Katy Perry Is in Trouble Over a Koala Comment in Her New Australian Ad
Katy Perry is certainly no stranger to kicking up controversy — from her feud with Taylor Swift to accusations of cultural appropriation, to claiming all of the awards she’s won are fake and ranking her ex-lovers. But this time, the singer has found herself in trouble due to an ad she did for Australia that could end up having dire consequences for beloved koalas.
Appearing in a quick video for the Australian department store chain Myer, Perry not only announced her upcoming down-under tour, but also revealed that free tickets are on the way for some lucky fans. And while that made plenty of people happy, the remainder of the ad made others seriously upset.
At the very end, as her pup barked and ran offscreen, Perry told him, “Let’s go chase some koalas, Nugget.” Cute, right? Not to Australians who are actively trying to convince the public NOT to let their dogs chase koalas.
The koala population is declining right now, with only around 80,000 left on the continent, according to the Australian Koala Foundation. While many koalas are killed by cars and habitat loss, dogs are the third most common cause of death, attacking and killing around 110 koalas every year in Queensland.
“Perry is a role model to so many young people,” Australian veterinarian Claire Madden told the Courier Mail. “And this just destroys all the good work we do to try to encourage people not to let their dogs come into contact with koalas.”
Perry may not have even written the line in question, but people on Twitter have been quick to criticize her anyway. According to Teen Vogue, Myer released a statement about the controversy, saying they would edit the ad accordingly. “We are aware of comments in relation to Katy Perry’s Witness: The Tour advertisement and a particular reference made to koalas,” the statement read. “We are currently removing the material which references koalas.”
What do you think about the controversy over Katy Perry’s ad? Let us know @BritandCo!
(h/t Mashable; photo via Pascal Le Segretain/Getty)