Bezos’ all-female space squad

[ItsCalledAConversation]

All for women breaking boundaries, representation matters, and all that.

But why for the love of god are all the publicity pictures showing these women in pancake makeup and bouffy blow dries, with the commitment shared that they will fly to space in “full glam”?

I’m really uncomfortable with the message this is partially sending. Yes women can go to space, but only if they look perfectly groomed?

Personally, I would have loved to see publicity pictures that focused on these women being serious and capable, not that their highest endeavour was bloody full glam.

And yes I know people can look nice and be clever, that’s not the point I’m making. Something about this feels regressive.

YABU = let them fly as high as their hair, I’m sure there are plugs for their straighteners aboard the Bezos rocket
YANBU = perfect looks don’t inspire future generations, surely there are better things to focus on than maintaining full glam in space

Katy Perry saying they were going to put the ‘ass in astronaut’ really made me cringe. It’s not all that inspiring is it?

I was quite envious until I realised it was 11 minutes and not actually in space and the weightlessness is caused by freefalling vs. lack of gravity.

Tbf, if I'd been married to Russell Brand, I'd want to leave the planet.

13 years since the “Science! It’s a girl thing” and apparently we are not much further forward
https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2012/jun/29/science-girl-thing-viral-fiasco

And link to the video as the Guardian article doesn’t have it any more

Isn’t it in the USA - where men wear shirts and ties and look chiselled and manly and women are coiffed to the nth degree and look a bit robotic?

It's hardly Helen Sharman part 2 is it.

Because he wants to be seen as "supporting " women. It's just an ego boost for him though.

I mean this is all it is, there is an aeroplane that does the same thing.

Yes I saw, it made me feel "icky".

It feels a bit like a collective lap dance for Bezos at zero gravity. I kind of hope they all come back awed and a bit dazed with bit of sick stuck in their hair, but somehow doubt it.

And just when it can’t get any worse…the Kardashians turn up

They are basically an ad for space tourism, nothing more. It's kind of depressing.

He can support women by paying his employees properly and not going to Trumps ‘grab ‘em by the pussy’ inauguration.

Sending his girlfriend and her mates on a space hen night isn’t it.

Plus Katy Perry need to spend time explaining why she recorded an album with a known sex abuser and less time worrying about what her arse looks like in a space suit.

Hidden Figures is a brilliant film, one of my favourites. Those women were awesome.
I also recommend the 2024 film "The Six Triple Eight" about the first and only women's army corps unit of colour during the second World War. Kerry Washington is fantastic in it, I was watching it on my own, but I was punching the air and going "Yes! You go, girl!!" in a couple of scenes 😂

Edited to add that I'm aware that I do get very invested in films!

The cost, waste and focus on this has really pissed me off, far more than when Musk spunks money on space games which has surprised me.
I think it’s the attempt to make it seem like so worthy step forward for women rather than the publicity stunt and pissing contest for billionaires that it is.
Just thinking about the good that all that money, energy and attention could have on the world at the moment but instead we’re expected to celebrate spandex in space 🙄

"Perry says she plans to “sing in space” during the flight. You can only hope for her fellow passengers that it’s her earlier material."

From the Guardian live coverage.

I wish they would stop referring to them as crew when they are clearly passengers in heavy make up and spandex. 🙄

It's a lame publicity stunt. They aren't the first all-female crew (that would be Valentina Tereshkova). They aren't by any meaningful measure going into space - they are passengers on a fully autonomous vehicle doing an 11 minute sub-orbital hop. By contrast Tereshkova did 48 orbits, spent 70 hours in space, and was fully responsible for controlling re-entry and touchdown - in 1963.

And had to reprogram the flight computer after an error sent her higher when she should have descended iirc

Not that this will remotely bother Katy Perry et al, but it's genuinely hard for a British person of a certain age to look at a group of people grinning manically in jumpsuits and not think (a) 'You are now entering the Crystal Dome - let the fans BEGIIIIIIIIIIN!'. Or (b) Five Star.

Yup - agree entirely.

This isn't a scientific trip into space on a SpaceX rocket to the ISS.

This is a pleasure "flight" into the upper atmosphere for people with more money than sense.

This is up there as one of my favourite films of all time.

THESE are women to take inspiration from and aspire to be like.

Yes it's icky, but I can't say I'm surprised by it. Women are rocketing (pun intended) backwards in terms of being taken seriously or valued for anything other than looks. And we are all complicit to a greater or lesser extent given how social media and the beauty industry rules us.

And also ejected from the capsule while still 4 miles above the Earth and parachuted the remainder of the way. Where she was found by some Altaian peasants who helped her out of her space suit and invited her to dinner while she waited for the recovery crew.