Amanda Nguyen's story is so sad too. The way the Blue Origin PR piece tries to spin it just makes it worse, IMO.
She always wanted to be an astronaut. While she was at Harvard she interned at NASA. The way the Blue Origin PR movie tells her story, her dreams of being an astronaut were interrupted when she was raped at Harvard in 2013. She then spent time fighting for the rights of rape survivors and never became an astronaut. But, in the Blue Origin PR piece's version of events, that's all fine because now her dream of being an "astronaut" is finally coming true, because she was launched into the upper atmosphere in a penis rocket and spent a few minutes in space.
Before liftoff, [Gayle] King – who co-hosts CBS Mornings – said she was approaching the rocket trip with trepidation. “I still get very uncomfortable when people say ‘astronaut’,” she said. “I in no means feel like an astronaut. They said: ‘But, Gayle, if you go to space, you’re an astronaut.”
Stepping on a boat doesn't make you a sailor.
This wasn't an "all-female mission", but the equivalent of the women-only carriage on a metro. Or more like a limo, actually, because you don't need a billionaire's personal invitation to ride the metro.
Astronaut is a job, and it's one of the jobs that's the most difficult to do, and has the lowest acceptance rate in the world. People who are actual astronauts dedicate a career to it. The pay they receive is relatively low for their talent. And, they typically have to do a lot of PR events. It's a grind, but it's rewarding to have one of the most unique jobs in the world.
Putting on a bandage doesn't make you a doctor. Unclogging a toilet doesn't make you a plumber. And going into space, even into orbit, doesn't make you an astronaut. If you actually get to orbit, I'll give you "space tourist". But, if you're just barely getting above 100 km, you're a "high altitude tourist", nothing more.
And, as for "mission", a mission has a purpose, and just having fun for a few minutes while you're in the upper atmosphere isn't an actual mission.
...made the trip to the Kármán line – the internationally recognized boundary of space – to float about, weightlessly, in the rocket’s capsule for three minutes
So they literally flew to the very edge of what's technically space, stayed there three minutes, then left. It's like a US citizen driving to the border with Canada, stepping over, waiting three minutes, and declaring yourself a worldly traveler. As performative as it gets.
It's still technically very hard, very expensive, and a very cool experience for oneself. So yeah good for them, but I agree this won't get them any Nobel
That's how men are measured, so equality I guess? Seriously though, note how much talk about men as a class is specifically about CEOs, Senators and the like who are far, far away from the average experience.
...which is also World Toilet Day, which typically gets more attention. Note that it was International Men's Day first, so someone decided they needed a Toilet Day and decided it should be on the same day.
both men and toilets seem to fulfil similar roles in similar ways I guess.
if you think this is an insult to men, go without using a toilet for a few days and see how well your physical well being, stress and home sanity ends up.
Ooh, they're sending women to space!
...Rich women only. 10 minutes only. And of course they're still not allowed to actually do anything spacey or sciencey during this space mission, hoh hoh ho, that'd be entirely too much.
It may count as feminism, just not in our universe. Here, it most assuredly doesn't!
was a total turn off. fugly bezos with his wobbly fat arms greeting the plastic lady gettinf out of his dick statue.
funniest shit were those few minutes in space where you could see the most fake ass women dangle around in zero gravity. L`Oreal must have liked it. A disgrace for women and mankind. also fuck ophra winfrey, that ray of sunshine was talking so much useless crap.
before take off "ah im calmest person on earth becoz me so strong" and when rocket took off ppl needed to hold her pants so she wont faint.
the american dream: you think you can something - but cant.
I'm using sarcasm to draw a comparison between the space walk and that one scene in Endgame where all the women heroes stand together. Point being that the space walk was as effective at fighting patriarchy as a scene in a Disney movie.
Upset? What? I'm saying corporate performative feminism like the space walk is basically the same as a throwaway scene in a Disney flick. The first comment was sarcasm to really drive home how stupid the whole thing is. You know that, right?
Most modern "feminist" causes are this way, entirely performative. If they actually wanted equality people would push for some sort of egalitarianism instead of hiding behind this gendered nonsense.
Immediately discount something someone says based on (assumed) gender while completely ignoring a call for equality demonstrated the issue I was pointing out quite nicely. Thanks for that.
One was a "civil rights activist" selling their name to Bezos too. So disappointing to hear.
Amanda Nguyen's story is so sad too. The way the Blue Origin PR piece tries to spin it just makes it worse, IMO.
She always wanted to be an astronaut. While she was at Harvard she interned at NASA. The way the Blue Origin PR movie tells her story, her dreams of being an astronaut were interrupted when she was raped at Harvard in 2013. She then spent time fighting for the rights of rape survivors and never became an astronaut. But, in the Blue Origin PR piece's version of events, that's all fine because now her dream of being an "astronaut" is finally coming true, because she was launched into the upper atmosphere in a penis rocket and spent a few minutes in space.
Well here I was thinking I was as sad as I was getting today
That's the thing about 2025, the sadness mines always go deeper.
Oh god, that's just, so incredibly gross. They put them in suits like they're Deanna Troi in the first few seasons of Star Trek: TNG, it's all just so tokenistic. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/apr/14/blue-origin-rocket-launch
Stepping on a boat doesn't make you a sailor.
