy Perry falls into this group. Regardless of whether Katy Perry has a career 10 years from now, what little media attention she gets she will likely continue to perpetuate this.
It’s not like they’re asking her about brain surgery or rocket science, the definition of feminism is pretty easy to grasp.
I have to say that in college I’ve met more girls who look at me shocked that I say I’m a feminist. My favourite is “but you’re so girly!”
She’s trying too hard to be ‘random’. It’s like someone told her that she’s competing with 12 year olds and now she acts 12 years old… God I hope she’s acting
Yeah. She’s an idiot. She wouldn’t know feminism if it slapped her in the face.
Bless her heart. I do agree that she knows how to sell and entertain…she doesn’t act like her weirdness is amazing ‘art’ like gaga, and isn’t graphic like Miley. She seems to accept her cheesiness and it sells.
Selling sex to kids isn’t hard, it just takes someone who is willing to go there. She might not dress her act up in claims of “art” like Gaga, she might not be as crude as Miley, but in my opinion that makes her shtick worse because she wrapped it up in a Candyland theme and directed it at kids. Miley and Gaga seem to aim a little older. I was really floored when I saw Katy mime a bj on stage in front of an audience of 12 year olds at a kids awards show (during the “we’ll melt your popsicle” lyric of California Girls).
Am I the only one that went to school?
No. She would be singing a different tune if she knew what life was like in prehistoric times.
She’s a vapid airhead but at least she’s admitting here that “I’m not a feminist but” BS was a wrong thing to say…I’m surprised.
Ok, I watched the interview.
1. Is she high/drunk or is this her normal way of speaking etc? Seems weird, esp. in the beginning.
2. I;m pretty sure the feminist question was someone handed to the interviewer by her publicist. Her answer seems rehearsed.
*was handed lol, nou sure how that “someone” got there
There are so many reasons I don’t like this person, giving garbled nonsensical answers to pretty straight forward questions is reason 1,452. Seriously, Prismatic? What does that even mean? Idiot.
It’s insulting that the question of feminism is brought up to these celebrities. I feel like it purposely devalues the discussion and attempts to make fun of the interviewee and the concept of feminism in culture.
+1.
I don’t need to be reminded of how ignorant these young women are.
Ass-clowns..all of them.
Agree with you both, they’re freakin idiots..
Yep all of them. The list is getting longer and this thread goes on a par with Johansson’s. Are all celebrities dumb nowadays?
Because I don’t think that Bette Davis or Joan Crawford were ‘this’ stupid.
Sorry, meant to reply to hiddles but my phone isn’t letting me…
She and many of these ignorant people are not equivalent to betty davis and joan Crawford. There are a bunch of idiots in every era, but history often forgets them.
A prism (like in the name of her new album) is a transparent optical element, that refracts light. If you send a ray of sunlight through a prism, you can see a “rainbow” of colors on the other side. This characteristic is called prismatic and this adjective is often used in terms of colorful, like prismatic powders, prismatic light and so on. Google prismatic, look at the pictures and you’ll know what I mean.
I don’t think that Arock doesn’t know what the word “prismatic” means. I think the comment was referring to the nonsensical air of the whole interview. Also perhaps how the word “prismatic” is seemingly intended to be imbued with some deep meaning, of which there is none in any of her spoken comments. Ever.
She sounds so ditsy. I always have trouble believing she’s six years older than me.
Nah, I think she really is dumb as a box of rocks. And it makes me feel a little bad for her, tbh.
EDIT: Maybe Lorde should have accepted to be her opening act, and taught her a thing or two…
Of course she had to include “I also love men!” in there. Because God knows you can’t talk about feminism for four seconds without having to be all HEY GUYS STILL LOVE THE DUDEZ P.S. PEEN FOR ALL. For all her enlightenment talk, she still doesn’t understand that feminism does not equal hating men.
I just had a female friend discussing feminist-ish issues on FB and two men were going at it so she felt compelled to include ‘don’t get me wrong, I love men, yes men are great’ after every comment. Like you can’t stand up for women without mentioning you love men. Dear god, why do we need their fricking approval or love? Great men accept differing opinions on female isses without the need to be praised and approved too as to not hurt their feelings. That’s the kind of man I would want to be with but seeing Perry’s (and my friend’s) dating past, it’s easy to see why they feel the need to keep men happy. Douchebags.
My husband is fine with my feminism ‘online’ even if I don’t mention I love him in every sentence.
Perry sounds like an insecure woman and pretty dumb too.
