# Are Katy Perry's words after Manchester attack being misrepresented? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 24, 2017, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-katy-perrys-words-after-manchester-attack-being-misrepresented/787352 "2017-05-24T18:06:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Covfefe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ee7513/32.png) [@Covfefe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covfefe)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-katy-perrys-words-after-manchester-attack-being-misrepresented/787352/1 "2017-05-24T18:06:37Z")
> **[Listen to Katy Perry's ridiculous response to the Manchester terror attack](https://www.theblaze.com/news/2017/05/24/listen-to-katy-perrys-ridiculous-response-to-the-manchester-terror-attack)** > > Social media mocked pop singer Katy Perry for politicizing the terror attack Monday night in Manchester, England, and using the horrific event to promote a liberal agenda. > "You know I can't really tell anyone else how they should feel but I just feel... This site among other places is accusing her of politicizing the attack. When I read and listen to her quote, I don’t interpret it that way at all. Maybe because she used the words “borders” and coexist" in the same sentence, some are running with this. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-katy-perrys-words-after-manchester-attack-being-misrepresented/787352/2 "2017-05-24T18:33:23Z")
I think the accusation of her politicizing it “for a left-wing agenda” is baseless, and said accusation itself is what I see as politicizing it. However, I don’t disagree with the derision for what I would call her “rainbows and unicorns” suggestion of unity, love, and co-existence. Those are fine goals, but not realistically attainable. It’s trite to trot them out and doesn’t add anything worthwhile to the discussion. It just makes her seem blind to reality. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-katy-perrys-words-after-manchester-attack-being-misrepresented/787352/3 "2017-05-24T18:38:11Z")
Borders don’t have to be political. They can be, like, in your mind and heart, man. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-katy-perrys-words-after-manchester-attack-being-misrepresented/787352/4 "2017-05-24T18:41:00Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > Those are fine goals, but not realistically attainable. It’s trite to trot them out and doesn’t add anything worthwhile to the discussion. It just makes her seem blind to reality. She’s a pop singer, not Madeleine Albright. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-katy-perrys-words-after-manchester-attack-being-misrepresented/787352/5 "2017-05-24T18:41:39Z")
When I read what she said, my brain hurt. Like, literally hurt. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-katy-perrys-words-after-manchester-attack-being-misrepresented/787352/6 "2017-05-24T18:45:30Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > When I read what she said, my brain hurt. Like, literally hurt. You know, like, I know, right? Also, who cares what Katy Perry says about anything? ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-katy-perrys-words-after-manchester-attack-being-misrepresented/787352/7 "2017-05-24T18:47:51Z")
You can tell when a site is trying hard to make someone look poorly by leaving all the ums, likes, uhs and other vocal tics in their quote. Perry’s thoughts may qualify as somewhat trite but I don’t see anything to get offended over. And you must be seriously hard up for some righteous outrage to give a shit about what a pop singer said about global terrorism anyway. Shit, it’s not even like Bono where this stuff is his bread and butter it’s just one pop singer being asked primarily because she shares the same audience demographic as Grande had at her show. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-katy-perrys-words-after-manchester-attack-being-misrepresented/787352/8 "2017-05-24T18:53:43Z")
Would there be anything left if one took out all the verbal ticks? ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-katy-perrys-words-after-manchester-attack-being-misrepresented/787352/9 "2017-05-24T18:59:16Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Would there be anything left if one took out all the verbal ticks? \*You know, I can’t really tell anyone else how they should feel but I just feel devastated. The thing of it is, besides all the weird stuff that goes around on the internet – which is sometimes a great place but an absolute underbelly mob pit of horribleness – I think that the greatest thing that we can do now is just unite as people, as fan bases, all of it. Because I think [that] whatever we say behind people’s backs – because the internet can be a little bit ruthless as far as fan bases go – but I think that the greatest thing we could do is just unite and love each other [with] no barriers, no borders. We all need to just co-exist.\* Again, a bit trite but nothing worth getting your undies twisted over. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-katy-perrys-words-after-manchester-attack-being-misrepresented/787352/10 "2017-05-24T19:18:25Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > When I read what she said, my brain hurt. Like, literally hurt. It feels like a tiny suicide bomber, you know, like, went off in \*my \*head. Though \*\*Jophiel \*\*has a point about the article including all her vocal tics. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-katy-perrys-words-after-manchester-attack-being-misrepresented/787352/11 "2017-05-24T19:23:49Z")
If you’re quoting someone, you have to be careful about editing stuff out. You might change “cuz” to “because”, but when you start literally taking things out it can get dicey. Anyway, I don’t see anything controversial in her little yack-fest. I guess people are always looking to be offended these days. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-katy-perrys-words-after-manchester-attack-being-misrepresented/787352/12 "2017-05-24T19:36:33Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > You can tell when a site is trying hard to make someone look poorly by leaving all the ums, likes, uhs and other vocal tics in their quote. > > Perry’s thoughts may qualify as somewhat trite but I don’t see anything to get offended over. And you must be seriously hard up for some righteous outrage to give a shit about what a pop singer said about global terrorism anyway. Shit, it’s not even like Bono where this stuff is his bread and butter it’s just one pop singer being asked primarily because she shares the same audience demographic as Grande had at her show. (underline added) Which demographics are you referring to? Donut lickers? _I-hate-America_ pop-singers? Who’s trying hard to make Perry “look poorly”? There is an audio track. She said what she said. There doesn’t appear to be any misrepresentation. Of course, Perry would sound smarter/more intelligent if she hired someone to speak for her. Actions vs deeds. Perry vs the real world. Everyone should have private bodyguards, and live behind the walls of a gated community or home. Only to feel safe from their fans, of course. Terrorists, OTOH, should be allowed to freely cross borders whenever they feel like it. ---