This wasn't an "all-female mission", but the equivalent of the women-only carriage on a metro. Or more like a limo, actually, because you don't need a billionaire's personal invitation to ride the metro.
Yeah, I immediately yelled at my phone about that quote...
Astronaut is a job, and it's one of the jobs that's the most difficult to do, and has the lowest acceptance rate in the world. People who are actual astronauts dedicate a career to it. The pay they receive is relatively low for their talent. And, they typically have to do a lot of PR events. It's a grind, but it's rewarding to have one of the most unique jobs in the world.
Putting on a bandage doesn't make you a doctor. Unclogging a toilet doesn't make you a plumber. And going into space, even into orbit, doesn't make you an astronaut. If you actually get to orbit, I'll give you "space tourist". But, if you're just barely getting above 100 km, you're a "high altitude tourist", nothing more.
And, as for "mission", a mission has a purpose, and just having fun for a few minutes while you're in the upper atmosphere isn't an actual mission.
No better way to shit on women who spent their entire lives getting to space than by calling Katy perry and 'icon' for going on a glorified plane ride
So they literally flew to the very edge of what's technically space, stayed there three minutes, then left. It's like a US citizen driving to the border with Canada, stepping over, waiting three minutes, and declaring yourself a worldly traveler. As performative as it gets.
they didn’t even try space poutine :/
It's still technically very hard, very expensive, and a very cool experience for oneself. So yeah good for them, but I agree this won't get them any Nobel
it's not a mission it's a tour ffs
judging women's rights by the best experience possible and not the average experience
That's how men are measured, so equality I guess? Seriously though, note how much talk about men as a class is specifically about CEOs, Senators and the like who are far, far away from the average experience.
this is exactly why people don't fucking get why we need men's day. It's november 19th, no one fucking remembers or gives a shit.
...which is also World Toilet Day, which typically gets more attention. Note that it was International Men's Day first, so someone decided they needed a Toilet Day and decided it should be on the same day.
both men and toilets seem to fulfil similar roles in similar ways I guess.
if you think this is an insult to men, go without using a toilet for a few days and see how well your physical well being, stress and home sanity ends up.
I suspect the person choosing for that day wasn't thinking along those lines though.
agreed, twas a joke
We are but cogs for the great machine.
the world is only as free as it’s most enslaved.
For one brief moment those women were truly and 100% free. But then they re-entered the US and their freedom shrank by 90%.
Being stripped away by the guy who owns the rocket.
Not to mention the irony of riding in the most phallic of all the rockets ever made
Ooh, they're sending women to space! ...Rich women only. 10 minutes only. And of course they're still not allowed to actually do anything spacey or sciencey during this space mission, hoh hoh ho, that'd be entirely too much.
It may count as feminism, just not in our universe. Here, it most assuredly doesn't!
This is the important part. There would be some value in it if it were ordinary people getting to go to space.
Delightfully devilish, Seymour!
Anyone knows the name of the background painting? I like it.
i don’t know im sorry but the original post i stole from @momsforohio on instagram. godspeed on your search should you choose to continue it!
Looks to be this. Can't find high res.
yayyy glad you found it!
And on top of it all, the rocket is shaped like a penis
Don't forget they all had their makeup and hair done.
And most of them were beautiful women with tons of work done on them too.
Remember ladies, if you turn your body into a sex doll for rich men, you too might get to go to space!
was a total turn off. fugly bezos with his wobbly fat arms greeting the plastic lady gettinf out of his dick statue. funniest shit were those few minutes in space where you could see the most fake ass women dangle around in zero gravity. L`Oreal must have liked it. A disgrace for women and mankind. also fuck ophra winfrey, that ray of sunshine was talking so much useless crap. before take off "ah im calmest person on earth becoz me so strong" and when rocket took off ppl needed to hold her pants so she wont faint. the american dream: you think you can something - but cant.
lol what a stupid take. Didn't you hear sexism doesn't exist anymore? Disney ended it with that one scene in Endgame.
I'm using sarcasm to draw a comparison between the space walk and that one scene in Endgame where all the women heroes stand together. Point being that the space walk was as effective at fighting patriarchy as a scene in a Disney movie.
Upset? What? I'm saying corporate performative feminism like the space walk is basically the same as a throwaway scene in a Disney flick. The first comment was sarcasm to really drive home how stupid the whole thing is. You know that, right?
Yes, it was my intention to come off that way. I don't think you're getting that the first comment wasn't serious at all.
What a stupid take
Yes, it is! That's the point.
Most modern "feminist" causes are this way, entirely performative. If they actually wanted equality people would push for some sort of egalitarianism instead of hiding behind this gendered nonsense.
i'm afraid "feminism" these days is just a distraction to distract from issues of class war.
Has been at least since Occupy at the very latest, if not since Gloria Steinem was involved with the CIA.
examples and citations that its most or downvote
Boy do I love men telling me all about what feminism is and isn't.
Immediately discount something someone says based on (assumed) gender while completely ignoring a call for equality demonstrated the issue I was pointing out quite nicely. Thanks for that.
citations and examples or downvote