JFC she’s stupid. It’s funny that people go after Miley for cultural appropriation and being offensive (and Miley does do that) when Katy is 100 times worse (that video Lainey posted of Katy saying she wanted to wear the skin of Japanese people because they are so damn cute, her ranting on about how she respected Japanese culture when she was wearing a cheongsam, and the “ur so gay” song that everyone overlooks…and I’m sure there’s more times when she’s been blatantly offensive)…but she probably gets away with it because she comes across as so damn dumb.
Sounds like Katy still doesn’t understand what feminism means, but I think she may have actually tried to learn something about it. I think she’s really just not that bright and struggles with anything beyond fairly basic concepts.
I give her points for trying at least.
She not trying at all if she was after the last time she talk about feminism she would have educated herself.
To me, her response doesn’t sound like someone who went and tried to educate themselves about feminism. It sounds like one sentance that her publicist wrote for her to parrot if she was ever asked about it again.
Dear God she’s stupid….if she’s serious about using feminism as her latest favourite expression, maybe she should look up a proper definition. Read this Katy….
“Feminism is a collection of movements and ideologies aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights for women. This includes seeking to establish equal opportunities for women in education and employment. A feminist advocates or supports the rights and equality of women.”
Note it doesn’t include spraying whipped cream out of your boobs or getting into twitter wars about kissing Miley Cyrus.
I believe that even that definition might be too complex for someone like Katy to understand, so let me have a stab at it:
A feminist believes and lives his or her life in accordance with the belief that a woman’s value is equal to that of a man’s. It’s called feminism because historically this has always been a “man’s world” and the idea of feminism is intended to balance that out.
Unfortunately, the Katys and Mileys of the world don’t actually sit down and put any thought into the idea and so they gravitate to stereotypical symbols of feminism to display and ideal they wish they really understood, such as bra burning and women’s sexuality. So, so much more is involved.
^Jaded and Irishserra, that is exactly what feminism. Perry is too old to not know that (she’s almost 30). I just hate when she talks in the baby/little girl voice, but I get it she is selling a fantasy (it just annoys me).
No sweet dumb overly made up corny terrible music purveyor Katy, You STILL dont know what the word means…. Christ
LOL! Most accurate description of her ever.
Agree with everyone; this is like her Rolling Stone interview; cringe worthy and moronic. Has she ever read a book – any book – in her life? And no the Bible doesn’t count, because that’s a complex work way beyond her pea brain. Vapidity is not “cute” in a 30 year old supposedly grown ass woman. It’s actually rather offensive since her market is tweeners and younger.
She is just so STOOPID and so are her outfits. She really does purposely infantilize herself.
That’s great for her but missing the mark.
Anti-abortion campaigners see women as fetus incubators, more than one interviewer has said “but you’d only leave in a few years to have babies” as if that’s the only goal women have, met men who think all women want is marriage, that being single over 30 is tragic spinsterhood and not a life choice, etc.
There’s still a lot of struggles to prove we’re not a homogeneous group, that we have different dreams and goals, and are equally driven and productive as our male counterparts.
And yes, I want to do all this in a dress because they’re pretty and I like feeling pretty. You can be a feminist in a dress.
One way to start is by not generalizing, yourself. For example, anti-abortion crusaders (or, more politely, pro-life people) have all sorts of reasons for their beliefs. By generalizing with negative terms like they believe all women should be “fetus incubators”, you’re not really accepting the heterogeneous nature of society either, are you?
I try not to generalize, these are people I’ve come across in real life and the number that hold these beliefs is startling.
I had to take my friend past anti-abortion campaigners and I went back out to tell them how hurtful the things they yelled were. They basically told me that the baby was more important than my friend basically being in hiding from her abusive ex and unable to stand any connection to him.
When a celebrity break-up happens it’s almost always played out as she couldn’t get him to commit and nobody ever questions it.
This is the reason I always turn The Tonight Show off when the guest comes out. Listening to celebrities talk without scripts is an exercise in deepening my between brow creases. WHY does our culture insist on asking the least educated among us the most important questions? Did the interviewer get to her opinion about Crimea? Where she thinks the Malaysian airliner is? Sometimes I think journalists resent celebrities and just want to show the rest of us who’s smarter.
Every interview sounds like Crash Davis coaching Ebby Calvin Laloosh (“You need a nickname, honey) on his interview cliches.
Hire someone to coach them better. How about this?
Interviewer: Are you a feminist?
Perry: That word means different things to different people. I never went to college, but I know you did. What do YOU mean when you say “feminist”?
Interviewer: [gives textbook definition]
Perry: I agree with all of the principals you just explained. Of course I do! Unfortunately, we live in a world where that word is so misunderstood that if I claim it as a label, people will make assumptions about me, most of them bad, or even career damaging. I choose not to label myself because I’m an entertainer and I focus on entertainment. But, wow, what an interesting subject!
