Chappell Roan’s Journey Redefining “Celebrity”
Graphics by Maria Masek
Chappell Roan is an LGBTQ+ pop icon who has graced the world with massive hits such as “Pink Pony Club,” “Good Luck, Babe!,” and her notorious debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, which includes the hit song “Hot To Go.” She has constantly been in the media due to her prominent social media presence, but also due to numerous controversies.
Roan is known for her “camp- and drag queen-influenced aesthetic.” This aesthetic, and Roan openly being a lesbian, has garnered a large LGBTQ+ following, and she has happily taken on the role of an LGBTQ+ spokesperson and activist.
The artist has been outspoken about any and all abuses in the music industry, but also within society. She has received immense levels of backlash because of this, which begs the question: is society ready for an outspoken gay woman to take the spotlight?
Roan rapidly rose to fame with little time to adapt. She quickly found many of the perks of being famous, but also the drawbacks. She has equated fame to an abusive husband: “I feel like fame is just abusive. The vibe of this– stalking, talking shit online [people who] won’t leave you alone, yelling at you in public– is the vibe of an abusive ex-husband…That’s what it feels like. I didn’t know it would feel this bad.”
In response to the abrasive treatment she has received from fans, she posted a notes-style Instagram post explicitly demanding boundaries be made not just for her, but for every woman everywhere. She explains that she does not believe she owes time to strangers, even if they are expressing admiration to her, which dismantles the expected parasocial relationship between fan and celebrity. She emphasizes the importance of herself, writing on her instagram, “There is a part of myself that I save just for my project and all of you. There is a part of myself that is just for me, and I don’t want that taken away from me.”
This post received both backlash and positive feedback. Many celebrities reposted, sharing that they, too, need more privacy and need to be respected as people rather than brands. Shawn Mendes, for example, reposted it and wrote, "Well said @chappellroan❤️🩹."
Chappel Roan disclosed to the Guardian , “Everything that I really love to do now comes with baggage. If I want to go thrifting, I have to book security and prepare myself that this is not going to be normal. Going to the park, pilates, yoga - how do I do this in a safe way where I’m not going to be stalked or harassed?”
In another Instagram post, Roan wrote, “This job is very difficult for me to process and maintain a healthy life & mindset. I’m working through it and I’m grateful I have the means to afford therapy and occasional time off.” This transparency is something we are seeing more and more regarding mental health. A once taboo topic (look how people treated Britney Spears’ blatant cries for help) is now becoming more normalized, and Roan is helping in this. She also admits she’s still learning to navigate this new attention. She knows that she is not perfect, which increases her ethos appeal greatly while sounding more humble and relatable to non-celebrities.
One interesting thing about Chappell Roan is that she doesn’t give a shit about what you have to say about her, and she is putting her safety first. She even threatened to quit being a pop star if it ever gets too dangerous; something that, to our knowledge, we have never seen before.
She is loud, abrasive, queer, and she is outspoken, everything that society hates in a woman.This is what makes her so awesome and also what makes her more susceptible to criticism. She’s incredibly confrontational, and that is the exact reason she’s so criticized. Women in the public eye are supposed to be compromising, kind, and…well, perfect. She’s not.
Roan is starting an enlightening conversation. Since being a celebrity means you’re in the spotlight, does that mean you must accept injustices that come with the job, just because that’s how they’ve always been? Or is it worth taking a step back and realizing that some of these actions are not okay, and maybe it’s time they need to change?
Not only is Chappell Roan outspoken about the importance of her safety, she is also an incredible advocate for LGBTQ+ and trans rights. Almost every Instagram post or acceptance speech by Roan includes some mention of her queer fans, and how they deserve love just like everyone else. She has been called our generation's Lady Gaga, not just because of the similar “out-there” looks but for their advocacy for the gay community ( let it be known: I grew UP on Gaga!).
Many celebrities are criticized for taking advantage of their platforms and failing to post about things that “matter”, whatever that might mean to you. But Roan is always using her platform to promote gay and trans rights.
One particular criticism of Roan was her refusal to endorse a candidate in the 2024 presidential election. Many fans felt she was being very hypocritical to be advocating for gay rights but refusing to endorse Kamala Harris while her opponent, Donald Trump, is notoriously against the LGBTQ+ community.
She said, “I have many issues with our government in every way. There are so many things that I would want to change. So I don’t feel pressured to endorse someone. There’s problems on both sides. I encourage people to use your critical thinking skills, use your vote– vote small, vote for what’s going on in your city.”
Many fans were upset with this so she further clarified what she meant in a TikTok, saying that she is of course voting for Harris, but she does not want to endorse her as a candidate because she encourages her fans to stay critical of both sides. Particularly, she is unhappy with the left’s neglect of trans support and of the genocide in Gaza. She said, “This is not me playing both sides. This is me questioning both sides because this is what we have in front of us.”
Even recently, she was criticized for her Grammy award acceptance speech for Best New Artist, in which she demanded that record labels help their smaller artists and ensure them a liveable wage. She said, “If you want to profit off of someone else’s art, that artist should have the basic living means to feel safe enough to create that art.” She has received backlash for this (for some reason), and in the same acceptance speech, also promoted trans rights.
We at Jerk think that Chappell Roan is making a lot of changes in the celebrity world that may be long overdue. Before this project, I thought Roan was abrasive and unkind. I now see, though, that’s exactly what the media wants us to think of a woman who is demanding respect from her fans and others. It is refreshing to see a celebrity using her platform for good and advocating for groups that need it, and doing so unapologetically. She is aware of her starkly different approach to fame than other artists, saying she’d be “more successful if [she] wore a muzzle,” but that does not stop her from speaking her truth, and speaking about things that matter. Maybe Roan and people like her are the people that actually should be famous. She is every PR team's worst nightmare and every queer person’s dream.
Sources for further information: