Monday’s all-woman Blue Origin joy ride space flight is getting tons of attention… just not in the way its participants were probably expecting. Celebrity passengers Katy Perry and Gayle King, plus the CEO’s fiancee Lauren Sanchez, safely returned to earth full of euphoria and girl-power talking points (despite having flown in quite possibly the world’s most phallic looking rocket). But they experienced a metaphorical crash landing upon reentry as waves of people lambasted the astronomical expense of the trip for a mere 10 minutes in zero gravity, particularly against the backdrop of the fall of the American government. I genuinely believe the backlash has taken the ladies by surprise (whether it should have or not), and their responses so far only further show that they’re completely missing the crux of the outrage:
Gayle King and Lauren Sánchez have clapped back at those criticizing them for participating in the all-female Blue Origin NS-13 mission.
The star-studded team of women — that also included Katy Perry, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, ex-NASA engineer Aisha Bowe, and film producer Kerianne Flynn — became the first all-women crew to visit space since Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova took a solo flight in 1963.
However, celebrities like Amy Schumer, Olivia Wilde, and Olivia Munn appeared less than pleased that the women were participating in the historic space mission and made either opinions known publicly.
King, 70, addressed the criticism hours after landing on the successful 11 minutes in space.
“Anybody that’s criticizing it doesn’t really understand what is happening here,” the journalist told People.
“We can all speak to the response we’re getting from young women from young girls about what this represents.”
The fiancee of Blue Origin founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos also responded to some of those criticisms shortly after the launch and said it only got her more “fired up.”
“I get really fired up. 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,” Sánchez, 55, told the outlet.
“They love their work and they love the mission and it’s a big deal for them.
“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.”
…Blue Origin’s New Shepard 31 launched at 9:30 a.m. from the company’s West Texas base, carrying all six crewmates.
Like with previous space tourism missions, Blue Origin designed a special insignia for the women’s space suits, featuring all their names and a wink to each of their works and ambitions.
It shouldn’t be this hard, right? Olivia Wilde, Olivia Munn and Emily Ratajkowski aren’t criticizing the fact that it was all women, or the fact that literal rocket scientists love the cutting edge work they do. It’s about millionaires and a soon-to-be Mrs. Billionaire aboard a flight that’s brief duration in no way justifies the exorbitant cost and destructive environmental impact. Then add on top of that, the total lack of reading the room as millions and billions of life-saving funds are being wantonly stripped from our federal government, by our federal government. And for Lauren to say, “come meet the Blue Origin employees, they love their work!” is a bit rich. I wish a reporter had followed up with, “obviously not including the 10% who were just laid off, among them heavily-degreed, wicked smart women.” Frankly, I think there’d be much more public goodwill towards an all-women flight of Blue Origin’s own engineers, getting to enjoy the fruits of their labor. Or, you know, you could take the cost of the space flights and pay all the Blue Origin and Amazon employees better salaries, but that would be crazy, I guess.
Lastly, this comment from Gayle: “Anybody that’s criticizing it doesn’t really understand what is happening here.” With all due respect, anybody who’s offended by the criticism doesn’t really understand what is happening HERE, on planet earth.
Photos credit: Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Avalon, Jeffrey Mayer/Avalon and via Instagram
Sorry Gayle, but this vanity project doesn’t “represent” anything. It would have been 1000x more impactful if the women who actually helped to build this rocket had been on this flight, not a popstar, a journalist with NO background in science or space travel and the CEO’s fiancée.
This is all so dumb and if they’re genuinely surprised by the backlash, they are even more out of touch than I could have ever imagined.
Yes, gayle is dead to me. They’re all awful. We know Lauren and Katie but the rest are gone.
This! If they wanted to send Gayle along with the female astronauts for publicity some people would still have a problem, but many would still note an all female space crew is monumental. But this is just a billionaire flex on the backs of female scientists. First all female dick measuring contest?
It’s not a “crew”, they didn’t man the flight in any way. They are passengers.
This was plain and simple, an expensive stunt. They are part of the joke and don’t realize it. It was all Bezos idea; they were used.
It was absolutely a stunt and it is sad that either they don’t get it or refuse to get it. Their disingenuous responses are rich, as Kismet said.
“With all due respect, anybody who’s offended by the criticism doesn’t really understand what is happening HERE, on planet earth.” Preach, Kismet!
If it represents anything, it is that there will always be women who are willing to be used like tokens, there will always be women who think they have accomplished something because of who they know, date, etc.
Most women and girls understand that hard work and education is devalued now, but if you are willing to suck up to the monsters, you can don a tight little blue suit and be advertisement for the monsters.
