Fan chant during playoff game catches criticism

The Jets and Ducks' pre-game skate on April 20, 2015 in Winnipeg at the MTS Centre.

Winnipeg Jets fans have drawn a lot of praise for their creative chants, like the one aimed at superstar Alexander Ovechkin back in March 2012 when they chanted, “Crosby’s better.”

The latest chant came in game 3 Monday of the playoffs against the Anaheim Ducks when fans put opposing forward Corey Perry in the crosshairs.

They chanted “Katy Perry," the name of the successful female pop singer.

"It's humorous. He plays a little bit like a girl,” one fan who withheld his name told CTV News on Wednesday.

But while some found it funny others didn't see the humour in it.

"I think it's insulting to women,” said Jets fan Larry Liber.

University of Winnipeg women’s studies professor Fiona Green said the chant was offside.

"It was an insult,” Green said. “It was hurled as an insult."

Green said calling men a female name is a common tactic used in male sport to degrade an opponent but she said doing so is offensive towards women.

"In patriarchal society within which most of us live females are not valued as much as males,” said Green “A way to get at a man's manhood, or his masculinity, or his virility or his power is to knock him by calling him a female in some way."

CTV News spoke with the fan who claims to have started the chant. He did not want to appear on camera but said he did not intend to insult women. He said he only picked the name “Katy Perry” because it sounds the same as “Corey Perry.”

Colleen Mernett said the chant didn't offend her as a woman and that fans were just having fun.

"I would not have thought of that to be honest with you. It's just something they do like 'Crosby's better' and any kind of chant but everybody has their own opinion on these things,” said Mernett.

As for Corey Perry, it doesn't appear the chant offended him either.

"You hear what's going on,” said Perry on Tuesday. “It puts a smile on your face."