I’m sure you’ve heard the name Chappell Roan before–whether it be whilst roaming a grocery store or merely sitting in class. As she rose to fame with her latest single, “Good Luck, Babe!”, there is no denying that she is on her way to slowly become a household name. With her signature red curls and bold attitude, her songs add on to her uniqueness by defying recent genre trends. So, amidst all her well-deserved success, why is she being greeted with unpleasant opinions?
Her “controversial” demeanor came into existence once she spoke up about wanting space. People have since then twisted her words to make it appear that she is ungrateful for her sudden rise to fame. My problem with the people’s stance is that Roan said nothing too shocking. The stage name “Chappell Roan” is an entirely different persona from “Kayleigh Rose”, her actual self.
Roan simply stated that she can be walked up to whenever she’s in her “Chappell Roan” mode – wearing drag, performing, or doing press. Her only request is to not be approached outside of her artist persona, as Kayleigh Rose, and for her family to not get harassed.
Her request is reasonable, she’s famous as Chappell Roan not Kayleigh Rose. Most of her haters consist of people insecure of her fame and so they use her need for space as an excuse to indirectly bully her, but let me ask you this: if you rose to fame for the first time in ten years, wouldn’t you require time to adapt to your new life? Wouldn’t you find it unfair that people have randomly begun to practically harass you for a conversation outside of your workspace?
As it seems that people are just hungry to cancel Roan, they deemed her political stance controversial as well. However, did she truly say anything wrong? It’s only acceptable to have a personal opinion, she is grown after all. There is no problem with not wishing to endorse either political party; they both undeniably have faults. People claim that she has no reason to get political, but others are praised for elaborating on their thoughts related to politics.
Roan has also explicitly called out invasive and rude photographers, which stirred up more unreasonable controversy. However, once men stand up for themselves against rude paparazzi, they receive praise. I feel that the hate towards Roan is mainly powered by sexism.
Roan’s authenticity is to be admired. People have been wishing for a celebrity who keeps it real and doesn’t play a facade; we have one right now, but it seems that nobody shows appreciation towards women trying their absolute best to create a true fanbase. We should all be collectively grateful that someone has finally decided to take action against the unfair assault female celebrities have to silently face.
As I see it, Roan is paving the way to a true “femininomenon” for silenced women and girls everywhere. She is laying a foundation for more young female celebrities to speak up for themselves, and her project supporting charities such as “For The Gworls”, “The GLO Center”, “The Trevor Project” and Gaza relief further proves that she is using her fame for good by encouraging fans to help those in need.
Considering Roan’s good qualities that overpower the unknown bad, the hate around her is exaggerated and is only aimed towards her through jealousy, sexism and inner misogyny. It’s safe to say that no matter how you personally feel about Chappell Roan, she is with no doubt, the “super graphic ultra modern girl” of our generation and we must cherish her steps taken in order to provide a safe environment for young women who are wishing to be celebrities.