They just sat and looked out the window and then flew around in in zero gravity with their little trinkets.
And have your make up perfect and your hair styled.
Not going to cheer someone on for being a passenger in a rocket, because that’s all they were. And a ton of fuel and carbon was expended on this stunt. So any arguments about making Earth better are dead.
Maybe. It does make me sad though that people aren’t recognizing Amanda Nguyen. She’s done absolutely breathtaking work for survivors of sexual assault, and gave up her astronaut dreams to do so.
What’s going on here is that The celebrity space ride passengers are all high above the rest of us
Fantastic post. Thank you.
Thank you for correctly referring to these women as “passengers,” and not “crew.” They played no part in the operation of the aircraft. Referring to them as “crew” like so many media outlets are doing is an absolute joke.
Oh, human blow-up doll and plastic surgery experiment gone amok, we understand EXACTLY what is going on. Bezos’s vast wealth, years of getting away with anything unchallenged/unchecked and white privilege have caused him to lose the plot. He thinks he has bought a president who is systematically and deliberately destroying the country. Amazon is deliberately helping to destroy the postal system for mango, especially in rural areas. How many times has Bezos boasted about deliberately tormenting his employees? How many WAPA employees have left rather than bow to biased tabloid journalism? Boycott Bezos owned companies with the same energy Tesla is being boycotted!
Just wondering Lauren, do Blue Origin’s employees actually get bathrooms breaks as opposed to Amazon employees?
Gayle referred to herself as an astronaut which is quite insulting to the women who have spent decades in training some who have died. You paid to take a 10 minute joy ride. Let’s not pretend it’s anything more than that. This was not empowering. No one on board was operating that capsule. Jeff Bezos will present a stylish videos with these idiots in it to court more investors and get more rich idiots to pay $100k or more for a space ride.
They will pay, until the first time one goes kaBOOM.
Astronaut (and feminist) cosplay…. embarrassing and an insult to women engineers and astronauts everywhere.
💯
Completely agree.
I thought this daily beast headline said what I was thinking better than I could:
“Lauren Sanchez in Space was Marie Antoinette in a Penis-shaped Rocket”.
With this country spiraling down the drain and dragging the world with it, this expensive stunt fell absolutely flat for me. Tone deaf.
These are not role models for young women. If I had a daughter, I would use this as a teachable moment. Greed and plastic surgery are not the way to go. That feeding hungry children is more important than space tourism.
Nope I don’t have time to go see his hobby. If I want to see real astronauts and employees I will go take a NASA tour. He can take his phalic rockets and shove them where the sun don’t shine.
Like it or not Gayle and two plastic women you just aligned yourself fully with MAGA and everything horrific that is happening to soo many in this country and the world and to all living Beings due to your greed and Katie’s desperation to be relevant. Well done
I refuse to accept that any of these women are so dumb they can’t understand the pointed criticism and address that.
They’re just avoiding the harsh reality. Just weaponized ignorance.
The issue is the pathological need for these passengers to try and get attention or admiration for doing nothing more than paying enough to be on a flight. Privatization of the government has started, and if they are too thick to realize this little stunt was arranged to help those efforts along, education has failed them all. Get therapy and give it a rest – we the people call BS.
OMG. I said this about the Trayvon Martin jury who was out to lunch and literally declared open season on American citizens with their shit verdict:
They need to stop talking. Not one more fucking word! You screwed up. Stop gaslighting us!
The space flight served no purpose except promo for Jeff Bezos, a billionaire. They don’t get that with everything that’s going on in the world, this looks frivolous and tone deaf.
@amy bee and the best promo of all was when Bezos was running all around the landed capsule and he tripped and fell in his face in the dirt. Google it if you get a chance you won’t regret it!
New York Post YouTube link but here it is, enjoy!
https://youtu.be/78aJ7DJdFjk?si=vcvU-EuQ24p_p1VB
This has nothing to do with the masses belittling women and they know it. Sánchez the Joker is trying to gaslight us and it’s not going to work.
These passengers on a flight to nowhere could collectively be advocating for those in need but instead they put on bodysuits, full hair and makeup and embarrassed themselves. Let’s be for real.
That is all they did. I found the whole thing off-putting and the financial investment useless, serving no purpose.
I have yet to hear a coherent response to why ‘rich people space tourism’ is something to applaud.
Just a lot of deflection and word salad.
And young girls have REAL female astronauts and scientists to look up to. Women who did and do the real work.
They literally think that they’re heroes for going on what is essentially an amusement park slingshot ride for rich people.
