Christine Baranski of HBO publicly criticizes Gayle King (CBS) and Katy Perry over Jeff Bezos-funded space flight: “Why wear makeup in outer space?”
During a panel for The Gilded Age, veteran actress Christine Baranski didn’t hold back, calling the all-female Blue Origin flight a “symbol of performative wealth.” Gayle King fired back on CBS, arguing that calling it a “ride” was sexist. Meanwhile, Katy Perry brought her tour setlist and sang “What a Wonderful World” in orbit
Christine Baranski took aim at Gayle King and Katy Perry over their Jeff Bezos-funded trip to space as she sneered at modern corruption.
The Mamma Mia star, 73, addressed the widely-mocked Blue Origin trip to space while speaking on a panel on Monday about her hit HBO show, The Gilded Age.
The actress was making a point about how The Gilded Age gives viewers a glimpse into the huge gap between the nation’s wealthiest and poorest.
‘The grotesque displays of wealth sending women into a spaceship for what? so they can do their makeup? What the f**k?’ Baranski said of the all-female flight into orbit, which also included Bezos’ wife Lauren Sanchez.
‘Don’t get me started,’ Baranski added, exasperated.
The Blue Origin crew was criticized for their flight into orbit, which did not have a scientific purpose.
Gaye King and CBS were also slammed for the gushing and glossy coverage on the network, as it was unclear who – if anyone – footed the bill for the expedition.
Non-celebrities face a $300,000 fare to make the same trip.
Christine Baranski, 73, said the all-female Blue Origin flight to space was ‘grotesque’
Katy Perry, Lauren Sanchez, Gayle King, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, former rocket scientist Aisha Bowe and filmmaker Kerianne Flynn are seen in space
King responded to critics who called the trip a ‘space ride,’ saying it was sexist to describe it in such a way
Bezos got huge exposure for his fledgling space exploration company and was seen opening the capsule door to welcome his friends back to Earth.
Breathtaking footage showed King and other celebrities including Sanchez and Perry screaming while weightless and peering into the vast emptiness of space.
The flight itself lasted just 11 minutes, but there was plenty of build-up to blast-off and excitement after the A-List crew touched back down in West Texas, with CBS alumnus Oprah Winfrey among those waiting to greet the crew.
King responded to critics who called the trip a ‘space ride‘, saying it was sexist to describe it in such a way.
‘They call it a ride, which I find very irritating because they never say men went for a ride,’ King, 70, said.
Responding to accusations that the suborbital flight had no real scientific purpose, King spoke with fellow crewmate, former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe on CBS Mornings.
‘There’s so many things that have been developed in space that benefit Earth… from pharmaceuticals to, like, research on agriculture,’ Bowe said.
Gayle King, seen with former NASA scientist Aisha Bowe, suggested it is sexist to say the all-female Blue Origin crew took a ‘space trip’
And, you know, I paused there because we did research and it was emotional… Part of what I accomplished in my flight was I was looking at the future of being able to produce crops that can withstand harsh environments so we can look at food security here on Earth, and simultaneously, we also were able to certify that device so more people could do research on New Shepard.’
It is unclear what specific research Bowe conducted, but footage of the flight showed the all-female crew floating, marveling at the view, and holding personal items.
Bowe held a small Bahamas flag and pop star Katy Perry carried a daisy and a list of the setlist of her upcoming tour while shrieking the lyrics to Louis Armstrong’s ‘What a Wonderful World’.
King insisted the flight was significant, saying ‘you have never said to a [male] astronaut, “What a ride.” [Don’t] call it a ride.’
She added: ‘It’s called a flight or a journey. A ride implies it’s something frivolous or light hearted. There’s nothing frivolous about what we did.’