**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-katy-perrys-words-after-manchester-attack-being-misrepresented/787352/13 "2017-05-24T19:39:48Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > I think the accusation of her politicizing it “for a left-wing agenda” is baseless, and said accusation itself is what I see as politicizing it. However, I don’t disagree with the derision for what I would call her “rainbows and unicorns” suggestion of unity, love, and co-existence… I agree and most references to it I’ve seen seem to be more mocking her for being naive, than criticizing her for ‘politicizing’ it. Even the linked article says she’s being criticized on social media for ‘politicizing’ but the examples they give seem to just mock her apparent naivety, with also the additional theme of elites who don’t actually have to face life without body guards, private jets, etc. OK those elites if entertainment people are almost all left leaning, but the theme nowadays is often more populist v (claimed to be) out-of-touch elites than textbook left v. right. And that’s also what I can see people taking at offense at. I personally don’t care much what Katy Perry thinks, while also being willing to assume she means well even in such a ridiculously naive response. But in general I can see the people who actually have to deal with the negative side effects of globalization (attacks like this are related in a way) being pissed at those insulated from those negative effects when they advocate more open borders as the solution, often from a presumed position of moral superiority. While this story itself is trivial, that general point is more relevant to the Democratic Party’s recent political problems in the US, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-katy-perrys-words-after-manchester-attack-being-misrepresented/787352/14 "2017-05-24T19:40:33Z")
I think Perry’s words fall under the “Easy to say, let’s see you actually do it” category. It reminds me of ardent pacifists, who live in a safe country. Easy to say, “No military, no war, no fighting” - when you are not facing any direct enemy threat. Someone once said - a pacifist is someone who feels righteous self-superiority in being pacifist, while getting to enjoy the luxury of being defended and protected by people who are not pacifist - (something to that effect.) I feel that folks like Perry are the same - they get to sound great and philosophical by saying “no borders” - while enjoying the protection of borders (i…e, gated community). ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-katy-perrys-words-after-manchester-attack-being-misrepresented/787352/15 "2017-05-24T19:46:53Z")
What does she mean by “fan bases”? Mylie Cyrus’s fans vs. hers? Or Isis fans vs. the rest of the world? ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-katy-perrys-words-after-manchester-attack-being-misrepresented/787352/16 "2017-05-24T20:06:05Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > Which demographics are you referring to? Donut lickers? _I-hate-America_ pop-singers? Females between the age of something and something else. > [@](#): > > Who’s trying hard to make Perry “look poorly”? Well, currently The Blaze is in a righteous tizzy about it. Must be a slow news day. Good Lord, she’s not even honestly advocating for no geographic borders. She’s saying to love people no matter where they’re from. Some people are just desperate for something to whine and bitch about. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-katy-perrys-words-after-manchester-attack-being-misrepresented/787352/17 "2017-05-24T20:28:27Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > What does she mean by “fan bases”? > > Mylie Cyrus’s fans vs. hers? Or Isis fans vs. the rest of the world? I think she’s embroiled in some kind of internet/social media ruffa-row with Taylor Swift. Maybe in their world and perspective that’s a big thing. Like the song and dance gangs in West Side Story. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-katy-perrys-words-after-manchester-attack-being-misrepresented/787352/18 "2017-05-24T20:46:48Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > Also, who cares what Katy Perry says about anything? Several people have expressed this sentiment, but I don’t agree with it. By all rights we s_houldn’t_ have to care what pop singers say. But unfortunately it’s pretty obvious that there are many people who do care what they say. That’s why they’re constantly being enlisted in support of various causes. Like it or not, they have influence. And once they have influence, then they have an impact on the world, even on people who personally assign little value to their views. It might be unfortunate that people like this have more influence than people of far greater intelligence and understanding. But they do, that’s just the way it is. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-katy-perrys-words-after-manchester-attack-being-misrepresented/787352/19 "2017-05-24T20:59:49Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Anyway, I don’t see anything controversial in her little yack-fest. I guess people are always looking to be offended these days. I think today, specifically, some people are trying to divert attention from the less-than-adequate response President Trump made to the attack. ---
**Author:** ![TwoCarrotSnowman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/twocarrotsnowman/32/15879_2.png) [@TwoCarrotSnowman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwoCarrotSnowman)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-katy-perrys-words-after-manchester-attack-being-misrepresented/787352/20 "2017-05-24T22:08:40Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > (underline added) > > Which demographics are you referring to? Donut lickers? _I-hate-America_ pop-singers? What’s a “donut licker?” Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-katy-perrys-words-after-manchester-attack-being-misrepresented/787352.md?page=2)