Martha Stewart, the 83-year-old entrepreneur and television personality, has once again proven she is not afraid to join the cultural conversation. This time, she has entered the growing debate over Katy Perry's recent journey to space by seemingly mocking the pop star’s Blue Origin spaceflight in a humorous social media post that has now gone viral.
On Monday, Perry, best known for her string of chart-topping pop anthems and flamboyant stage presence, participated in a high-profile spaceflight aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard spacecraft.
The eleven-minute trip included an all-female crew that featured notable public figures such as journalist Gayle King, television host Lauren Sanchez, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, former NASA engineer Aisha Bowe, and film producer Kerianne Flynn. The event was intended as a symbolic milestone for women in spaceflight and technology.
However, despite the mission’s celebratory framing, it has received a wave of criticism across social media and traditional news outlets. The backlash centers around the flight’s extravagant cost, its perceived lack of scientific purpose, and the growing skepticism over space tourism as a form of elite spectacle rather than meaningful exploration.
Amid the criticism, Stewart joined the conversation with a post that many fans and observers took as a subtle but unmistakable dig at Perry. On Friday, Stewart shared a clip on her Instagram account from a 2007 episode of her former talk show, in which she experienced weightlessness aboard a Boeing 727 G-Force One aircraft.
In the video, Stewart can be seen floating through the cabin while narrating her experience of zero gravity. To accompany the clip, Stewart added a voiceover saying she had experienced "what astronauts feel when they reach zero gravity," and she wrote the now-infamous first line from Perry’s hit song "Firework" above the video: "Do you ever feel like a plastic bag drifting through the wind?"
The post’s caption further fueled speculation that Stewart was throwing shade at Perry’s spaceflight, reading, "In case you spaced out in 2007, Martha has always been ahead of her time."
The reaction from fans was immediate and enthusiastic. Commenters praised Stewart for her humor and timing, with many seeing her post as a lighthearted, yet pointed jab at the Blue Origin mission.
One user commented, "The drag we needed!" Another wrote, "Martha. Goddess of dinner parties and memes." Others described the post as "expert trolling" and celebrated Stewart for reminding the public of her own zero-gravity experience years before celebrity spaceflights became fashionable.
A number of comments also compared Stewart’s video to Gayle King’s post-flight remarks, in which the CBS Mornings host drew a parallel between their trip and the historic mission of Alan Shepard, the first American to travel to space in 1961.
One fan replied, "I don’t remember Martha ever calling herself an astronaut," highlighting the perceived absurdity of such comparisons.
While Stewart’s post was the most recent addition to the growing list of critiques, she is far from the only celebrity weighing in on the controversial Blue Origin journey. Over the past few days, a number of high-profile entertainers and public figures have used their platforms to express skepticism, sarcasm, and even disgust about the nature of the trip and the message it sends to the public.
Actress Olivia Wilde shared a meme of Katy Perry exiting the Blue Origin capsule, captioned, "Getting off a commercial flight in 2025." The post was widely shared, with Wilde later commenting, "Billion dollars bought some good memes I guess," implying that the trip served more as social media fodder than a historic breakthrough.
Comedian Amy Schumer also joined the fray, joking on Instagram that she had been invited to join the crew at the last minute. Schumer’s parody post included a photoshopped image of her in an astronaut suit, captioned with mock excitement about "floating with my sisters in space."
Her post, though clearly comedic, added to the sense that many saw the spaceflight as performative rather than substantive. Model and actress Emily Ratajkowski expressed a more serious critique in a TikTok video that quickly went viral. Sitting in front of a blank backdrop, Ratajkowski spoke directly to the camera, saying, "That’s end time s---."
She continued, "Like, this is beyond parody. You say that you care about Mother Earth, and it’s about Mother Earth, and you go up in a spaceship that is built and paid for by a company that is single-handedly destroying the planet. Look at the state of the world and think about how many resources went into putting these women into space. For what? I'm disgusted."
Actress Olivia Munn also voiced her disapproval during a recent appearance on a daytime talk show. Speaking candidly, she said, "I know this is probably obnoxious, but, like, it's so much money to go to space, you know? And there's a lot of people who can't even afford eggs."
She continued, "What's the point? Is it historic that you guys are going on a ride? I think it's a bit gluttonous. Space exploration was to further our knowledge and to help mankind. What are they gonna do up there that has made it better for us down here?"
Pop star Kesha also appeared to reference the spaceflight in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, where she shared a selfie drinking from a Wendy’s cup with a mischievous smile. Earlier that day, the fast-food chain had responded to a post stating "Katy Perry has returned from space" with the comment, "Can we send her back?"
Despite the mounting criticism, the women involved in the Blue Origin flight have defended their participation and the broader mission. During a press conference held the day after their return, Gayle King dismissed the backlash as uninformed and shortsighted.
"Anybody that's criticizing it doesn't really understand what is happening here," King said. "We can all speak to the response we're getting from young women, from young girls about what this represents."
Lauren Sanchez, who is also known for her relationship with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and her leadership within Blue Origin, responded emotionally to the criticism.
"I get really fired up," she said. "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. They love their work, and they love the mission. And it's a big deal for them."
Sanchez added, "So when we hear comments like that, I just say, 'Trust me. Come with me. I'll show you what this is about, and it's, it's really eye-opening.'"
As the conversation unfolds online and across media platforms, the Blue Origin spaceflight has sparked an increasingly polarized debate over the future of space tourism, the ethics of high-cost ventures, and the way such experiences are portrayed to the public. While proponents argue that the mission marks a symbolic step forward for women in aerospace and private-sector innovation, critics view it as a lavish distraction from pressing issues on Earth.
For her part, Katy Perry has remained mostly silent amid the firestorm of commentary. Known for her playful personality and willingness to lean into controversy, Perry has neither confirmed nor denied whether she feels stung by the jokes and criticisms.
Her social media has remained largely focused on promotional material for her music and upcoming performances, suggesting she may be avoiding direct engagement with the backlash.
Yet the incident has opened up wider discussions about celebrity, technology, privilege, and the role of spectacle in modern society. In an age where wealth can purchase access to experiences once reserved for national heroes and scientific pioneers, many are left asking whether space has become just another stage for performance and self-promotion.
Meanwhile, Martha Stewart’s post has remained up, gaining thousands of likes and comments by the hour. While she has not explicitly said her post was meant to mock Perry, the timing and choice of quote seem to speak volumes.
Whether intended as a lighthearted nod to her own gravity-defying experience or a subtle critique of modern celebrity culture, Stewart’s post has reignited the conversation around who gets to go to space, why they go, and what it really means for the rest of us still firmly rooted here on Earth.
