Like a growing chorus of women concerned about the state of the nation, Olivia Munn isn’t buying the PR spin put forth by Gayle King, Katy Perry and, especially Lauren Sanchez, claiming they are making an “historic” statement about female empowerment by going on an 11-minute space ride aboard one of Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin rockets.
While appearing on Thursday’s episode of “Today With Jenna and Friends,” Munn criticized the star-studded crew — whether “historically” all-female or not — for what she sees as an excessive, “gluttonous” waste of resources when regular people in America are hurting, according to Page Six.
“I know this is probably obnoxious, but like, it’s so much money to go to space, and there’s a lot of people who can’t even afford eggs,” said “The Newsroom” actor, referring to the significant spike in egg prices over the last few months.
Munn’s forthright comments left Hager, a friend of King’s, a bit flummoxed, according to Page Six. The morning show host tried to steer the conversation away from serious questions about the necessity of the April 14 trip to the way Perry, Sanchez and other crew members have talked about how they will be “going in glam” on the trip — with their hair and makeup done.
Munn looked stunned and quipped, “What? They said this out loud?!”
The six-member crew were featured on the cover of Elle magazine, with the cover line, “For All Womankind.” Sanchez, the fiancée of Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos, is “leading” the crew, while the other crew members include former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, movie producer Kerianne Flynn and activist Amanda Nguyen.
In interviews accompanying the cover, the women talked about the flight, past the international boundary of space, as if it’s a fun girls’ night out. Perhaps in an effort to seem fun-loving and relatable to regular women, Sanchez, donning one of her usual cleavage-pushing necklines, talked about getting “lash extensions,” while pop star Perry said she wanted to bring the “glam” to their space flight and Nguyen announced she would be wearing lipstick.
“What’s the point?” Munn asked. “Is it historic that you guys are going on a ride? I think it’s a bit gluttonous.”
The purpose of space flight, Munn said, is to further “our knowledge and to help mankind.” She asked: “What are they gonna do up there that has made it better for us down here?”
Munn also wondered “if all that rocket fuel is good” for the environment. “This is a lot of resources being spent,” she said.
Over on Elle Magazine’s Instagram post, promoting their Blue Origin cover, critical comments continued to pour in, though Eva Longoria, Sanchez’s good friend, signaled her approval with several fire emojis.
But others said that the “CBS Mornings” host, Perry, Sanchez, Elle magazine and the other crew members should “read the room.”
“The disconnect between this cover and the real world people are living in is palpable,” said writer Tiffanie Woods. Lifestyle writer Minna Lee Jamison said the cover and the celebrities’ participation in the Blue Origin cover was “making “oligarchy chic, while people are having their livelihoods ripped away, people are being taken on the streets, and public health dismantled.”
Stylist Julie Ragolia added: “This is the opposite of feminism, and not at all inspiring. This is a land grab for the last shred of “empowerment” women have left in America, funded by brand wielders for the oligarchy. I’m horribly disappointed.”
