I hear you mocking the female astronauts. You’re doing dirty work for the bad guys (2025)

Bad feminist that I seem to be, I missed what many other women saw and felt when the “historic” all-female Blue Origin space jaunt started making news. My first thought? Cool space suits. Very Josie and the Pussycats. Seventies glam, high pony, love it.

My shallow all-about-the-optics mind was soon schooled by a slew of celebrities who, from the safety of their socials, quickly turned this 11-minute ride to the edge of Earth into a global hot button topic.

No sooner had the crew touched down than rockets were fired at the astronauts. Well — almost exclusively at Katy Perry. She sang What A Wonderful World (I am dead), kissed the ground, noted her makeup stayed intact and flashed her tour set list. Ick.

The pile-on came from an old songbook. When women become the face of something they also become the face of the backlash. Unless they have a backstory awash with trauma or diversity, they can be shredded, the barbs packaged as entertainment.

Of course, the bitchiest commentators were other women. Model Emily Ratajkowski called amateur astronauts claiming to care about Mother Earth while accepting a trip on a rocket built by a company “single-handedly destroying the planet”— Amazon — “end-time shit”.

Actor Olivia Munn added, “What are they gonna do up there that has made it better for us down here?”

Ace question. Answer: nothing. So, fair. I hear ya. But seriously? An 11-minute vanity stunt is what gets these educated American women with big audiences and the power to say what they think fired up?

Shouldn’t these gals have bigger concerns on their radar right now?

Look, I’m not saying you US women, famous or otherwise, have to be more serious about using your political leverage. But maybe you have to be more serious about using your political leverage.

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It’s 2025 in America. Your control over reproductive decisions has been wound back. The Justice Department issued an order in January to curtail prosecutions against people accused of blocking access to abortion clinics and reproductive health centres.

Your daughters are growing up with fewer rights than you had at their age.

Your maternal mortality rate is climbing. Hard-won protections for marginalised communities are hanging by a thread. Your immigrant friend who’s been doing your nails for 10 years might be deported tomorrow.

The bloke who stormed the Capitol with a spear is now considered a “political prisoner” (assuming he’s still in prison). Your president is cosying up to dictators while ghosting allies. And there’s going to be drilling, baby, drilling, in pristine wildlife refuges.

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Oh, and lots of other countries hate you and are going to stop buying your stuff and coming to visit.

And you’re upset about Katy Perry saying space made her feel “connected to love”? You’re outraged about six women floating in zero gravity for the length of three Taylor Swift songs?

Yes, space tourism is ridiculous. Yes, Bezos has more money than God and should probably pay his warehouse workers better. But when your house is on fire, maybe don’t spend your energy critiquing your neighbour’s garden hose.

Maybe don’t pile onto other women over a glorified theme park ride while the real villains of this story are busy counting their money and signing executive orders.

All this energy spent slagging each other off while calling it accountability is peak nonsense. We’re worried about the wrong things. And we’re doing the patriarchy’s dirty work while the space bros who built the rocket escape unscathed, floating above the hot air.

So my American sisters, next time a woman does something lame or fabulous or whatever, try my tactic for not going mad or being sucked into worthless things.

Admire the styling, assume the view was killer and save your energy for something or someone who might actually need it.

Call out the system, not the woman trying to navigate it.

Because in a world where things that will truly affect women’s lives are happening daily and it feels like our rights are being auctioned off to the highest bidder, your hot take on a joyride is just more space junk.

Kate Halfpenny is the founder of Bad Mother Media.

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