After Katy Perry released the video for her new single "Woman's World," fans criticized it because the song is supposed to be a female empowerment anthem, but it shows Katy in several scanty outfits, and even has a closeup of her boobs. But according to Katy, it's all meant to be a joke.
In a video she posted to Instagram on July 13, Katy said, "We’re kind of just having fun being a bit sarcastic with it, it’s very slapstick, and very on the nose."
Then, referring to the first part of the clip -- where she and her dancers do construction work in skimpy outfits before an anvil falls on her -- she explains, "With this set, it’s like, ‘Ooh, we’re not about the male gaze but we really are about the male gaze,’ and we’re really overplaying it and on the nose because I’m about to get smashed."
"Which is like a reset, a reset for me, and a reset for my idea of feminine divine, and it’s a whole different world we go to after this,” she concluded. "We wanted to open this video making it look like a super high gloss pop star video, and that’s what it is.”
She captioned the post, "YOU CAN DO ANYTHING! EVEN SATIRE!"
Fans weren't convinced. One wrote, "I don’t think you read the room with this video. It just looks like an excuse to showcase your rockin’ body. It’s not ‘ironic’ or empowering."
Another accused Katy of "reinforcing unattainable standards of beauty and sexualization of women." Another noted, "When you have to give this much of an explanation, the bit doesn’t work."
Fans also continue to criticize Katy for working with producer Dr. Luke -- who Kesha accused of abusing her -- -- on the song. Dr. Luke denied Kesha's accusations.