Space is not your f–king Petit Trianon, you pointless, self-indulgent parasites.
Yes!! If they really wanted to feel the anti-gravity then take a vomit comet because that’s what real astronauts use to get the feel of working in no gravity and those have been around for a long time.
Exactly! Thank you Miranda!
Petit Trianon is the perfect reference.
Gayle’s participation in this farce really disappoints me. Oprah, according to several reports was the person who persuaded Gayle to go so that bothers me too. I really thought O had better judgment and more sense than to coax a friend into participating in
Bolt-on-almost-Bezos’ stunt.
Oprah–who gave us Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz and peddled bullshit like “The Secret” has good judgement?
🎯 😂
She has shown questionable judgement for quite some time as you point out.
I´ll agree with criticsm of all passengers but one – Amanda Nguyen. I encourage everyone to research her. I cried when I read what she had taken with her as zero-G indicators. The others, in particular blowjob Barbie doll (no offense to Barbie) and Katy, can kick rocks.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DIekpkMvRBp/?img_index=1
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/mar/05/i-screamed-the-world-listened-how-astronaut-amanda-nguyen-survived-rape-fight-for-other-victims
Agreed, reading her story brought me to tears yesterday. I’m glad she was able to experience her dream and bring more awareness to the sexual assault legislation she’s worked on.
Lauren can drink through a straw without opening her mouth. Now THAT’S talent lol.
Lauren’s made of silicone from the ankles up. I’m surprised her inner tube lips and triple D’s didn’t blow up in zero gravity…
Somewhat OT: this is the first picture of seen of Sanchez without her face being filtered or photoshopped, and it’s not….what i expected?
Amy S., Emily R., Olivia M, and Olivia W. Usually do not inhabit the same gossip news. So, surprising as this might be, they are absolutely right: You do not do this saying it’s empowering women.
Jeff B. And his fiancee, Laren S., attended a certain president’s inauguration. This president has worked diligently at taking women’s reproductive, voting, and employment rights away. B. is well-known for his terrible treatment of workers at Amazon, and not being as generous as his ex-wife. He’s also made his newspaper, WaPo, align with a dictator.
In the meantime, a bunch of women in a phallic spacecraft, who have famously gotten a spiffy outfit and glam treatment, who travelled at great cost to the environment and great cost period, who did not even do a slew of physics experiments and tricky math problems while away from earth, do not get praise for space tourism. Just ew, yuck, and no.
At a time when Bezos’ paid-for government is literally removing information about the first all-female crews from DOD websites, we’re supposed to celebrate this billionaire joy ride?
This is so disturbing.
Their participation seems more like an act of complicity.
“We can all speak to the response we’re getting from young women from young girls about what this represents.”
So SPEAK it! What are they telling you? What does it represent to them? Down here on earth, we have no idea what these young women are supposedly saying to you. I, for one, don’t believe anyone is thanking you for this. It’s quite plain you are not doing anything for real astronauts, men or women.
And Gayle King — sheeshus. She’s “disappointed” and “sad.” Honestly, she sounds like Trump. For real. Disappointed in whom? The people who are criticizing her? How patronizing. We are not wayward children for you to be disappointed with. The criticism is absolutely legit. How about look at yourself and take an honest assessment? How about taking IN the feedback?
I have granddaughters who are young women. Their comment; who’s idea was the matching skin tight body suits that left nothing to the imagination and restricted breathing?
“And Gayle King — sheeshus. She’s “disappointed” and “sad.” Honestly, she sounds like Trump. For real. Disappointed in whom? The people who are criticizing her? How patronizing. We are not wayward children for you to be disappointed with. The criticism is absolutely legit. How about look at yourself and take an honest assessment? How about taking IN the feedback?”
That was so well said. I can’t express myself that well in written form so thank you for saying what was in my head.
Someone on the clock app said this was done to give Sanchez a improved image besides being the side piece party girl keeping up with the mid life crisis loser. The 1st Mrs Bezos is out here just making sure the world is a better place after she is done by giving away those billions.
I believe this theory bc Sanchez really is shook at the response.
If I were Mackenzie, I’d give away the same amount it costs for one ticket on Blue Origen to organizations that promote girls in STEM, and then volunteer to read to children about real female astronauts and scientists. Invite lots of press.
But she seems super mature, where as I am not. Haha
HAHAHAHAAAhahaha !!! This would be awesome! 🎯
Excellent idea @Aj. Doing something actually positive and productive is Mackenzie’s wheelhouse, and this billionaire suck up, all female cheer club crowd can naff off with their self professed “empowerment”! It is nothing of the kind, and anyone with eyes can see it for what it is in reality. A bunch of privileged pick me girls, apart of course from Amanda Nguyen.
