Katy Perry: 'The Smurfs' Were Taboo in My House While I Was Growing Up
Katy Perry's very strict Pentecostal upbringing meant that exposure to secular music and certain television shows, including "The Smurfs," were banned from her house, the award-winning singer, who is the voice of Smurfette in the new "The Smurfs 2" movie, shared in an interview.
"I grew up in a very religious household and so a lot of things were monitored. Some things were allowed but Madonna was always taboo and so were The Smurfs," said Perry, according to U.K. news outlet, Metro. "Growing up, there was never anything wrong with the Smurfs per se, my parents were just very particular about television. But I think there are a lot of incredible family values to learn from these types of films and especially this one."
Perry said her parents, who are Pentecostal ministers, perhaps did not understand the "dynamic between one female and, like, 99 males," referring to the dynamic of her character, Smurfette, and the remaining all-male Smurfs cast in the movie.
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In the film, Perry's character is kidnapped by a wizard who has created a race of mischief makers and Smurfette is the only one who knows the spell to turn them into actual Smurfs. According to Perry, she is much like Smurfette, saying they have much in common because both have been through a whirlwind of events.
"She's caring and kind, and she looks after the other Smurfs and I do that with my friends and my family. I think she has a lot of depth," said Perry. "She has been through an emotional mill and I relate to her – with that desire to figure out who I am and where I came from, and who I want to grow up to be," she added, according to Metro.
Perry's own emotional rollercoaster began when she turned away from her childhood Christian faith and began to question her beliefs, which upset her parents, who initially did not approve of her career decisions as portrayed in her 2012 concert documentary, "Katy Perry: Part of Me."
"Then, when I was becoming a teenager, I got to sift through the other stuff that I didn't necessarily agree with,' said Perry. "I got to keep the good stuff."
Her film also documented the breakup of her marriage to actor-comedian Russell Brand, which displayed the height of Perry's vulnerability and unhappiness despite the simultaneous success of her international tour. Through her ups and downs, Perry credits her parents' strict upbringing as the reason for getting her through it all, saying that her parents ensured she inherited "good characteristics, like integrity and respect."
"'I love them and appreciate them, respect them. I am highly annoyed by them but I think that's a dynamic with most families," said Perry, according to Metro.
In the past, Perry has received criticism for her songs, "Ur So Gay" and "I Kissed a Girl," which portray homosexual and bisexual scenarios. Her career choices and persona still remain under scrutiny by religous sectors, but she insists she still upholds her Christian beliefs to an extent.
"I don't go to one particular church. I'm open to the idea, it's just I haven't been able to in the past few years. But you know what? God is still inside of me and I still talk to Him every day," said Perry, according to OnTheRedCarpet.com.
