"Mother always feeding her children" — Fans divided over Katy Perry recreating her pizza-flinging meme during American Idol finale

Katy Perry said goodbye to American Idol after seven seasons on Sunday night's live finale, but her farewell included a moment that sparked a heated debate among fans. During the climactic episode, Perry recreated her infamous pizza-flinging meme, a moment that divided the audience.

On Instagram, @juanchicajj commented: "Mother always feeding her children with anything but music."

An Instagram user @juanchicajj shared (Image via Instagram/@KATY PERRY)

Some viewers found the act disrespectful and questioned its purpose.

This is such a lame thing to do. Are they hungry?" tweeted a user named @MrPman0, questioning the motivations behind the action.

"Throwing food is not okay," tweeted netizen Kinnzayyy (@Kinnzayyy).

Another Twitter user Bill Ellmore tweets: "Symbolism will be their downfall."

Netizen Jacob Stewart (@JacobStewart__) also shared "This is literally just an example of someone famous showing how they can treat their fans like trash and be admired for it. Like that girl is going to tell the story of how Katy Perry threw pizza on her for the next 40 years as if it was some sort of honor."

Perry's pizza-throwing antics at a nightclub in 2014 were caught on camera, went viral quickly, and became a humorous meme. Fast forward to the American Idol finale, and Perry decided to revive this moment, much to the surprise of viewers. Some embraced the humor and saw it as a playful act.

Fan accounts and users like @robynftperry praised the celebrity, tweeting "Queen feeding us."

Fan account @robynftperry praised the celebrity (Image via X/@robynftperry)

Another X user @likeaneonlight tweeted 'LMFAO I LOVE HER SM PLEASE.'"

"Katy's aura in this video I'm so ready for the new era," tweeted @damnrihanna.

As a tribute to the singer, the top 12 contestants performed a medley of Perry's hits, including Teenage Dream, Dark Horse, and California Gurls.

Perry, who had been eating a slice of pizza when the performance started, jumped up atop the judges' table at the end and delivered a lighthearted, raised-arm salute while holding his pizza. She then flung the slice into the audience, where an eager fan attempted, but ultimately failed, to catch it.

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Katy Perry set to quit American Idol after seven seasons

Perry also took to the stage herself during the three-hour finale, performing her song What Makes a Woman alongside contestant Jack Blocker.

One fan perfectly captured the essence of the pizza moment on Twitter, writing: "Katy Perry eating a pizza during a Katy Perry tribute is the most Katy Perry thing ever." Perry herself added a playful caption to the video she posted on social media: "A pizza my heart will always be on the #idol stage."

In the meantime, the night's main event saw Abi Carter crowned the winner of Season 22. Carter's performance of What Was I Made For? from the Barbie movie even brought out emotions in Perry, who was seen getting teary-eyed.

Meanwhile, Perry's departure from the show was not entirely unexpected. In February, she announced her exit on an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! When host Jimmy Kimmel inquired about her future with Idol, Perry hinted at her busy schedule.

Katy Perry hinted at her departure from American Idol, mentioning a commitment to the Rock in Rio music festival in Brazil this September. She expressed her enthusiasm for the festival and its importance to her fans, implying this would likely be her final season on the show.

The audience reacted with surprise, but Perry explained, "I love Idol so much. It's connected me with the heart of America. But I need to feel that pulse of my own beat."

While Perry hadn't shared the news with fellow judges Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie beforehand, Bryan later admitted to hearing "whispers that she was thinking about it. It wasn't like a huge shock," as reported by the Hollywood reporter.

For his part, Richie said to the Hollywood Reporter that hearing the news "just made me run off the road... My phone blew up." He added that Perry's decision "makes sense."

Katy Perry's stint as a judge on American Idol began in 2018, joining Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan on the panel after the show's revival on ABC. She is leaving the show after seven years.