If you’re on social media, you’ve likely heard her name: Chappell Roan. Similarly, you’ve also probably witnessed Roan’s catapult into fame and subsequent fall from grace. Born in Willard, Missouri, Roan has been performing since she was just 13 years old. In 2017, Roan released her first single, Good Hurt. Later that year, Roan signed with Atlantic Records, releasing an EP titled School Nights. By 2018, Roan had uprooted her life, moving to Los Angeles to pursue her dream of being a performer.
In 2020, Roan released her hit single, Pink Pony Club which was wildly successful. Despite the single’s success, Roan’s luck suddenly turned. Upon the release of two more singles, Atlantic Records was unsatisfied with Roan’s profits, ultimately dropping her from their label. After the loss of her record deal with Atlantic, Roan found work in many odd jobs such as a production assistant, barista and nanny to support herself.
Over the following two years, Roan continued to create music and independently release content, ultimately earning her a deal with Sony in 2022. By 2023, Roan had released her debut album: The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, which was relatively successful. When Roan opened for Olivia Rodrigo’s “Guts Tour,” and released her hit single Good Luck Babe, it catapulted her into unprecedented popularity. By the time Roan performed at Coachella in April, her Spotify listeners had increased by 500% over two months. This brings us to the present day. As of October 2024, Chappell Roan has amassed over 44 million monthly listeners, selling out venues worldwide. Hailed the queen of queer pop, Roan has made quite the name for herself.
Despite having been in the industry for almost a decade, Roan’s sudden launch into stardom was a harsh 180 from just two years before, working three jobs to sustain herself and pursue her dream. Alongside her sudden support, Roan has faced criticism for her choices and opinions as an artist. In late August, Roan made a post to her Instagram, having fallen victim to extreme stalking and harassment from her fanbase. She announced that it was time for her to “draw lines and set boundaries,” writing, “When I’m on stage, when I’m performing, when I’m in drag, when I’m at a work event, when I’m doing press, I am at work. Any other circumstance, I am not in work mode. I am clocked out.” This statement ruffled the feathers of many Roan’s fans, who claimed her statement was “unrealistic” or “ungrateful” to her fanbase.
Later, Roan faced continuing backlash for opting out of performing at the White House’s pride event. Roan — a staunch advocate for the statehood of Palestine — was uncomfortable with performing at the White House, considering the United States’s unwavering support for Israel and Biden’s choices surrounding the war. Arguably, Roan’s greatest controversy took place when she made her stance around the upcoming presidential election, articulating why she would not endorse a candidate. In a TikTok video, Roan made it clear that she is not a fan of the two-party system and believes that there are deeply rooted issues in both parties worthy of criticism. For that reason, Roan reserved her right to not endorse a candidate but encouraged her fans to use critical thinking skills and to vote in local elections.
This video produced public outrage, with many of her fans arguing that not endorsing Kamala Harris, the objectively more pro-LGBTQ+ candidate, was inconsiderate to her largely queer fanbase. In a response video, Roan clarified that she is, in fact, voting for Kamala Harris in the presidential election, encouraging her fans to vote in local and general elections alike.
In response to the extreme backlash she faced for sharing her opinion on endorsing a candidate, Roan made the decision to cancel her performance at “All Things Go,” a wildly popular music festival. Roan wrote, “Things have gotten overwhelming over the past few weeks and I am really feeling it…I feel pressures to prioritize a lot of things right now and I need a few days to prioritize my health.” Naturally, fans were disappointed in her choice to cancel her set. However, many distinctly criticized Roan for prioritizing her mental well-being, asserting that she cannot just decide to “not perform,” and had no reason to cancel her set because of how she was feeling.
Chappell Roan and her rise to fame is a prime example of a deeper issue in our society: our strange, parasocial culture surrounding celebrities. It’s easy to feel somehow “connected” to a celebrity you love; it’s not uncommon to be moved by a piece of art created by a celebrity, and after all, art is meant to make you feel. However, as a culture we have moved too far in one direction— treating celebrities as if they were our best friends. This deluded fallacy only encourages fans to fall into the throws of parasocial connection. Yet, in a strange contradiction, we toss celebrities to the curb when they ultimately do not align with a personal viewpoint or opinion.
This strange paradox is at the core of the concept of the parasocial culture of celebrities — we treat stars like people we personally know and love when in reality, they are truly strangers to us. When we construct this specific image of a celebrity in our imagination, we fundamentally dehumanize them. We deceive ourselves into believing that the constructed image of our favorite celebrities is how they must be in real life. In the same vein, we get our feelings hurt when we don’t agree with every take, action, emotion or expression of a celebrity we “stan.” Time and time again, we see instances of so-called “fans” stalking and harassing celebrities they love. Yet, in the same breath, we see fans slamming their “favorite artist” for being a human being: having opinions, making mistakes, and feeling their emotions.
When a celebrity — like Chappell Roan — no longer fits the confining role of our constructed image, they are brutally criticized and condemned, treated as sub-human. By scrutinizing Roan for taking a break from touring for her mental health purposes, or choosing not to perform at events that negate her ideological beliefs, we further solidify the notion that celebrities only exist to entertain and please us, reducing them to non-human. We have reached a point where we are so detached from reality and entangled with the concept of the “celebrity” that we garner no sympathy for the struggles of our fellow man.
Celebrities are not robots. They are human beings who love their craft, and just so happened to make it big. It’s time to face the music and detach ourselves from our parasocial connections to celebrities, and start understanding them for what they are: people.