ANNNNND scene.
Well, that would be interesting to see!
@Mrs Odie-I am quite sure she would say..1. “The jet is at the………airport thing-y place, riiight”?? 2) “Ummmm, Crimea…crimea a river, riiiight”?? And as for “feminist” she probably thought is was some sort of female deodorant. I think someone had to explain feminism to her in 30 seconds whilst dressing her in a sundae bikini top and applying glitter to her eyelids. Dum is the new stupid.
I do the same thing Mrs. Oldie, and then wait for the musical guest,
Unless it was for women’s studies, having gone to college does not mean you know ANYTHING about feminism.
There is something about her that I can’t stand and she just annoys me. Her fake pop music to her bad outfits… I just can’t with her. lol
I only made it through the intro part where she is coming in and sitting down, bodes she always talk like that? She sounds really … dumb.
*does
I hate typing on my ipad.
Why do I feel that when Katy speaks, I picture the words coming out of her head in thought bubbles?
Ha, now I won’t be able to unsee it. How are you doing J?
Hiya Blue. Always nice to see you. I am fair to middling. Job hunting since writing isn’t paying the bills. How’s by you, my dear?
Pretty good for a chilly Tuesday, and I’m sorry to hear that but good luck in your search, any place would be lucky to have you.
Ah shucks, that’s terribly sweet of you to say.
I can’t gripe, I have been extremely fortunate to have stayed at home for as long as I have. And who knows, maybe the next contract will allow me a little more time?
Yes to this! She’s like a cartoon.
I don’t think it’s a routine. She’s just really freaking stupid. It’s unfortunate that these vapid women are thrust in our faces.
Okay. I think this girl is a bowl of air, but I am going to have to say this in light defense of what she supposedly said here: I’ve worked in a few places and with a few clients. On probably four occasions, I have seen seemingly intelligent, VP-level women snarl at young women in meetings: “How can you take his side/ the guys’ side? You need to understand your role as a woman.” Now these comments came from NOWHERE — the guys hadn’t been Neanderthal crap-on-woman dicks, they were just colleagues with respect for everyone and simply different opinions on projects, nothing to do with gender, based on spreadsheet numbers or research.. The young women were startled. A couple said to me and others later, “THIS IS WHY I don’t think I can really be a feminist – I can’t be against someone’s opinion or idea just because they’re a dude.” We tried to explain this was NOT feminism. But these “feminists” in their workplaces had thrown the wrong message out there. So…..if you’re around people like that, who knows what you might end up thinking. I am actually watching this play out again at a client and I am stunned. A very even unbiased guy being strongly opposed by another VP simply because “this is not a male world where only he gets a voice” and no it is not — but he is one of many voices of both genders on what is, again, a numbers issue. Her young assistant looks increasingly baffled.
So…..just putting that out there, for what it worth. Teachers of principles can be at fault. And create goofed-up understanding.
She should stop doing interviews.
FFS
Poor Katy. Will someone start a fund to help buy dictionaries for Miley, Beyonce, et. al so they can look up feminism and stop struglling to figuring out its meaning?
On an unrelated note, isn’t she a little too old for that shtick?
Wait.. she’s worried that she might look YOUNGER than 21? Bless her heart.
I’d have loved that dino dress when I was 10 though. I’d have rocked the heck out of it, styled up with jelly shoes and a banana clip.
I know. She doesn’t need to worry.
Is it face shaming if I say that haircut/wig makes her face look fat?
Yes….Absolutely face shaming when you say that hairstyle/wig makes her face look fat. However, I am not ashamed to admit I agree with you 100%! She looks awful lately. LMAO that she said she dumped Mayer…..We can all see that he dumped you right on your face…..
Its a mans world, that will never change. Katy Perry is making women look dumb. If dumb women keep speaking about feminism, it will always be a mans world.
That’s some grim prospecting there. I certainly hope things change but I do agree that if women like her are the advocates for change, we’re in trouble.
holy crap, that girl is stupid.
After attending some human rights based approach trainings and gender and development RTDs, I became a feminist at 26 (starting last year). I’m lucky that the college where I’m working is promoting participatory development and inclusion in community building. I’m reading more articles about it, whether published or unpublished and I still have to read more. I’m thankful that I’ve been given this chance to be exposed to what it really is.
Before, my concept about feminism was really narrow so I distance myself from that. I was like, “how can I say I want equality if I like men to offer their seats to me whenever I’m on the train or when I seek assistance for my heavy bags?” I would also equate feminism with “girls are better than boys” when I was younger. The combination of ignorance and immaturity is really deadly and I’m glad I got enlightened 🙂
As for Katy Perry… she should read. If reading helped a 26 year old woman (who read all feminist literature in English which is not her first language) cleared her mind from the wrong notions on feminism, a 30 year old woman can be informed as well. I mean, she can read right?
