Katy Perry (born Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson on October 25, 1984) is an American singer-songwriter. Her 2008 single "I Kissed a Girl" has become an international smash-hit topping numerous charts worldwide, including the Billboard Hot 100, Canadian Hot 100, The UK Singles Chart, Australian singles chart, Irish singles chart and the United World Chart. In the United States, the song is also noted for being the 1000th chart-topper of the Rock Era.
As an actress, she made a cameo appearance on Carbon Leaf's video "Learn to Fly" and on Gym Class Heroes' video "Cupid's Chokehold", playing the eventual love interest for her real life boyfriend, lead singer Travis McCoy. On March 10, 2008, she appeared as herself on the ABC Family television series Wildfire, on the episode "Life's Too Short". She has appeared in advertisements for Too Faced Cosmetics' Spring 2007 line. On June 12, 2008, Perry appeared as herself on the daytime soap opera, The Young and the Restless, who poses for the cover of the fictional magazine Restless Style, that same day she appeared on MTV's Total Request Live.
Her two songs, "Ur So Gay" and "I Kissed a Girl", have been cited as being homophobic as well as misandric by columnists, activists, and commentators including Glenn Sacks, gay periodicals like the Washington Blade, and prominent bloggers.
MSNBC contributor Tony Sclafani wrote, "The litmus test of hypocrisy here is that if you substituted a different minority in Perry’s tunes, they’d never get airplay. 'I Kissed a Black Guy' or 'Ur So Korean' would not be Top 40. For that matter, a song called 'I Kissed a Boy,' sung by a guy, would probably die on the vine."
Others, such as Chicago Sun-Times columnist Dr. Laura Berman, find the lyrics positive, arguing that "the fact that this song (I Kissed a Girl) is sparking so much interest " suggests that our society is beginning to accept that there isn't always one box (gay or straight) for people to check."