From the depths of stardom rises a new cultural phenomenon: pop stars establishing their boundaries and changing the expectations of modern public figures. Chappell Roan is at the front of this cultural shift. Among other mainstream musicians, she is speaking out to redefine what it means to be a pop star. Known for her artistic spunk, queer identity, and presence in the drag scene, Roan has become a recognizable face in the performing arts world—and an even more recognizable voice on the radio. Roan attended the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, where a clip from the award show began to spiral on social media. In the clip, a crowd member at the VMA’s could be heard among the commotion shouting, “Shut the f*ck up!” to someone in their vicinity. Roan turned, pointing at them and yelling back: “You shut the f*ck up!”
Whoever the VMA’s attendee was talking to, one thing remains clear: this was another example of interviewers overstepping boundaries and acting as if public figures are emotionless drones—expendable tools for their entertainment. Unfortunately, this was not an uncommon thing to witness coming from paparazzi. For ages, the public has expressed a lack of professionalism when interacting with celebrities, often asking personal questions or even using derogatory and objectifying profanity against them. Celebrities are frequently told to expect creepy and stalker-adjacent behavior from the press, a devastatingly normalized behavior in the world of fame. Pop stars must adhere to the standards that the media crafts for them, and if they do not, they are bombarded with backlash and criticism. These rigid standards create a harsh pretense that celebrities must tolerate hostility from their fans simply because of their celebrity status.
Today, but especially during the 1990s and 2000s, the press would pepper celebrities with inappropriate questions about their bodies, relationships, habits, or sexual identities. One of the most notable pop stars of that era, Britney Spears, was objectified by the paparazzi and turned into a machine for the press to make the most profit. Spears had little autonomy over her own decisions, which publicists used to their advantage by stalking and harassing her. The cruel abuse of female pop stars is deeply rooted in sexism—there is an irrefutable desire of the press to control successful women and shape them to their liking, often for monetary gain. In many ways, Spears’ negative experiences, and most importantly, her recent defiance of the public’s view of her, paved the way for Chappell Roan’s rise as a pop star under a shifting spotlight.
Social media makes it relatively easy for people to communicate with artists, many of whom regularly interact with their fans. However, this does not invite fans to use their private information against them. Roan experienced people following her outside, stalking her family, and even some admirers referring to her as her birth name instead of her preferred drag persona name. Some of these instances are well-intentioned, a result of fans wanting to interact with their idols. Still, there is no excuse for making celebrities feel unsafe. Many admirers of Roan who feel comforted by her music—particularly queer and gender-expansive fans who feel pride seeing a gay artist in the spotlight—often resort to treating her like a friend rather than a public figure, which is inherently problematic. What these fans fail to realize is how inappropriate it is to treat her in a way that encourages toxic, parasocial online relationships with celebrities.
Following intense behavior from her fanbase, Roan released a statement, establishing that artists do not owe their audiences anything and deserve to be treated with respect. She expressed that she does not “agree with the notion” that she “owe[s] a mutual exchange of energy, time, or attention” to the public “just because they’re expressing admiration” (via Instagram). Roan encountered backlash for her message from people claiming that she was too sensitive, that she should have expected that behavior, or even that it was her fault for choosing that career path.
Given the public’s mishandling of female celebrities in the past, they must assert their boundaries, especially coming from a queer woman in the mainstream music industry. Establishing boundaries and separating themselves from the public helps them to regain control over the narrative the media has created.
Roan posted a video online, reiterating that “it’s weird how people think that you know a person just because you see them online and you listen to the art they make” (TikTok). There is a severe lack of representation when it comes to queer-identifying people in the music industry. However, that is no excuse for fans to objectify their queer idols or harbor an obsessive and one-sided attachment to them. These obsessions most commonly lead to the false belief that celebrities owe their fans something.
As the 2024 presidential election draws near, fans have been pressuring their favorite influencers and celebrities to endorse a politician. While some fans do this to raise awareness of important societal issues, others only want their idols to validate their opinions. Fans and the press urged Chappell Roan to endorse a candidate, but she refused. Her refusal sparked controversy among her followers, who questioned why she would not endorse a politician who aligns with her influences as an artist. Pop stars are not politicians who should not be expected to endorse a candidate.
While it is a privilege to be able to be quiet on political issues and still have a massive platform, Roan’s actions and contributions to today’s political atmosphere as a queer and trans activist speak for themselves. Moreover, her censure of the American political system supported Roan’s refusal to endorse a politician, stating that both sides are flawed. Celebrities should use their platform to speak about social issues, but most do not have the political background to endorse a candidate. Fans need to conduct their own research on today’s issues and avoid looking to their idols to influence their political opinions. We should all do our part to remain socially aware, including not believing everything we see our favorite celebrities saying or doing. Artists can voice opinions and use their platforms for justice and action while acknowledging flaws in our political system.
A few weeks after refusing to endorse a candidate, Roan canceled her shows at the “All Things Go” festival in New York City and Maryland to prioritize her mental health, causing an influx of enraged fans. Many of these fans bought tickets for the festival specifically to see Roan perform. While being frustrated by her cancellation is reasonable, performers are people with real struggles and priorities. It is unfair and an invasion of privacy for people to speculate on why Roan canceled. Roan does not owe people anything for canceling a show she feels uncomfortable performing at. Being a pop star is a privilege, but it is also a job, and people should be allowed to prioritize their mental and physical health.
Instead of targeting Roan for her unprofessionalism, we should challenge the society we live in that puts unrealistic expectations on people to neglect their mental health and personal needs for the sake of contributing to the workforce. By canceling and reminding people that everyone, no matter their social status, is allowed to prioritize their well-being, Roan contributes a realistic, humane quality to being famous. Her job as a musician is to perform, not be an object of entertainment for others.
Celebrities do not owe their fans answers to every question or responses to every accusation. At the end of the day, performers are humans. It is so important for people with platforms to confront issues with their fame because of how it reshapes the way we think and behave toward celebrities. Because of people like Chappell Roan, who are honest and straightforward with their platforms, we are taking strides away from the harmful behavior of the past and instead are moving toward a reinvented sense of empathy and respect toward celebrities as we know them.
