Ahh, Katy Perry. Problematic Perry. You’ve come back on the scene recently, releasing ‘Harleys in Hawaii’, and it’s reminded us of a few things.
I began writing this article as a nostalgia piece, recounting the adoration and joy I share for Perry and her work. The highpoint of my thirteenth year on this planet was, undoubtedly, the week beginning October 24th 2011. I saw Katy Perry on her California Dreams tour, sporting a mad number of outfit changes and the questionable song, ‘Ur So Gay’… oh, and some intriguing use of whipped cream.
After the very sparkly tour, and as I grew up, I followed her sporadically – like any human with an internet connection, I suppose. In amongst the cringe (‘Chinese Water torture’… Katy? Really?) there were bops; ‘E.T.’ was and still is a tune, definitely one you can’t get out of your head. My love endured, let’s just keep it at that.
But of late, I’ve begun to rethink a few past actions. Katy has done some bizarre things, things a lot of people wouldn’t get away with now. And no, I’m not talking about the Taylor Swift feud (something to do with a dancer’s contract?). What I’m referring to are the allegations of sexual misconduct aimed at the singer – a dark and uncomfortable topic operating in direct contrast to the saccharine image of Katy Perry presented in the media, the exact image I’ve adored. So, let’s start with a recap.
“Would I have done it if she said, ‘Would you kiss me?’ No, I would have said no.”
The first, which happened last year while she was a judge on American Idol, made its rounds on Twitter. Nineteen-year-old Benjamin Glaze, auditioning at the time, admitted to the panel that he hadn’t had his first kiss yet – he hadn’t been in a relationship by this point in time, and to him, the two were mutually inclusive. After hearing this, Perry immediately beckoned Glaze over, requesting a kiss on the cheek; immediately after, she asked for another but blindsided Glaze by kissing him on the lips.
Glaze laughed it off at the time, but was clearly taken aback; set against the judges whooping and high-fiving Perry, it makes for uncomfortable viewing, especially with the knowledge that Glaze revealed in an interview with The Times he wasn’t comfortable with Perry’s actions: “Would I have done it if she said, ‘Would you kiss me?’ No, I would have said no.”
In a separate post on Instagram, he specified “I am very honoured and thankful to have been apart of American Idol… I do not think I was sexually harassed by Katy Perry… I was uncomfortable in a sense of how I have never been kissed before and was not expecting it.”
Two more allegations against Perry then surfaced; the first was made by model Josh Kloss, who starred alongside Perry in the ‘Teenage Dream’ video. On his Instagram page, he wrote that “she pulled my Adidas sweats and underwear… can you imagine how pathetic and embarrassed I felt?” The second was made by TV presenter Tina Kandelaki, who told StarHit that Perry attempted to kiss her without her consent at a party: “I managed to fight back… strength training was not in vain.” Neither Perry nor her representatives responded to either of these allegations.
Three incidents (one confirmed, two alleged) of inappropriate sexual behaviour is more than enough to raise more questions: should fans continue to support Perry, either casually or by buying her products? If they do disagree with her behaviour, is buying and streaming equivalent to inadvertently supporting such behaviour? Is the fact that Perry is a famous female pop-star the reason why there isn’t more attention on the subject? I invite readers to Google these incidents, and count the number of comments – particularly on Glaze’s page – that reference the fact the persons involved are considered ‘lucky’. Then, match them against the ones calling out Perry’s behaviour and come to your own conclusions.
Regardless of what one specifically thinks about all of these incidents, the above is worth considering, especially when we think about how we consume media. Should we separate the art from the artist? Is it okay to consume art from people who may have done some ‘dodgy’ things? What about creepy things, illegal things, harmful things? Where do we draw the line – where should we?
To me, the knowledge that Katy Perry can be a bit shit doesn’t dampen much for me: I’m not her biggest fan ever. However, if I knew that one of my favourite artists were sexually inappropriate, or bullies, or whatever else, I do suppose it would affect how I viewed their art. But that’s me, personally. Fans of Perry can make their own minds up.
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