Gayle King Explained The Horrified Look On Her Face As She Was Boarding The Blue Origin Space Flight, And Her Comments Are Giving Me Secondhand Anxiety
As someone who gets nervous boarding commercial flights, I feel you, Gayle.
By now, I’m sure you’ve heard that six women paid a brief visit to space yesterday thanks to Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin aerospace company.
The all-female crew consisted of Katy Perry, Amanda Nguyen, Aisha Bowe, Kerianne Flynn, Lauren Sánchez, and Gayle King, and while boarding the ship, named New Shepard, each woman rang a bell as part of a Blue Origin tradition.
Blue Origin / Twitter: @blueorigin
In the footage, the women each strut towards the bell and give it a powerful ring, with some even letting out an enthusiastic cheer. As they hyped themselves up for their impending space journey, there were smiles all around — all except for Gayle, who looked frankly miserable.
Blue Origin / X / Via x.com
The look of complete dread on her face quickly sparked a ton of viral memes. Some said she was giving general Monday energy (relatable), while others compared her expression to the one you’d make after lining up for a big rollercoaster and then actually seeing the drop close up (also relatable).
@heyjaeee / X / Via x.com
@spencersays / X / Via x.com
@JBfromDC89 / X / Via x.com
@betchesluvthis / X / Via x.com
And now, with all six passengers safely home from their 10-minute round trip to outer space, Gayle has had a chance to check in with the Earthlings and their memes — and explain what was actually going through her mind in that viral moment.
Justin Hamel / Getty Images
“I was so afraid. I just wanted to get into my seat because I just wanted to let the training kick in,” she said at a post-trip press conference with her fellow crew members. “I just wanted to get inside the capsule and sit down. So the process of walking up there was a little daunting for me.”
You know what, Gayle? I’d definitely feel the same if I ever found myself boarding a spaceship, with or without Katy Perry behind me. Fortunately, though, it sounds like she had a great time in the end — and was very glad to return home safely.
Describing what she saw up there, Gayle said: “With all the stuff that you hear about the blackness and the blues — it’s the neon blue, and it’s still, and it’s quiet, and you’re all feeling this experience together. I know I will never forget it.”
“I walked out of there thinking, gosh, I can do anything,” she said. “I’m so proud of us, I really am proud of me, because I never in a gazillion years thought I could do this.”
Well, good for you, Gayle. I’m not sure I’ll be following in your footsteps anytime soon.
