Katy Perry On Strict Christian Upbringing: 'I Didn't Have A Childhood'

Ostentatious and sexually charged in her public persona, Katy Perry's serious side comes out when interviews turn to her well documented religious upbringing. Raised by Christian missionary parents, Perry lived within an evangelical world that, as she tells Vanity Fair in their June cover story, she now realizes was closed-minded and limited.

"I didn't have a childhood," Perry tells the magazine. "I was always scared I was going to get bombed when I was there... I didn't know it was more than that, that it was for women and their needs. I didn't have insurance, so I went there and I learned about birth control."

Perry tells Vanity Fair that she wasn't allowed to use the words "Devil Dog" or "Dirt Devil," and that her family was "very non-accepting." Now married to Russell Brand, a practicing Buddhist, Perry often flaunts her sex appeal; her breakout hit, after all, was called "I Kissed A Girl."

It's a juxtaposition and evolution that Perry has discussed before; in 2009, she gave an account of her changing worldview to Beliefnet:

"I was raised with certain ideas... But I definitely am now, as an adult, and in a whole new world, in a world I didn't even know existed, I definitely have different perspectives and am very much not a poster child for anything perfect or organized or cookie cutter. I have had my own relationship and my own beliefs and I'm continually on an upward search with all of that, and I really don't know the answers nor do I like to impress them on anybody else."

Perry's mom is now shopping a book about raising the star in which she says that she thinks Perry could become a great televangelist.

"I recognized the psalmist gift in her performance. Yet she sang out, 'I kissed a girl, and I liked it,' while thousands joined her. One part of my heart soared... the other part broke for the thousands of hungry souls being fed something that didn't nourish their spirit, but fed their flesh."

Comments

[Spike5]

10:08 AM on 05/23/2011

My primary concern with home schooling children is that they may never come in contact with people who don't share their religious beliefs.

I grew up in the segregated south. There was no way for youngsters to get beyond the prejudices they were taught because they had no opportunity to meet people of a different color. When I see groups of black and white teenagers just hanging out together now, it gives me hope for the future. But how will the children who are restricted to their evangelical peers ever know that there are other ways of seeing the world--and religion?

[robhllnd2]

07:12 PM on 05/22/2011

Cry me a river!

[colah]

10:37 AM on 05/22/2011

A Jill Sobule cover?
Googling

[colah]

10:42 AM on 05/22/2011

no
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QaeojQLGQ8

[Skaterx999]

05:33 PM on 05/09/2011

My flesh needs to eat as well thank you very much.

[General Public]

11:34 PM on 05/06/2011

Good thing Katy Perry is starting to think for herself now. Her parents certainly tried to brainwash her, but hopefully it will fail. Hopefully all brainwashing of innocent young children into believing religious dogma will fail. Unfortunately, usually children believe what their parents teach them to believe, even if presented with proof that they are wrong, because no amount of evidence can change deeply held beliefs that are engrained at the emotional, subconscious level. I was raised in a Christian religion but not a very dogmatic one, and had much less overt brainwashing as a child than a child of evangelicals would have, so it was fairly easy for me to come to the realization that I was an atheist, admit it to myself, and then grow as a person so that I no longer was ashamed of being an atheist but became proud of it. In a largely Christian society, often non-Christians are treated like there is something wrong with us, so sometimes I have tried to pretend to be Christian just to avoid being targeted, but I have done that less and less over the years. I didn't start telling other people I was atheist until college; back in high school, I kept that to myself. I was already different enough from people for them to have plenty of things to pick on me for; I didn't need another thing setting me apart. Unfortunately I think Katy Perry still is Christian, just less extreme than her parents.

[Skaterx999]

05:33 PM on 05/09/2011

Need to get her some 'frop.

[Georgialee Lang]

12:46 AM on 05/06/2011

What a spoiled brat. She "didn't have a childhood"? Was she a victim of physical or sexual abuse? No, she grew up in a loving, god-centered family. This woman really needs to grow up.

[425]

08:58 AM on 05/08/2011

A loving, god-centered family where everyone spoke in tongues and wouldn't let her go to Planned Parenthood or say "Deviled Eggs."

[tanya11111]

10:05 PM on 05/05/2011

My mom was a nun at one point, but she never said a word to me except "god is everywhere". thanks MUM! Then I took pot and LSD and mushrooms and found she was NOT kidding! Still it annoying that she STILL gasps when I frequently swear.

[plaidsportcoat]

01:30 AM on 05/23/2011

If God is everywhere - God must also be inside all those swear words?

[ttyy]

10:02 PM on 05/05/2011

They accept her "lifestyle" as long as she's rich.

[Sweendoggedly]

09:11 PM on 05/05/2011

Poor Katy's parents. Maybe one day her family will learn to accept reality.

On the bright side, she's talented, successful, seems to be happy and making the best of her life!

[therubberbandguy1000]

06:42 PM on 05/05/2011

She looks nice.

[seventeengeese]

06:16 PM on 05/05/2011

Poor Katy. Maybe her speaking out can assist other children with the damage that can be done by being reared in a controlling, close minded, sect.

[caland]

05:28 PM on 05/05/2011

yet another reason religion is awful. it gave us katy perry.

[LJIESQ]

04:13 PM on 05/05/2011

I also suffer from the Katy Perry syndrome of being a victim of childhood psychological abuse at the hands of Xian fundy nutcake upbringing. I know many others who suffered the same upbringing. Having to sit from age 3 on the front row of church while being screamed at by a "preacher" who found Jesus in prison following rape convictions, and being told I'm going to "burn in Hell" is no picnic.

[bcarb]

02:27 PM on 05/05/2011

Continue to free yourself, girl. Love your voice.

[tanya11111]

10:00 PM on 05/05/2011

Thanks hellen keller.

[plaidsportcoat]

01:31 AM on 05/23/2011

That is TOO silly.

[SweetTart]

02:11 PM on 05/05/2011

To the HP editors - clarity truly is important.
"I was always scared I was going to get bombed when I was there... I didn't know it was more than that, that it was for women and their needs. I didn't have insurance, so I went there and I learned about birth control."

I had to guess that Perry was referring to Planned Parenthood, because the sentence immediately preceding this is "I didn't have a childhood." At first I thought she was talking about being afraid of bombs where she lived. Editing fail.

[aspertame2]

02:19 PM on 05/05/2011

Noticed that as well. It's sad that one of the big (apparent) casualties of the Great Jobs Recession has been the field of copy editing - not really a hit against HP; it is an issue with online and traditional news venues as well as those caption writers for news broadcasts. It would be funny if glaring, easy-to-spot errors weren't so ubiquitous in media.

[Joseph Scott]

04:35 AM on 05/06/2011

x3

[bcarb]

02:26 PM on 05/05/2011

Ditto