Most of us know that Katy Perry was raised in conservative, evangelical household. Her parents, Mary and Keith, are Pentecostal pastors. They were born again Christians atoning for a wild youth so they went off the deep end, calling Deviled Eggs “Angeled Eggs” and not allowing anything but gospel music in the home. Katy has discussed her struggles with her parents’ beliefs but still maintains a close enough relationship with them that they pop up in her concert footage and on American Idol, etc. Another subject on which they disagree is politics, Katy’s folks being strong Trump supporters, which shouldn’t surprise anyone who’s been paying attention. Following the election, Katy was one of the first celebrities to start talking about “reaching across the aisle,” starting with our own families. On November 8, she posted this:
the first thing I did when the presidency was called is text and call my family members who do not agree and tell them I love them and am here for them. #FamilyFirst. Call your family today. Happy Sunday. ♥️
— KATY PERRY (@katyperry) November 8, 2020
I hadn’t seen this tweet before now. I saw a lot of tweets from random people urging non-Trump voters to remember what it felt like four years ago when they lost or to have compassion for the Right, and I simply didn’t have the time for any of it. I’ve voted in plenty of elections in which my candidate didn’t win and the other side never owed me anything. My larger argument is that we, the pro-democracy set, have been forced to watch as crimes, atrocities, injustices, and scandals were committed in front of us every day for four years and we were just told we’d been granted a reprieve. If I had any Trump-voting family member I spoke to, their comfort would be the furthest thing from my mind.
I guess Katy meant it, though, because she recently promoted her father’s new clothing line, Nothing But American t-shirts and hoodies. The idea that Keith is promoting is that he’s tired of our political beliefs dividing us as a nation and we if we all put on these cool new shirts, declaring ourselves an American (symbolized by the flag) and not by our political party, then the country will heal, peace will ring out across the land and Coors Light will once again flow from the Rockies:
DListed graciously transcribed the video already:
“Hey everyone, I’m Keith, and I want to ask you a question. Are you tired of the division that is destroying our country? Are you sick of losing your family and friends because they just don’t agree with your political views? Well, I am. And I know there’s a lot of other people out there that have the same feeling… and no matter what you believe at the end of the day, we are all Americans. And I designed this t-shirt because I want people to know that even though you may have a different religion or political view than I do, I still will be there for you and I still will consider you my friend, my neighbor and my fellow American.”
I’m curious where this cry for unity and repair was when the GOP had all the power.
If you go on to the website, Nothing But American Store dot com, there are four items to choose from, two designs available in either a t-shirt or hoodie (no mention of where the product is made). Republican is listed first on both designs, just fyi. Katy was very active during the election, asking people to vote, reminding people of mail-in cut off dates and telling folks to check their information online. So she wasn’t ambivalent to the outcome of the election. But in her caption to the IG above, she said she and her dad haven’t always see eye to eye. Katy is an LGBTQ ally and her parents’ religion believes homosexuality goes against God. Katy was taught “to pray the gay away” at Jesus camp growing up. If her parents voted for Trump, then they supported his comments about white supremacists being very fine people. They voted for his decision to separate children from their parents and have them locked in cages. They supported the dismantling of healthcare for hundreds of thousands of Americans and the stripping away of affordable and safe healthcare. Are those the issues that Katy is referring to when she used cute emojis to say she and her father don’t see eye to eye? Because it would be hard to cover those things up with a cheap t-shirt.
To try and see Katy’s side, she did just have her first baby and she probably very much wants her whole family around her in this moment. So conciliatory efforts are probably important to her. But they are her efforts, with her family and I wish she’d recognize that. Because the things that Trump stood aren’t a matter of not seeing eye to eye and I will not reach out to anyone who doesn’t acknowledge the pain and suffering they’ve caused by supporting him.
Photo credit: Instagram and Getty
I know my MAGA brother, who really is a cultist, and I think sees Trump as some sort of father figure (he’s really messed up), is suffering. I’m not gonna go into details AGAIN, but I suffered really badly in 2016, and frankly, for his entire term. They mocked me and laughed at me. I’m not a saint. All I can say is: F your feelings.
So, that’s how it goes.
Trump actually reminds me of my dad in all the worst ways, which is why I never liked him. My therapist told me it’s been a common theme among therapist circles – Trumps personality being a trigger for folks who were raised by abusive and narcissist parents. But I could see it being the opposite too – a father figure from whom to gain approval when your own never did. I dunno.
This. My uncle mocked me randomly on vacations at the beach. Calling me snowflake. Saying Brett Kavanagh the rapist should be forgiven knowing my rapist is out there. I’ll move forward but I don’t need to rekindle anything with people who laugh with the rapists. I don’t need people who mock me in their free time. I’m not missing much and have wonderful supportive people in my life with whom I’ll foster my relationship with.
Same!!! My mother — my own mother — defended Kavanaugh and Trump and told me “women lie” when she KNOWS what happened to me and that my boss told me the exact same thing. It is pure cult behavior. No reason or logic, or empathy even for your own child.
I agree completely. F*CK THEIR FEELINGS.
on another note, I think someone already came up with that graphic he’s got on his shirt with the GOP/Dem symbols and the flag. he might be looking at a C&D order and a copyright violation.
but it’s just like a MAGAt to steal a design and pass it off as their own.
It has occurred to me that many people experience the kind of horrible behavior Trump exemplifies in their own families and find it “normal,” which is heartbreaking. But I am also with all of you all who don’t sympathize b/c they have condoned awful violence against so many people.
Clearly her father is using her to grow his business.
That’s how narcissist parents work.
Katy likely sees it as my parents want to be involved with their grand baby.
