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

I only found out today that she's still alive! Her candid opinion would be interesting.

What? Damn, good for her.

it was an educated guess! 😀

I'm old enough to remember the Apollo programme, including Mum waking us up in the middle of the night with the words "come and see the men walk on the Moon" and seeing Armstrong step down.

It was magical, entrancing, amazing and is even more so now I know what was at stake and the efforts to get there. The further flights were too and between that (and many episodes of original Star Trek, which made it look so easy) I honestly believed that my generation would whizz off into space. Not going to happen now😂but it left me with a lifelong belief that this important and we can make real progress, albeit slow, and preferably as a combined human race.

This isn't the way to do it.

Well you have to admit the thing does look awfully like a dildo ...

I'm old enough to remember the Apollo programme, including Mum waking us up in the middle of the night with the words "come and see the men walk on the Moon" and seeing Armstrong step down

Edited to add same here, @Uricon2 and it really was unforgettable.
I also recall a programme around the time of the millennium which had "the greatest moments of the 20th century", and sure enough thst came first.
For me it couldn't have been anything else ...

I'd also like to hear the opinion of Col Eileen Collins, the first woman to pilot a space shuttle and command a space shuttle mission.

I dunno, hearing them banging on about sexy designer jumpsuits, shapewear and going 'full glam' made them sound like a bunch of asses to me.

Agree, some commentary from actual female astronauts might lend some balance to this whole circus. I’d rather hear Bezos/ his girlfriend had funded an all-female STEM space programme, or conservation efforts in Venice, than this sickening display. How many PR experts must they have ignored in the process?! There must be a point where you get so rich that you end up entirely surrounded by yes-men. Just too rich to be told “no”?

It was ridiculous. Only a couple of women were in any way qualified. They were all just space tourists. It was embarrassing

It's Bic for Women but with rockets.

I am actually really angry about this, it is so demeaning to women - most especially to genuine female astronauts. Or actually any woman at all who has more brains than boob. Why the skin-tight fucking outfits?! Making clothes specifically for women's bodies is one thing, making them catsuits with unzipped fronts to show some cleavage?! And they're claiming they're role models for young girls. God help us. The fucking Spice Girls hopping about wearing pigtails and shouting 'girl power' set a better example. Christ - even the trad wives with their pinnies and handbooks on 'how to please your husband' set a better example, at least they're not trying to make a mockery of other women.

Imagine where society would be if any achievements by real female astronauts attracted a tenth as much coverage as this farce. Today I am horrified at what the future looks like for women if this is the face of 'feminism'.

Ugh. This does absolutely nothing for women's credibility.

I agree. It’s very regressive and just doesn’t feel,right to support as a feminist. If I had a daughter (or even a son) I’d be supporting them to research actual female astronauts who are serious, intellectual women. Not so,e silly women who only did it because they know (possibly) the woman who is marrying this twat of a man.

Oh dear God as others have said it did so little for feminism and when each of them opened their mouths, they spouted forth such unbelievable schmalz / crap .

ok if it was Bezos fiancées hen do - we get that a night out in the local pizza joint with chocolate willies and ending in karaoke was probably not going to cut it . But the amount of money they wasted was obscene for an 11 minute flight . I am always really uncomfortable with the amount of money that the seriously rich spend on weddings etc . Millions that could be put to such good use . I get that it is relative to their total wealth but still …

I suppose they must have had some safety training etc, but I agree that it totally takes away from those super qualified and trained astronauts who have spent years training and not all will get to go on a flight .

It doesn’t seem to be as Neil Armstrong quoted ; “ … a giant leap for mankind “ but the space race between the wealthy billionaires . It seems to appeal to their thrill seeking behaviour and does not advance our understanding of space travel etc .

The television news channels have all been annoyingly unquestioning of it. Just 'Yay, women in space!' No analysis of whether it truly is a positive thing for women or of vapid celebrity culture entering space travel or of the commercialisation of space. Bezos has pulled the tired old stunt of using women as window dressing and the media has given him free advertising. His plan worked.

Vapid, that's exactly how it seems.

Turns out Barbarella was actually an incredibly insightful projection 60 years into the future.
Presumably it also served as the full training course for these heroic Asstronauts.

The television news channels have all been annoyingly unquestioning of it.

BBC did last night.

I dunno, all the publicity has been a helpful reminder to avoid Amazon for the rest of my life and that Katie Perry is a vapid pranny, so it had some upside.

It's sort of like a weird pornified vision of the 50s: get a few space bunnies to screech around in a massive penis balloon.

A really full on cringe moment for most women🫣. Real car crash stuff to watch.
Like a 70's show full of vacuous stepford wives on a day out.

And in the meantime Dear Leader is cutting funds for the greatest universities in the country - that will REALLY help research and scientific progress: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/14/trump-harvard-funding-freeze

As an aside (and slightly derailing), I am dreading any potential trade deal with the US administration because of the massive strings attached and the risks they entail. I could not bear the UK turning into their vassal... What was the fucking point of Brexit, remind me again?

They were behaving like a bunch of silly giggling schoolgirls. Why all the fuss six people going up in space for the fun of it because they can afford to.
We could have sent up six male footballers instead.

I think as a society we spend way too much time glorifying clowns. Everything now is entertainment.