Skip to content

NBA Star Sparks Backlash After Saying That Changing His Infant Son's Diapers Is 'Not My Job'

Search AI Powered
Human content, AI powered search.

Latest Stories

'Appalled' Katy Perry Blasts White House After They Use 'Firework' In Video Of Military Strikes

Katy Perry
Borja B. Hojas/Getty Images

After the White House shared a TikTok video of military strikes accompanied by Katy Perry's song "Firework," Perry spoke out on social media to condemn the use of her music "to soundtrack destruction and violence."

Amelia Mavis Christnot
By Amelia Mavis ChristnotJul 27, 2026
Amelia Mavis Christnot

Amelia is an Oglala Lakȟóta of the Očhéthi Šakówiŋ, Kanien'kehá:ka of the Haudenosaunee and Métis Navy brat who settled in the wilds of Northern Maine. A member of the Indigenous Journalists Association, she considers herself another proud Maineiac.

See Full Bio
Make us preferred on Google

Singer-songwriter Katy Perry's 2010 hit song "Firework"—written by Perry, Ester Dean, Sandy Wilhelm, and production duo Stargate—is billed as an anthem of self-empowerment and recognition of inner worth. The lyrics encouraged people feeling lost, weak, or unloved to realize they had a unique spark and power to shine like a firework.

Perry said the song was her favorite from her "Teenage Dream" album. With lyrics like "Cause baby, you're a firework, Come on, show 'em what you're worth" the song's "fantastic message" would become "an anthem that's not cheesy."

The administration of MAGA Republican President Donald Trump decided to use it to glorify bombing and killing people in his Iran War. In a video posted by the official White House account Thursday on TikTok, "Firework" was chosen to accompany footage of military strikes against targets chosen by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump.

You can see news coverage featuring the eight-second White House video here:

@clipveil Katy Perry has joined a long list of famous pop stars pleading with Donald Trump to stop using their music. The singer has slammed the White House for playing her hit song Firework as the backing track for a TikTok video of American bombs hitting Iran." #us #Trump #musica #viral #creatorsearchinsights ♬ original sound - Clip Veil

Perry took to X, tagging the White House account, to share her reaction, writing:

"I am deeply appalled and angry to see 'Firework' used on the [White House] TikTok account as a backing track for video footage of military strikes. I did not approve this, I was not asked, and I absolutely do not condone it."
"I wrote this song to be an anthem of hope, healing, and inner strength for people going through their darkest personal moments. To see a message of self-worth and upliftment weaponized to soundtrack destruction and violence is a complete violation of everything my song stands for."
"My music is for bringing people together, not celebrating warfare."

@katyperry/X

While Trump's MAGA minions back everything he does, the majority of responses supported artists not wanting their work co-opted to prop up Trump's war.

reply to @whitehouse/TikTok


@thegreatgig8/X


reply to @whitehouse/TikTok


@Glitter_Spite/X


reply to @whitehouse/TikTok



reply to @whitehouse/TikTok



reply to @whitehouse/TikTok



reply to @whitehouse/TikTok


Perry joins a long list of artists to call out Trump for the use of their music on social media and in his MAGA rallies. In June, Ariana Grande chastised the Trump administration for using her 2024 song "Bye" in a TikTok post featuring ICE agents abducting people.

Latest News

Larry David
Celebrities

Larry David's New Satirical Essay Mocking Democratic Socialists Isn't Sitting Well With People

Screenshot of Donald Trump
Donald Trump

President Trump Keeps Making Truly Bizarre Sounds During His MAGA Rallies—And Nobody Knows What To Think

Meghan McCain; Susan Dell
Viral Post

Meghan McCain Just Called Out MAGA Women With 'Mar-A-Lago Face' In A 'Spicy' Hot Take

Screenshot of JD Vance
Music

JD Vance Tries To Start MAGA Rally Speech While Music Is Still Blaring In Cringey Viral Video

More from Entertainment/celebrities

'The Craft' cast, including Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, Rachel True and Neve Campbell
Columbia Pictures/Getty Images

'The Craft' Star Speaks Out After New Bratz Dolls Were Sent To Influencers But Not Original Cast

Bratz enthusiasts have a lot to be excited about right now, as a new collection of the dolls have rolled out, this time inspired specifically by the original cast of the 1996 horror film The Craft, from which Bratz dolls came to be.

But just because it's an exciting campaign doesn't mean it's perfect.

Keep ReadingShow less
Trick-or-treating
The Boston Globe/Getty Images

HOA Sparks Debate After Sending Letter Telling People Not To Hand Out Full-Size Candy Bars On Halloween

Within our communities, it's important to make everyone feel welcome and included, and sometimes that means making changes so that everyone can afford to be included. But sometimes changes are made simply because someone with the power to change it doesn't want to do something.

The question is whether changes are being made for inclusivity or convenience.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @serena_loscalzo's TikTok
@serena_loscalzo/TikTok

College President Goes Above And Beyond To Help Student Prank Her Chronically Oversleeping Roommate

University of Vermont President Marlene Tromp and UVM student Hannah Lapier have gone viral after their fabulous wake-up call—and fortunately not the negative, reality-check kind!

Lapier opened up to her roommate, Serena LoScalzo, about struggling to get out of bed in the morning for her classes. Lapier prompted her friend to use any means necessary to help her make it to her morning classes on time, because she wanted to take school seriously.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @itsvictoriavega's TikTok
@itsvictoriavega/TikTok

Woman Sounds Off About 'Worst First Date Of My Life' After Guy Made Truly Unhinged Request

There are bad first dates, there are the worst first dates ever, and then there are the dates that are so terrible, you can't help but wonder how they occurred in the first place.

TikToker Victoria Vega, for example, went on a first date with a guy after what she thought was a promising start, but when she actually went on the date, it was nothing like she'd expected. In fact, she called it the worst first date of her life.

Keep ReadingShow less
TikToker Kae; Walmart storefront
@lolxdlolxdlolxd23455/TikTok; Douglas Rissing/Getty Images

Fired TikToker Shares Bonkers Behind-The-Scene Stories About What It Was Like Working At Walmart

Whether or not we've ever worked there, we've all heard horror stories and seen internet memes about "people at Walmart" and the weird things that often happen within the oversized chain convenience store.

TikToker Kae, or @lolxdlolxdlolxd23455 on the platform, worked at Walmart for more than six months and ultimately was fired because he'd accidentally logged his PTO time incorrectly and also requested multiple days off,—but he'd intended to quit anyway given his unpleasant time working there.

Keep ReadingShow less