Chappell Roan Is Fighting A Losing Battle With Her Fans

21 hour ago

Forbes

Chappell Roan sparked controversy after refusing to endorse Kamala Harris, then took to TikTok to explain her reasoning. (Photo by Erika Goldring/Getty Images)

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Chappell Roan has again pushed back against the expectations of her fanbase, as the outspoken star declined to endorse Kamala Harris for president, but revealed she would be voting for her.

Tension is rising as the deadline to the U.S. election draws nearer, and pop fans have been pressuring their favorite stars to back their preferred candidate—superstar Taylor Swift previously faced a wave of backlash for staying silent, before succumbing to the pressure and posting an enthusiastic endorsement for Kamala Harris on Instagram.

Swifties got the endorsement they wanted from the massively influential pop star, but Chappell Roan has repeatedly refused to cater to her fanbase, shining a spotlight on the intense expectations and demands of fame.

Chappell Roan’s Endorsement Controversy, Explained

Fans took offense after Roan told The Guardian that she would not be endorsing a political candidate, stating:

“I have so 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.”

In the same interview, Roan made it clear that she supports the LGBTQ community, highlighting “trans rights” as the biggest change she wanted to see in the US this election year.

“They cannot have cis people making decisions for trans people, period,” she said.

Roan’s reasoning was fairly articulate, but the “both sides” quote went viral after being plucked out of the interview and posted across multiple pop culture accounts, devoid of context.

The quote sparked fierce backlash from fans and LGBTQ activists terrified of living under another Trump presidency, with many labeling Roan as a “privileged” centrist, insulated by her newfound wealth and fame.

Roan took to TikTok to explain her reasoning and repeated her full quote, to ensure the context wasn’t lost in the noise. Roan asked fans to use their "critical thinking skills" and stated her intent to be "part of a generation that changes things for good."

She concluded her video by clarifying that she would not be voting for Donald Trump, and simply wanted to question those in power. The video, however, seemed to intensify the backlash.

Hence, Roan followed up with a second TikTok, seemingly frustrated that her point was being missed. In the video, Roan emphasized that she was not happy with many of the Democratic policies on the left concerning trans rights, Palestine and “every marginalized community in the world.”

“There is no way I can stand behind some of the left’s completely transphobic and completely genocidal views,” she said.

Roan went on to clarify, “This is not me playing both sides. This is me questioning both sides because this is what we have in front of us.”

Roan concluded by telling her fans to vote for “who in your mind is the best option” and pleaded with her viewers not to “settle for what we have.”

The backlash didn’t stop, but Roan’s clarification sparked a fierce debate about progressive values and the political weaponization of queer identity.

Some commentators pointed out that Roan’s reasoning had been perfectly clear, and proposed that the best course of action would be to move on.

Heated discourse over a political endorsement from a pop star highlights the shifting relations between fans and celebrities, with modern fandoms demanding not just relatability, but political action from their favorite stars.

Chappell Roan Previously Pushed Back Against Fan’s Expectations

Roan is no stranger to the concept of fans crossing boundaries; indeed, the singer has been refreshingly candid about the bitter realities of fame, opening up about the negative effect on her mental health and pushing back against the entitlement of obsessive fans.

While many celebrities seek to kindle parasocial relationships with their fans and strengthen the illusion of intimacy, Roan has bluntly told her fanbase that she is a complete stranger to them; fans only know the persona, not the person.

In a pair of TikToks that went viral in August, Roan told her most obsessive fans: “I don’t care that abuse and harassment, stalking, whatever, is a normal thing to do to people who are famous or a little famous. I don’t care that it’s normal; I don’t care that this crazy type of behavior comes along with the job, this career field that I’ve chosen. That does not make it okay. That does not make it normal.”

Roan followed up by reminding her fans that they do not know her, even if they think they do.

“It’s weird how people think that you know a person just ’cause you see them online or you listen to the art they make,” she said. “That’s f**king weird. I’m allowed to say no to creepy behavior, okay?”