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

One of the crew was Amanda Nguyen - she is actually a trained astrophysicist and a deeply impressive woman who has achieved a lot for women’s rights.

Women can wear whatever they want - make up, hair, whatever. The problem is that for some of these women, that’s really all they’re bringing to this as they’re not astronauts/scientists etc. In contrast, there’s someone like Kellie Gerardi, a celebrated female US astronaut who prides herself on being very feminine - but she backs this up by being a specialist in her field/impressive scientist and not someone tittering about her ‘ass’ with no real reason to be in space.

Agree with PP that making this all women but having celebrities with make up and slimming underwear rather than highly qualified female astronauts makes the whole thing a joke and not a feminist endeavour at all.

It just feels like such a wasted opportunity.

I think you've missed the main point.
But the whole girly 'astronauts' is just vomit inducing

One of them was married to the alleged sex offender Russell Brand, after the first allegations about unacceptable behaviour was made. Hardly someone to admire as some trailblazer for women.

They can dress however the fuck they want. It's the fact that they made the whole thing about being glam and sexy, like that's the only thing women can excel at or it's aspirational.
Women have a hard enough time being taken seriously in stem as it is. This kind of shit just makes it more difficult and it's a backwards step

I saw Katy Perrys ‘speech’ - and ended up thinking ‘what the fuck was she on about?’

cringe 🤢

Where was this being shown? Sounds interesting.

It’s got nothing to do with clothes and makeup, it’s because they are trying to make it sound like this is some massive feminist triumph when it’s basically Barbie in the Dreamhouse.

I love nice things and wearing makeup but don’t pretend I’m doing it for the benefit of womankind.

I would have had more respect if they just said ‘look Laura’s our mate and her boyfriends Bezos and he said we could have a go on his spaceship’. That’s basically what happened. Why big it up?

Wasn’t one of the limiting factors for women in space that NASA only had one space walk/external suit for a woman so two women couldn’t go outside a space craft at the same time to fix something if needed?

Nothing to do with celebrity joy rides but correct equipment for women is an issue.

Calling these women 'crew' and 'astronauts' is like saying anybody who has flown in a plane to Spain on holiday is a pilot.

You'll make yourself look a twat and it's insulting to the people who actually have qualified as pilots.

They then added layers of awfulness with the whole ass and glam bollocks.

It would be funny if it wasn't for the fact it's awful for women; they've actively reinforced stereotypes that women need tits, arse and rich boyfriends to be successful.

Today is a bad day for women.

I'm a primary school teacher when I first heard about an all female space crew I got excited about telling the girls in my class about this and wanted to show them what they could be.

I then found out the truth.

A fucking hope they don't watch this.

I can already hear daughters of multi billionaires pleading with their daddies that they want to do the same for their birthday!

DH Just read out the quotes from each woman - fucking embarrassing. Perry started singing?! Oh come on now.

DH, 17yo DS & I all agree this is performative bullshit that does nothing positive for women whatsoever.

Agree that such issues need addressing, but I don't think anyone will be venturing outside the ISS in Lauren Sanchez's "flattering and sexy" design!

As others have mentioned, the film Hidden Figures features 3 talented women who many decades ago battled various forms of discrimination. They broke down barriers to achieve at high levels in their fields.

@ChardonnaysBeastlyCat

Can't remember where I read it, but apparently this was Bezos' girlfriend's hen do. Apparently getting married in Venice where the superyaughts have taken over

Katy Perry was cringe worthy, all that nonsense and kissing the ground. I noticed that there was a carpet so she didn't actually touch the earth.

Apparently Lady Gaga tweeted that she'd had longer farts ...

Selfish, think what pollution it caused, global warming, just for fun and the money that could have helped girls less fortunate than them.

It's a PR stunt. Simple as that. It says nothing big to young girls, women or anyone really.

It's a paid for experience (which they probs got free for the PR)

This isnt science but the prep for Real Housewives of Outer Space. Valentina Tereshkova will be rolling over in her grave.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/apr/13/no-union-and-forget-staff-toilet-breaks-but-hey-at-least-bezos-can-buy-venice-for-his-wedding

It actually makes women look ridiculous!

Whenever I read about stuff like this I just think about schools, hospitals etc that could benefit from all this money.

Wha was Katy Perry on about with all that about how much love was inside her?! I thought maybe she was a bit hypoxic

It’s the new “spa day” for rich folk