Musician of the Year Katy Perry's best defense is a good offense

We've been on Katy Perry's case since her breakout song, "Ur So Gay," dropped in late 2007. She told us then that "there's a little gay man trapped inside" and that what made her different than other pop starlets was her sense of humor. After One of the Boys (Capitol Records) blew up, in no small part thanks to the controversy of #1 single "I Kissed a Girl," we tracked Perry to this summer's Vans Warped Tour. "I'm not an abomination," she said then in response to growing right-wing criticism.

After being named Musician of the Year in this year's Out 100, we spoke to Perry again. Every time we've written about her in the past she and the magazine have received a flood of both fan mail and hate mail. But unlike Perry, little of ours comes from Christian conservatives concerned she's damned their curious daughters to a life of sexual experimentation. (Our mailbag skews more towards dads worried we've endangered their sons, so we know the feeling.) 

Perry, though, isn't spending much time apologizing for her attitude:

Have you found it become easier to defend yourself?
I never feel like I'm actually defending myself. I always just feel like I'm answering the question, because other people are the ones who make it controversial. I just look at it as a part of my life, as flirtatious and very tongue in cheek. I get a lot of journalists in Europe who are like, "What's the big deal? People are OK with hip-hop videos where there are strippers and drugs and gangs and guns, when you're singing about an innocent kiss?" When news people do headlines about it, I'm like, "You guys are obviously a) not getting the tongue in cheek side of it, and b) you're stupid, because we have a war and an election going on and you're helping me sell records, dumbass."

One perk of a job at Out is the chance to grill people like Perry until we're satisfied they know what the hell they're talking about. And we've been convinced her sassy vocabulary is service of a greater message:

Why do you think you belong on the cover?
Because if I wasn't straight, I would be gay.

Why do you say that?
I think that any sexual orientation, whether you're gay or straight, is a beautiful thing as long as you do it with pride, as long as there is integrity behind it. I do believe in the gay community and gay marriage, and I believe in straight marriage. But I think that some of the straight marriages are not fantastic or for the right reasons. It's all up to the individual. The world is a better place when people are happy about who they are and being themselves.

Read the full Q&A with Perry here, and be sure to admire her stunning portrait among the Out 100.

Photo: Greg Lotus

Comments

[Nellie]

I too was sad to see Katy Perry not only in your list but as Musician of the Year. It's a catchy song, I will give her that. And there's nothing wrong with a little experimentation, but I can't stand the line "I hope my boyfriend don't mind it." I hear girls all the time wanting to explore their sexuality behind their boyfriends' backs, as if it's not cheating if it's with a girl. As the video ends, Perry wakes up next to her boyfriend. She's had her fun and now can continue on with her socially acceptable life.

[kate]

Choosing Katy Perry as musician of the year is an insult to REAL bisexuals, REAL lesbians, and REAL musicians everywhere. What's next, Clay Aiken or Lance Bass as song writer of the year? At least they're, you know, GAY.

[Karin]

Dear Out Magazine,

I am absolutely appalled that you picked Katy Perry to not only grace your cover for the Out 100 issue, but as the Musician of the Year. How can a GLBT magazine, which should be inclusive of the entire GLBT acronym, pick Katy Perry AT ALL. With lyrics such as "I hope my boyfriend don't mind it," "It felt so wrong, it felt so right," It's not what good girls do, not how they should behave," I, as a bisexual and part of the GLBT community, am completely offended. Sure, she got a lot of attention and popularity from the song, but if you talk to any bisexual woman or lesbian about her song (and they have listened to the lyrics), you'll find that they are offended as well. I am incredibly saddened that your publication would be so lesbianphobic to pick Katy Perry to be anywhere in your magazine - unless it's in some kind of rant column complaining about her homophobia. Have you not listened to the lyrics in "UR So Gay" either?

As for a GOOD choice of Musician of the Year, what about Tegan & Sara, the Dresden Dolls, or Uh Huh Her. This blog says what many of the L part (and the B women) of the GLBT community feel about Katy Perry and your list.

http://dorothysurrenders.blogspot.com/2008/11/kiss-and-tell.html

I tried to email this to the editors, but the email address out-letters@out.com given on this website did not work.

[Matt Keppel]

Katy Perry?! Really? Hmmmm...

It would be nice if the Out "Musician of the Year" ended up being an out gay artist actually.

There are plenty of them/us out there and trying to get your attention!

Matt Keppel
Microfilm
microfilmmusic.com

[Microfilm]

Katy Perry? Hmmmmm

It would be nice one of these years to have a GAY musician as Out's Musician of the Year and cover star. There are plenty around and plenty trying to get your attention!

Please celebrate them/us! Out gay artists!

Matt Keppel
Microfilm
www.microfilmmusic.com