Whew. Strap in, because this one goes to orbit—and then straight back down into the scorched landscape of internet chaos, celebrity spectacle, and some good old-fashioned mannequin misidentification.
Katy Perry’s recent suborbital joyride on Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin rocket was supposed to be a star-studded celebration of female empowerment. Instead, it has become a magnet for “every” flavor of conspiracy theory, viral backlash, and cultural criticism imaginable.
Let’s start with the “hand”—because, of course, that’s where the internet latched on. A photo surfaced that appeared to show a synthetic-looking limb inside the New Shepard capsule, sparking a digital wildfire of accusations.
“Mannequin confirmed,” cried the skeptics. But the truth? The image was real, “but” it wasn’t from “this” mission. That hand? It belonged to “Mannequin Skywalker,” a literal test dummy from a 2017 Blue Origin flight. Different capsule, different year, different vibe.
But facts don’t spread as fast as outrage, and the mannequin theory was just the opening act. Conspiracists doubled down when footage showed the capsule door being opened “from the inside” just moments before Bezos dramatically unlatched it from the outside for cameras. A cover-up? A studio set? Nah, probably just someone inside getting ahead of schedule—but the online hysteria was off to the races.
Meanwhile, in the real world, the cultural backlash hit “way” harder than the capsule’s parachute landing. Enter: Emily Ratajkowski, whose viral TikTok was less about fake hands and more about “real hypocrisy”.
Her critique? That this glittery stunt wrapped in feminist branding was little more than a capitalist publicity ploy, cloaked in eco-feminist buzzwords while ignoring the gaping contradictions—like using a fossil-fuel-powered rocket to honor “Mother Earth.”
Her message struck a nerve. Olivia Wilde, Olivia Munn, and thousands of commenters echoed the sentiment: how out-of-touch do you have to be to blast a handful of celebs into space for a ten-minute flex while communities on Earth are literally fighting for clean water?
And therein lies the story behind the story. The Blue Origin NS-31 flight wasn’t just a scientific venture. It was a media event, a branding exercise, a slickly produced moment designed to inspire… or distract, depending on your perspective. But when you’re operating at the intersection of extreme wealth, performative activism, and a struggling planet, the margin for misreading the room is razor-thin.
So, did Katy Perry go to space? Yes. Was it inspiring? That’s complicated. Between conspiracy theorists chasing mannequin hands and celebrities questioning the moral compass of a PR stunt in the stratosphere, one thing is clear: when you mix billionaires, pop stars, and rockets, you’re not just launching a mission—you’re launching a debate. And this one’s going to have a long tail in orbit.
Daily Mail and y!entertainment
