Joe Rogan mocks Katy Perry's Blue Origin space flight: 'She’s basically a Guru now'

Podcaster Joe Rogan mocked pop star Katy Perry and her crewmates following their recent all-female Blue Origin space flight, calling the mission a glorified photo op and downplaying its significance.

Speaking on a podcast released on Saturday, Joe Rogan said sarcastically, “Hey Tim Dillon, I’m much better now that the ladies are back from space, thank you. It was very profound. I don’t know if you’ve seen Katy Perry talk about it, but she’s basically a guru now.”

The Daisy moment

Rogan zeroed in on Perry’s decision to bring a daisy on board as a symbolic gesture for her daughter, Daisy.

“She brought a daisy, which is super important. It shows you how quick the flight was,” Rogan said. “The dead daisy that’s like snipped from its life source was still alive or still vibrant.”

Perry, however, had explained her choice with emotion, saying: “Daisies are common flowers, but they grow through every condition. They’re resilient.”

Flight details and backlash

The April 14 Blue Origin mission was fully automated and lasted approximately 11 minutes, crossing the Kármán line—the internationally recognised boundary of space—before returning safely to Earth.

The flight featured Katy Perry, former NASA engineer Aisha Bowe, astronaut and activist Amanda Nguyễn, CBS host Gayle King, film producer Kerianne Flynn, and Lauren Sánchez, fiancée of Jeff Bezos.

While the mission marked a symbolic milestone—making Perry the 104th woman to travel beyond the Kármán Line—critics like Rogan downplayed the effort.

“Let’s celebrate female astronauts because a lot of men astronauts, they have to go to school, they have to learn to be a pilot first, then they have to join the Air Force or the Navy and then get appointed by NASA,” Rogan said.

Questioning the 'Astronaut' title

Rogan questioned whether Blue Origin passengers should be referred to as astronauts at all.

“They essentially got to the threshold of space. They did not get like way out there where re-entry is very traumatic,” he said.

“How great is it that they just get called astronaut?”

Under FAA guidelines, passengers can be recognised under the Commercial Space Astronaut Wings Program, but must contribute to flight safety—something critics argue is not the case on automated tourist flights.

Perry’s emotional response

Perry faced online ridicule for kissing the ground upon landing, but she defended the emotional significance of the moment.

“This experience is second to being a mom,” she told reporters.

“That’s why it was hard for me to go... I have to surrender and trust that the universe is going to take care of me and protect me and also my family and daughter.”

“I wanted to model courage, worthiness and fearlessness,” she added.

Rogan: I’d do the flight – Not 'Space Space'

Despite the jabs, Rogan admitted he would consider a suborbital trip.

“I wouldn’t go to space space but I would do the 80 miles,” he said, referencing Blue Origin’s flight altitude.

The debate over the value of commercial space travel—and who gets to call themselves an astronaut—continues as celebrities join the ranks of space tourists.