Bragging on social media, the never-can-win modern trap: you're damned if you do and damned if you don't. For celebrities, though, showing off on social media is more than just a sure way to get validation from complete strangers; it's their entire livelihood.
Pop star and Idol judge Katy Perry is the latest celebrity to brag online about her new Cybertruck – or what looks like her new Cybertruck but might have been a Cybertruck on loan for one of her most recent TV appearances. The difference between Perry and every other celebrity before her is that she's the only one getting dragged, even days after the fact.
Earlier this week, Katy posted to X (former Twitter) a photo of herself all glammed up, standing beside an army-green-wrapped e-truck from Tesla with the Founders Edition stamp on display. She wrote, "tnx for the delivery," and tagged Elon Musk, which hints that she just had the truck delivered. At the same time, though, she added an "idol" hashtag, hinting that she probably only hitched a ride in the Cybertruck to an Idol taping.
Whatever it was doesn't even matter because all people could see was Katy throwing her support behind the Cybertruck, just mere days after all units delivered had been recalled over faulty accelerator pedals. It didn't go down well, to put it mildly.
Photo: @TheSonOfWalkley via X
Even her fans couldn't help but notice the irony of the situation, jumping on the bandwagon of criticizing Katy or cracking jokes at her expense. The worst criticism came, of course, from those who openly dislike Tesla and/or Musk, who rushed to call Katy a sell-out who'd do anything for a quick buck. The fact that Musk replied with a "Looks good" was seen as confirmation of Katy's selling out.
This storm in a cup moment aside, the Cybertruck remains one of the most polarizing vehicles of the moment, and not solely because of the Tesla badge or Elon Musk, or its unlikely, angular design that seems to defy all design norms or even common sense. If anything, the start of deliveries kicked off a new round of EV vs ICE cars (electric vehicles vs internal combustion engines) disputes, making both sides more passionate and combative in their arguments.
There is no winner in the dispute, nor will there ever be one. Not everything has to be universally liked, embraced, or appreciated, and a car least of all. That said, the closest to a winner is Tesla because, as long as they convince celebrities to use their huge platforms for this kind of masked advertising, they're laughing all the way to the bank.
And celebrities have been lining up for the honor of driving away in a Cyberbeast, which is what the Founders Edition is called. So far, Ciara, Steve Aoki, Serena Williams, Kim Kardashian, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Kanye West, and Pharrell Williams have all taken deliveries of their Cybertruck – and duly showed it off on social media and for the paparazzi.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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