Wendy's faces outrage after joke about Katy Perry's space journey
What's the story
In a recent incident, fast-food chain Wendy's sparked controversy by mocking pop star Katy Perry, shortly after her historic suborbital space flight with Blue Origin. The social media team at Wendy's took a shot at Perry's 11-minute journey to the stars, commenting, "Can we send her back[?]" under a tweet from Pop Crave celebrating Perry's return. The post quickly went viral, leading to backlash against the brand.
Continued mockery
Wendy's continued mocking Perry despite the backlash
Not one to stop at one post, Wendy's also mocked Perry for kissing the ground upon her return to Earth, taking a dig at her breakthrough hit I Kissed a Girl. The New York Post reported that this continued mockery resulted in a wave of criticism from fans who accused the fast-food chain of "punching down." Despite the backlash, Wendy's refused to apologize for their actions.
Defense
Wendy's spokesperson defended the brand's actions
Responding to the criticism, a spokesperson for Wendy's told People, "We always bring a little spice to our socials, but Wendy's has a ton of respect for Katy Perry and her out-of-this-world talent." However, a source close to the situation told the outlet that the post crossed a line. "This wasn't harmless banter, this was a billion-dollar brand using its platform to publicly demean a woman..."
Criticism
Perry's fellow space traveler also criticized Wendy's
Meanwhile, Lauren Sanchez, Perry's fellow space traveler, was also not impressed with the trolling. She proposed that Wendy's should visit Blue Origin to know how serious and meaningful their mission is. "I would love to have them come to Blue Origin and see the thousands of employees that don't just work here, but they put their heart and soul into this vehicle," Sanchez said.