Katy Perry, Justin Trudeau And The Collapse Of Performative Politics

Against this backdrop, enter our Coachella hero and heroine. A couple so demure, so unassuming, calmly poised amid the chaos. The man in a backwards cap and light-wash jeans scarfs down his ramen noodles. The woman, jacket wrapped round her waist, shovels an unidentifiable finger food down her gullet. Precious moments captured in their oh-so-candid TMZ photo. Unified, the couple model their red plastic cups in frame, as if to say, ‘How do you do, fellow kids?’

And just like that, the façade quickly lifts, and we realize this isn’t a spontaneous moment between a fraternity brother and his sorority sweetie. This is a highly choreographed tableau involving formerly popular pop princess, now turned amateur astronaut, Katy Perry and her new (still married yet legally separated) beau, Justin Trudeau. Yes, the former leader of the second-largest country and G7 nation, Canada.

You may be asking, “What’s the big deal?” Let this middle-aged couple cosplay away. But sadly, this is not just about two people dressing up and going out, but rather a pattern of performative politics that has metastasized for decades now.

Take the red solo cups. People were quick to call Trudeau a performative hypocrite for posing with a plastic cup. Under his leadership, Trudeau introduced and instituted a nationwide ban on single-use plastics, forcing Canadians, coast-to-coast, to adhere to these edicts or face up to thousands of dollars in fines.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this couple’s penchant for performative politics. They may not have invented it, but they are damn close to perfecting it.

What is Performative Politics?

There was a time when performative politics was so ubiquitous that it was like the air that we breathed. It was here, there, and everywhere, every time a high-brow politician donned a cowboy hat and kissed a baby or gladhanded at a fair while holding a corndog. Every time a celebrity spouted off at the Oscars about ‘environmental consciousness’ in between their flights operated by a private jetliner. You saw it there.

And believe me, it still exists, but we’re starting to see the cracks. Once upon a time, Americans would’ve just looked the other way if powerhouse Oprah Winfrey tried to sell us her weight loss plan while simultaneously taking a GLP-1 jab. Not today. We’re sick of symbolism over substance, slogans over sincerity. Unfortunately, Justin Trudeau and Katy Perry have not gotten the memo.

Trudeau and the Truckers

Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau built an entire career capitalizing on political branding. A self-described male feminist, Trudeau put a premium on visual effects in the public square, often landing him in hot water. Whether it was failing to declare over $200,000 in government funds for his lavish vacation, calling out racism while failing to disclose his own past of wearing blackface, or declaring that Canada welcomed all immigrants before quickly reversing that law to say, ‘Canada needed to slow the population growth.’

But no action of Trudeau’s epitomized performative politics more than his treatment of Canadian truckers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Trudeau touted himself as a paragon of personal liberties, but that all came crashing down. His government implemented vaccine mandates and travel restrictions that ignited fierce opposition and fueled the Freedom Convoy protests, a series of protests and blockades in Canada during the pandemic aimed at opposing vaccine mandates for truck drivers crossing the U.S.-Canada border. Rather than seeking meaningful dialogue to address the concerns of the protesters, Trudeau tarred them as ‘racists and misogynists.’ He seized their money, froze their private and business bank accounts, and invoked emergency powers, a move later rebuked by a federal court. For all his bluster about advancing civil liberties, Trudeau brought the force of the federal government down on his own citizens, quelling dissent through might. But he’s not the only guilty party in this couple…

Katy Perry: Activism as Aesthetic

Katy Perry knows a thing or two about cozying up to power. Today, she’s the girlfriend of former PM Trudeau. But she has always fancied herself a political actor and a ‘champion for women.’ She endorsed Hillary Clinton in 2015, saying she was like a ‘phoenix rising’ and that Clinton ‘embodied unconditional love.’ She publicly backed Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. All in the name of bettering the world for women, but there’s just one glaring problem with that. Perry’s performance. She notoriously says one thing, while her actions point to something else entirely.

Currently, Katy Perry is facing a public backlash and police investigation after comments from actress Ruby Rose, who alleged that Perry sexually assaulted her at a club in Australia. Perry denies the allegations, but, nonetheless, these are very damning accusations. Critics are quick to point out Perry’s history. Previously, a former TV host claimed Perry had publicly touched her inappropriately and attempted to kiss her at an industry event. Perry, on national TV, shamed an American Idol contestant when she found out she had multiple kids by saying she "laid on the table too much." Critics also point out disappointment with her work with music producer Dr. Luke, amidst his drugging and rape allegations by fellow pop star Kesha. Finally, her bizarre behavior was put on blast as she rode Jeff Bezos’ multi-million-dollar rocket up to space to take selfies. An act that resembled more Zoolander’s ‘Blue Steel’ than Sally Ride.

The Formula is Wearing Thin

For years, politicians and celebrities, just like Justin Trudeau and Katy Perry, hid behind performative politics. They kept doing it because it worked. But overexposure has a way of ruining even the best cons. However, I believe that we may be witnessing the final curtain call on this con. And we could have Trudeau and Perry to thank.

The merging of politics and pop culture culminated in the relationship of two of its most performative proponents, which could be just what’s needed to collapse the entire system. Audiences are more skeptical than ever. With greater access to politicians' and celebrities’ actions through social media, we see through the sham more clearly. And with corporate media no longer serving as the ultimate gatekeepers of all news, we can see with our own eyes whether a public figure’s actions line up with their words.

So now we find ourselves in this pivotal moment.

A Rare Bipartisan Agreement

Trudeau and Perry may single-handedly be able to accomplish something together that few politicians and celebrities have ever been able to manage. They could align all sides of the political aisle in agreement on one key issue. A Pew Research poll asked Americans to list words that describe U.S. politics today, and majorities pointed to words like “Chaos,” “Messy,” “Hypocrisy,” and “Circus.” I believe the question is no longer whether performative politics works, but rather when it will come crumbling down. And with their powers combined, I believe Trudeau and Perry can collectively tire us of show-activism once and for all.

Sure, this couple didn’t invent performative politics, but they have come to embody it. He from the podium, she from the stage. When even the most polished practitioners can no longer make the act feel convincing, we all start to see the cracks of light peek through. The red Solo cups, the carefully curated activism, the choreographed relatability. At a certain point, the performance doesn't persuade; it wears thin. And if performative politics is finally reaching its breaking point, we all owe a great deal of gratitude to Justin Trudeau and Katy Perry for not just being its willing participants, but the key agents of its final demise.