It is a terrible reality of life that no matter what you do, how successful you are, or how kind you try to be, there will always be individuals out to bring you down. Nowhere is this more clear than in the world of show business, where celebrities spend their lives in full view of the public and frequently have their every action and decision scrutinized and debated.

Is this fair? No, not at all, although I suppose it could be said that by living a life of fame and notoriety in front of cameras, you expose yourself to the type of scrutiny that eventually leads in criticism of one kind or another. With that stated, I am a firm believer that no one should ever be judged severely based on their appearance, regardless of their financial situation.

This is why I find it perplexing that singer-songwriter Katy Perry recently sparked a dispute on Instagram by sharing three photographs and a video while wearing a skimpy two-piece bikini and visor. Perry has been a music industry legend for nearly a decade, so it’s safe to assume she has a thick skin and can take whatever others say with a pinch of salt. But that does not imply she should.

In any case, the footage in question, which showed Perry standing on a balcony and allegedly drinking a can of Drink De Soi, a non-alcoholic beverage business she co-founded with Morgan McLachlan last year, certainly divided opinion. One photograph showed the TGIF singer holding the drink in her left hand and elevating her right leg. Far from extreme, I believe we can all agree, yet some online users had nasty things to say.

One person simply wrote, “WHAT IS THIS.”Another criticised Perry’s post as “unethical”. A third, meanwhile, took aim at her age, adding, “Ur getting old, Katy.” A fourth said, “Pissed.”