And they only care about $$$.
I believe she was estranged from them once; I sense another estrangement brewing.
They can believe what they want.
But to monetize it. That’s gross.
For Perry to use her “influence” to drive his sales. That’s gross.
People don’t need to be incited to spend money on useless crap like this that doesn’t begin to repair all the damage done by the outgoing administration. They need to feed themselves and their families.
This is stupid and gross.
We don’t owe trump supporters anything. We especially don’t owe grace to people who were comfortable with us and our fellow Americans losing our rights. It was annoying to see so many Republican pundits say it was the job of Dems to reach across the aisle, but when trump won it was a mandate. They have zero self awareness. I’ll save my empathy for the people who’ve lost their loved ones and their jobs to this mismanaged pandemic thanks.
Katy can agree to disagree with her father to preserve their relationship, but it’s not all our jobs to literally financially support him, who would easily outlaw my best friends marriage if given the chance. Katy has some nerve.
Ain’t!
Fuck their feelings!
Put that on a t-shirt – again.
@Lanie – Where can I buy that T-shirt.
Trash begets trash.
This is not Coke v. Pepsi or Duke v. UNC. Real, live human beings suffered enormously under Cheeto Mussolini for years. Asking us to “show compassion” for and “seek unity” with our tormentors and their supporters is a bridge too damn far. Unless and until they show true remorse and atonement for the damage they have done to our democratic institutions and the people who have been seriously traumatized by this administration, I have nothing but contempt for them. Sorry not sorry.
And here I thought Pepsi just fixed everything…
Yeah sorry not sorry.
I don’t know for you guys but I have zero problem cutting people off my life because of politics. As a matter of facts, I already did and I am happy to have people who have the same values as me in my life.
Me either Angel. No problem at all cutting anyone out of my life, especially right wing Nazi crybabies. I should have dumped them earlier…like during the Obama era because that is when I first noticed how foul they were.
Hecate, Thank you for a wonderful post that sums up my feelings exactly.
I don’t take issue with her trying to reach across to her own family.
However, telling other people they should do that is not cool. As some here have said, their own family members have been downright cruel to them, and if you see someone who is supporting racism, sexism, and all the other horrible things, you are under no obligation to be understanding or reach out.
And it’s extra offensive coming from a privileged, rich, white lady who would’ve been fine regardless of the outcome of the election.
Also, good Lord man, get a shirt that fits if you’re trying to sell shirts.
I noticed that too.
Like, dude, get some self-awareness…
I thought it was Meghan Trainor in the header pic!
Also no, the hypocrisy of the right is sickening. I am reminded of the end of Lord of the Flies when they get rescued and poor Ralph starts to weep. Because although he has been saved, he has now seen the horror and evil of humanity and can never forget it. That’s how it feels now
I was gonna say, are we not mentioning that she has a new face?
Rihanna cut Katy out of her life years ago. Rihanna was onto something
Hell no. The shirts are stupid and ugly, for one. Also not here for any centrist bullshit. People who voted for trump are wrong and they did a bad thing. They should not be rewarded and their ideology should not be welcomed. I hope every last one of them is haunted by their poor decisions for the rest of their lives.
The problem I have with all this talk of unity from Democrats is that a lot of Republicans and Trump supporters don’t *want* unity. Unity means making concessions in negotiations, unity means treating your political opponents as decent human beings, unity means listening to those on the other side of the aisle, unity means conceding an election you didn’t win.
A lot of Republican politicians and diehard Trump voters aren’t doing any of those things. They don’t want unity. They want power.
EXACTLY!!
And it’s always on the Democrats to “reach out and understand” the Republicans, when they NEVER do the reverse. None of trump’s supporters have any interest in why we were opposed to him and all his miserable cronies. They don’t care.
Obama tried that, and the results were predictably awful. The republicans bring guns to snowball fights. There is no reason to trust them, even if they were to reach out – which they are not doing and will never do.
So because Trump lost her dad is promoting t shirts that seem like they are saying people should have no political beliefs? Enlightened centrism of the privileged in action.
Dude. The problem isn’t who people are voting for, it’s what they *believe*. I will never be friends with MAGAts, the people who voted to continue putting children in cages, who preferred a rapist to a stateswoman, who supported the racism and nastiness that is trump.
It’s absolute privilege to pretend this was just about winning or losing, it was literally life or death for many.
I mean…anyone else bothered by the “Founding Father” thing? If that isn’t an implied political lean, I don’t know what is.
At this point it reminds me more of the Purge movies than anything. Ugh.
After the last four years, and what’s going on this very second, I’ll hang onto my personal disgust with half of America. I’ll not go gently.
I can understand and be civil toward people with different political beliefs. When it comes to human rights issues? Absolutely not. Nearly half the people we live among voted for hatred, racism, sexism, deceit, and death AGAIN. I want nothing to do with those people and don’t mind telling them so.
Katie, this isn’t it. Grow up and get a clue, no one wants to “make amends” with deranged cult members who hate POC, LGBT and everyone different from them.
Her relevancy is slipping anyway
Trump ❤️🤍💙
Promoting her dad’s business is very telling. It’s not just oh I’m trying to support my dad’s venture. No, this is the beginning of Katy going back to her roots. She has a kid now and will likely find herself aligning more with her family than she has publicly in the past. Watch, she’ll consider herself more Independent than Dem before long and will slowly move to Republican. I’ve just never been a fan. There’s just a level of fakeness to me about her.
Exactly! She’s always come across as so fake to me. I don’t understand how other people don’t see it.
It’s the wealth. Money changes everything because when you start realizing economic justice is the only way to fix a lot of things, you’re not so fond of the taxes that follow.