Fast food giant Wendy's is at the center of a social media firestorm following a series of tweets targeting pop star Katy Perry after her 11-minute suborbital space flight. The incident began unfolding on Monday when Perry, alongside media figures such as Lauren Sánchez and Gayle King, completed a space journey that garnered significant attention online.
The controversy ignited when Wendy's official Twitter account responded to Pop Crave's celebratory post about Perry's return to Earth with a jarring comment: "Can we send her back?" The unexpected jab from the brand's social media unexpectedly veered from its usual strategy of poking fun at competitors to directly targeting an individual.
As Perry kissed the ground after her landing, Wendy's furthered their taunts, referencing her hit song with a tweet that seemed to mock her achievement. The fast food chain's online behavior swiftly shifted from what could have been a one-time remark to a seemingly pointed attack on the artist.
Wendy's third controversial post read, "When we said women in stem this isn’t what we meant," further escalating the situation. These tweets quickly drew ire from Perry's fanbase and critics alike, who felt the remarks were a departure from Wendy's typically light-hearted social media presence.
Some Twitter users expressed their disappointment, emphasizing the importance of celebrating women's accomplishments in fields traditionally dominated by men. The presence of a NASA engineer and a scientist on the space flight highlighted this sentiment, with hopes expressed for future all-female astronaut teams.
By Thursday, the backlash had grown to the point that People magazine covered the story. Wendy's was presented with a chance to apologize but instead offered what many saw as a tepid statement through a spokesperson, stating respect for Perry's talent while not retracting their remarks.
The response did little to quell the controversy, with a source telling People, "This wasn’t harmless banter, this was a billion-dollar brand using its platform to publicly demean a woman." The implication was clear: corporate social media accounts wield significant influence, and their engagement in such behavior was seen as irresponsible.
Adding her voice to the fray, Lauren Sánchez criticized Wendy's approach and invited the company's representatives to visit Blue Origin's facilities to understand the dedication behind the space missions. Sánchez hoped to educate the fast food chain about the passionate work of the thousands of employees involved.