Imagine a US Tour of schools to encourage girls to learn how to code? Wait, that is hard work. Put your money where it counts, in the community.
She isn’t physically able to close her lips.
There is a fair amount of sites claiming they never went up. One of the major things they show is the capsule and Bozos and a woman standing outsIDE and you see the hatch door being opened from the inside and the woman pulling it back shut. Then Bozo goes to use a tool to open it, when the door easily opens, you can him and the woman laughing and saying “ I guess she didn’t close it back up. I mean would anyone be surprised if it was faked?
Meet their employeees?
Well, I happen to arrive back in Seattle last night from visiting family in El Paso. We were stuck in line briefly while the crew attended to a matter that disrupted boarding for a few minutes. Several people in line were wearing Blue Origin merch and one person in front of my family talked about being allowed to have an item on the rocket under someone’s seat. My kids overhead it and were like “oh cool” (not overly impressed).
A few moments later after the delay went on longer than what seemed normal, he started talking about some scary air mishap where apparently everyone else but him “sh!t their pants”. Not cool to say in front of nervous fliers. Especially when it happens to include kids. To be fair, they don’t know if he was a direct employee or a contractor or whatever but still. Didn’t make them look great.
At any rate, we’re all kinda busy watching our investments tank, but — yeah — first chance we get we’ll run over and talk to the Blue Origin employees about THEIR jobs. If it’s anything like Amazon, we’ll get an earful.
I can’t get past her face…WTH is wrong with her face….Did that happen while she was up there for 10 minutes….I mean Damn….
I know, right? Painful. It just looks grotesquely painful.
Did she get bucchal fat removal or did zero g do that. My god she looks frightful.
This really was a wasteful vanity project. Before the flight the Sanchez was quoted talking about their makeup and lashes, getting glammed up for this flight. I’ve seen a lot of the criticism about this trip and a lot of it is very much spot on. This faux feminism and outrage from people like Gayle King and Lauren because they’re not being praised while women scientists are being fired from NASA, women astronauts are bring erased from NASA websites and science funding is being cancelled. But Katy Perry released her set list from Space and kissed the ground. We can all rest assured that women’s rights are restored. NOT. This was advertising for Space tourism, to enrich Jeff Bezos, who while owning the Washington Post decides democracy is optional while dependent on getting government contracts from the Trump administration.
The only scientific value I see in this vanity space trip is. Silicone, face fillers and Botox do not explode in space. So, there is that. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
It’s about the privatization of government. Fire the NASA scientists, make them beg for work from Bezos.
This is g0d danm baloney.
The only thing that got them to this lane is money and connections.
It is a raging embarrassment and by no means empowering to all the educated technical women out there who have been busting their ass to work to this kind of accomplishment.
The best part of this whole thing was Bezos falling on his face looking for the door when the pod landed.
A fitting end to a useless endeavor.
I have been so mad about the incredible waste of fuel, resources, pollution, etc., of this vanity project. This stunt cost probably $70+ million. Imagine what that money could do for our society, pick a cause! Of maybe Jeff Bezos could just pay his taxes. Imagine that! Gayle King, please stop, we have seen women astronauts doing real research in space. Little girls will look up to that, you are inspiring no one. Lauren Sanchez, no one is doubting that there are hard working Blue Origin employees. We are eye-rolling your “dress-up like an astronaut day”, and wasting the hard working employee’s time. Everything Kismet said, 100%.
I’m in the minority here. But I do agree that the employees have put their hard work into building this. People criticize or laugh at this now but Tech(no matter whos leading it) is evolving so fast no matter what the political climate it is (which is scary right now). I remembered sitting with friends at a diner and the person next to us showing his buddies how to stream a live game. What did his buddies do – They laughed at him asking him who would want to watch a game like that. Now Streaming is all over the place. Time goes by so fast too, the next thing you know the world is changing with AI and autonomous cars all over the place.
Umm, you aren’t a minority here. In fact people aren’t criticizing workers or “tech”; it’s the opposite to what you are saying,
People are decrying the sad state of people joyriding for fame and attention while pretending to be noble about it. That makes the whole exercise a waste of money and brain talent. And yeah, public money and resources went into financing Bezos’ billions.
The stunt is embarrassing at best.
IMO, There’s a bit criticism of the overall resources and project itself. If one of the engineers read some of the posts they don’t see much positivity of their work.