Neil deGrasse Tyson Responds to Demi Lovato’s Suggestion That Calling Extra-Terrestrials ‘Aliens’ Is Offensive

Demi Lovato recently encouraged their followers to not use the word “aliens” when talking about extraterrestrials, because they think it’s offensive. Neil deGrasse Tyson begs to differ. 

In an interview with TMZ, astrophysicist and planetary scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson implied that it’s not in our best interests to worry about such a thing when planet Earth has yet to make documented contact with alien life.

“All the aliens I’ve ever met, they have no feelings,” deGrasse Tyson said in the clip. “So to be worried about offending them by calling them an alien… What is [Demi] thinking is going on in the head of species of life from another planet? I mean, I know it’s very considerate… But really?”

In a recent episode of the Unidentified with Demi Lovato series, the Grammy-nominated pop singer explained their thoughts on why the word shouldn’t be used when referring to extraterrestrials. “I think that we have to stop calling them aliens because aliens is a derogatory term for anything,” Lovato said. “That’s why I like to call them ETs!”

As for how he refers to extraterrestrial life, deGrasse suggested a simple prefix to the word “aliens” could solve any concerns. “I, just to be specific, always say ‘space aliens.’ And then, what we used to call aliens on earth—undocumented immigrants—that’s what the new term is for them,” he explained. “I’m all in on that, so what that means is if we all do that the only invocation of the word alien is for creatures from outer space that want to kill us all.”