Emily Ratajkowski has entered the discourse revolving around Blue Origin's all-female space voyage, expressing her belief that it is "hardly an achievement." The model-turned-actress took to her TikTok platform on Monday to articulate her views, shortly after an event where six women, including Katy Perry, Gayle King, and Jeff Bezos' fiancée Lauren Sánchez, embarked on a journey to the fringes of space aboard the Amazon founder's Blue Origin spacecraft.
"That space mission this morning? It's a dystopian spectacle, beyond the realm of parody," she began. "Claiming to cherish Mother Earth while ascending in a spaceship funded and constructed by a company singularly devastating our planet? Look at the dire state of our world and ponder the myriad resources lavished on sending these women to space. For what purpose? What was the underlying marketing ploy? And to try and portray it as... I'm revolted. Absolutely disgusted."
Ratajkowski isn't the first to scrutinize this recent space endeavor, as Olivia Munn had earlier this month questioned the mission's rationale. "I know this might not be the trendy thing to say, but there are countless pressing matters in the world today," she remarked. "What exactly are you planning to accomplish up there?"
On Tuesday, the 'We Are Your Friends' actress returned to TikTok to further elaborate on her perspectives regarding the Blue Origin flight, which also carried film producer Kerianne Flynn, former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, and research scientist Amanda Nguyen on its eleventh manned mission.
"I think this space mission has left people perplexed because witnessing women and individuals of color in fields like science and politics, historically excluding them, appears, optically, like progress," Ratajkowski opined in her latest video. "However, the reality is that a man who ascended to power and became a member of the one percent solely through exploitation and avarice deciding to take his fiancée and a handful of other celebrities to space for leisurely tourism hardly constitutes progress."
She continued, "It underscores the fact that we're living in an oligarchy, where a minuscule elite craves the thrill of space travel for a fresh start, while the majority of humanity—most Earthlings—struggle with rent or feeding their children."
Echoing a sentiment attributed to another content creator, Ratajkowski added, "'Privilege is not an accomplishment,' and exploitation is most certainly not an achievement. Using the privileges amassed through exploiting the planet, its resources, and its people, to journey to space for eleven minutes is in no way an accomplishment."
"That's why this whole saga evokes 'The Hunger Games,' right?" she concluded. "Because we're at a juncture in the world where we must discern what genuine progress entails, and what transpired yesterday bore no resemblance to it."
In response to the backlash, Sánchez and King addressed it during a post-mission press conference on Monday. The 'CBS Morning' co-anchor stated, "I feel those criticizing lack understanding of what transpired here. We've all heard it. We even discussed it among ourselves." King encouraged critics to delve deeper into what the flight signifies for many.
"I'd love for critics to visit Blue Origin and witness the thousands of employees who not only work here but pour their hearts and souls into this endeavor," Sánchez added. "They adore their work and are passionate about the mission; it's a monumental achievement for them."