Re: men offering their seats to you, etc…, I think if we have to deal with all the bullshit that comes with living in a patriarchal society, at least we should be able to reap some of the few paltry benefits, right? If you’re being paid more for the same work, you SHOULD pay for my dinner and all that.
I don’t know, I guess at my age, seeing things advance significantly for women in the 90’s only to regress so hugely to the point where even women are embracing their own objectification and lesser status, I’ve become resigned to the fact that things will never change.
I. just.can’t.stand.her.
The thing that really made me laugh out loud is “Sweetheart, if I was just a lot of fruff and bubble, I would have been gone in a second.”
I mean, AHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA, OH YOU ARE JOKING, TELL ME YOU ARE JOKING HONEY, God save us
Either she is a nit wit or she thinks her audience is.
What an airhead. I can just imagine the deep, intellectual conversations she had with John Mayer. Not.
I can just picture them drinking and farting at each other. And that’s about it.
Poor thing. She’s almost 30! This is super embarassing
Someone buy this girl a dictionary.
then read it to her.
“Water means something that fills pool and cant breathe under!
Car is something out of to get photos on!”
Katy, you’re an idiot.
Wow, she is dumb.
I’m going to start countering these vapid ditzy idiots with women using their brains to do awesome stuff. Kety’s comments are so stupid I’m putting out 2 names for this one:
Manal al-Sharif – Saudi Arabian woman fighting against the ban on women driving
Yvonne Cagle – USAF Colonel, medical doctor, and oh yeah, a freaking ASTRONAUT.
@Lucy2
Thanks for the Manal al-Sharif & the
Yvonne Cagle introduction. I just briefly read their bios & I’m impressed. Manal al-Sharif’s activism (to earn the right to drive a car!) reminds me of the privilege (& good luck) I enjoy having been raised in North America. Katy Perry & the like, especially Miley Cyrus enjoy great privilege. If one really hasn’t experienced much inequality in one’s life it’s easier to discount the need for the advancement of women’s status.
^Liberty, I LOVE YOU!!!! In my life I’ve been one of those women, and ALWAYS the older women would snap at me something fierce because I wasn’t on their side. I would explain to them that I wasn’t going to side with someone who I feel is wrong (they were wrong). I also looked at it from their view. Some of them just turned so angry and bitter over the years with how their lives turned out and hated their husbands and ex – husbands. Sometimes these things caused them to male bash or hate men and use feminism as an excuse to justify their hatred towards men. You and I know these women do exist, but as you said they do not represent true feminism.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Hush, child.
What a dumb bunny.
Wait… is that insulting to rabbits?
Wow. The sheer stupid. You amaze me, Katy. I think even Britney packs more intellectual heat. She can speak more cogently about any of these topics.
Another uneducated pop star with an annoying voice, who puts out crappy music. I feel sad for the current state of this industry that relies on sex and sensationalism over talent.
She really should learn to deflect questions on things she knows nothing about.
I think it’s hilarious that a website whose sole purpose is to mock and demean (famous) women and thinks the use of the (gendered, anti-woman) word “bitch” in the site’s title is perfectly acceptable can then, without a hint of any kind of awareness, turn around and preach from the feminist (or anti-feminist as the case may be) pulpit.
And when I say “hilarious”, I mean completely devastating. Hypocrite much?
Ah yes “the dumb hot girl” debate. Check out this link for a well written POV: http://thebrowntweedsociety.com/2011/02/26/30-rock-katy-perry-and-the-dumb-hot-girl-persona/
I’m not a fan of Perry. I shan’t forgive Perry’s ripoff & corruption of Jill Sobule’s “I Kissed a Girl”, will not forget “Ur so Gay” (really Katy?! $&@!) & cannot abide her “self-infantilization” (IMO damaging to women & girls). However, why aren’t male celebrities asked if they support women’s equal rights? It’s just another way to drag successful women down a notch. Why the ‘uck was Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” the dominating summer of 2013 anthem?! (he appears not to be too bright either). Ho hum … I digress.
For what I’ve seen Katy Perry does not present herself as being particularly intelligent. Maybe she is just dense, some folks are. Or maybe she just doesn’t care, maybe she just wanted to be famous & rich & write and/or ripoff a few songs. She has been smart enough & persistent enough to become a successful pop singer.
My only hope for celebrities who make questionable career choices is that they redeem themselves later by bringing their wealth & fame & social media fan base to bear on charitable endeavours … such as Perry may now be embarking on as a newish UNICEF goodwill ambassador. Time will tell.