The Internet Has Its Pitchforks Out For Shady Katy Perry

Katy Perry's night at the 2017 Grammy Awards was a win in a lot of ways. She paid tribute to Hillary Clinton with a stellar performance of "Chained To The Rhythm." She debuted her new Covergirl line and rocked a textured platinum mane that has us all — or maybe just me — considering a serious dye job. But the pop star made one fatal mistake: she shaded Britney Spears on the red carpet, and the internet is not having it. If you'll recall, the 32-year-old singer retreated from the music scene for a minute, and she was sorely missed. According to Perry, the break was in effort to work on her "mental health." When Ryan Seacrest inquired about that brief period on the Grammys red carpet last night, she responded quickly, "I haven't shaved my head yet!" Oof. This, of course, is in reference to the now-famous moment when Britney Spears shaved her head in 2007. Refinery29's own Kaitlin Reilly pointed out that the moment felt sour because it was a shot between peers. She wrote, "For a woman who made it a point to take a breather from the Hollywood craziness, it's disappointing to hear her laugh at her music peer's expense." Twitter seems to agree on this point — Perry and Spears are both successful women in the music industry. Why, then, must Perry take shots at her contemporary?

The social media platform was quick to pitt the two against one another. The general consensus seems to be that that Britney is a legend, Perry isn't one just yet. (Some accounts are effectively taking polls — fav for Katy, RT for Britney.)

In a way, the lasting effects of the joke are even worse than the joke itself. Because of Perry's offhand comment, social media designed a battle between two popular musical artists. Female musical artists at that. Can we stop pitting women against one another? Please?