Katy Perry Catches Heat For Racially Insensitive Obama Comment

Katy Perry recently made a drastic change to her appearance, changing her long, dark locks to a short, blonde buzz. During a short video on social media, Perry responded to a fan who said they missed they old cut, asking if they also missed Barack Obama. Considering her old hair color was black, many social media users didn’t appreciate the racial implications of comparing the dark hair to the 44th President of the United States.

Perry was a strong supporter of Obama and continues to champion progressive causes, but the video above showcases Perry’s flippant attitude about fans’ opinions of her decisions.

She can be seen with friends, laughing and looking around, so when she made the comparison of her black hair to the African-American president, her friends chimed in to tell her she was cut off. It’s possible that they understood how the comment could be interpreted and didn’t want her to say anything worse, or perhaps they were just sick of her talking to her phone.

This is far from the first time Perry has gotten herself into hot water, as her behavior has ruffled many feathers.

Scroll down to learn more about Perry’s other brushes with scandal.

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A few weeks ago, Perry posted a meme of a Hindu deity with the caption, “Current mood,” which many perceived as religious appropriation and made light of the religion.

Posting a photo with the caption “current mood” is a popular social media trend, but using a religious image of goddess Kali dancing atop Lord Shiva was considered mocking in tone. 

The image has earned thousands of likes and comments, with Perry leaving it up on her page. She has yet to address the controversy, even though she’s had plenty of Instagram users sharing their thoughts.

One user said, “Clearly you just post things without understanding or knowing what it is. This is ignorance at its best. If you have respect for other religions, take this down,” while another added, “Are you serious? You’re using pics of our Goddesses as memes?”

Not all of the comments were negative, however, as one user explained, “Why is everyone making such a big deal out of this….. Shouldn’t we be proud that our culture is recognized (sp) around the world? Instead, all we Indians here are fighting amongst ourselves….Unity in diversity people…. Peace ?”

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Earlier this year, Perry sparked an impromptu “feud” with fellow pop star Britney Spears when she made comments on the red carpet about a very public mental breakdown Spears suffered ten years prior.

Her comments came following the debut of her platinum blond bob, with one interviewer inquiring about all the hairstyles she’s had over the years.

Perry responded, “It’s the last color in the spectrum that I can do, I’ve done all of them and the only thing left to do is shave my head which I’m really saving for a public breakdown. I’m down for that.”

The singer doubled down on her digs at Spears, as she was later asked about why there had been a pause in making music. Perry explained that she did it for her mental health and, when asked how the break in making music was going, she replied, “Fantastic, and I haven’t shaved my head yet.”

Spears “retaliated” by posting a photo of clouds with the Biblical caption, “Her mouth speaks from that which fills her heart [heart emoji] Luke 6:45.”

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When Perry married Russel Brand back in 2013, the couple held a traditional Hindu wedding that featured a bharat (a South Asian wedding procession), readings of Hindu scriptures, and a Bollywood-themed party. Without Perry having publicly confirmed she was Hindu, the ceremony was considered insensitive to some.

She did explain, at the time, “I’m not Buddhist, I’m not Hindu, I’m not Christian, but I still feel like I have a deep connection with God. I pray all the time — for self-control, for humility.”

Earlier that year, Perry performed at the American Music Awards while wearing a Japanese Geisha ensemble, which also caught plenty of criticism for cultural appropriation.

When speaking to Rolling Stone about the issue, Perry said, “I’ll just stick to baseball and hot dogs, and that’s it. I know that’s a quote that’s gonna come to f**k me in the ass, but can’t you appreciate a culture?”

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[H/T Radar Online]