Chappell Roan & The Social Contract

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By the time Chappell Roan takes the stage at the VMAs this coming Thursday night, many articles, posts, and comments will have been written about her antagonizing relationship with fame, and with fans.

In a battle of opinions that is too reminiscent of a political debate between social contact and the state of nature, it is clear that whatever the outcome, Kayleigh Rose, the human behind the singer, is the one who stands to lose the most.

“I know you wanted me to stay But I can't ignore the crazy visions of me in LA And I heard that there's a special place Where boys and girls can all be queens every single day”

Pink Pony Club by Chappell Roan

“... it is one thing to desire, another to be in capacity fit for what we desire.”

Thomas Hobbes

For those not familiar with Chappell Roan, here’s a brief catch-up:

When she was only 17 years old, Chappell released her first song on YouTube (Die Young), signing with Atlantic Record soon after in 2017, and dropping out of high school to pursue her music career. Between then and now, Atlantic dropped her, she became independent and almost gave up hope of breaking through until 2022-2023, when she signed up to open for Olivia Rodrigo’s Gut World Tour and released her album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess through Island Records.

Cut to early 2024 when her new single Good Luck, Babe, coupled with her stellar performances at Governor’s Ball and Coachella catapulted her to mainstream fame and to being “Your favorite artist’s favorite artist”.

It is a Cinderella story mixed with proof that sometimes it takes almost a decade to break into any industry.

It is also a sad tale of the tall price of fame.

“I just wanna get to know ya Guess I didn't quite think it through (nah-uh, girl) Fell in love with the thought of you Now I'm choked up, face down, burnt out”

Red Wine Supernova by Chappell Roan

“Each of us puts his person ... under the supreme direction of the general will.”

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

On her appearance on the podcast, The Comment Section in July, the singer addressed her worries that her personal addresses, including family homes and her sister's workplace, had been made public by a a fan who ran a fan account on TikTok with over 90k followers.

Subsequentially, in a Rolling Stone article, Chappell alleged a stalker had been to her family's and also paid a visit to her hotel room during a stay in New York.

“So now I have to have security,” was her de facto answer.

The traumatizing events evolved into Chappell complaining about her safety, and consequentially asking her fans to understand she does not feel safe when approached by them outside performance spaces.

In a series of social media posts, including open letters and TikTok videos, Chappell stood her ground affirming she doesn’t “owe you shit”. A fairly simple view that sparked a social media debate about the social contract between celebrities and their fans.

A lot of the fans seemed to understand the difference between Chappell Roan and Kayleigh Rose, the human behind the singer's persona, while others defended her right to set boundaries.

But as the comment sections grew, and the commentary videos on social spread far and wide, a segment of privileged fans started calling out their right to claim her time.

In the view of a disturbing amount of people, they were entitled to have access to a celebrity simply because liking and playing their music, or buying their art, equals to paying them for their time. As if Chappell was under a sort of binding contract with her fans in which she can never clock out at the end of the day.

It is worrying to see this kind of simplistic view of the parasocial relationship between fans and their idols still being spewed out, especially by Millennials, who have seen the high toll it can take on public figures.

It is easy to recall the image of Britney’s breakdown in 2007, when stricken by grief and a lack of privacy, she attacked a paparazzi’s car, right after shaving her head. Such was the state of her mental health against the backdrop of attention that media and fans demanded of her at the time.

Yet fewer might remember when an unhappy stalker shot and killed rising pop star Christina Grimmie during a live concert in 2016.

Are we really entitled, or even deserving, of celebrities’ attention, when fear for their safety seems to be in jeopardy?

“I thought you thought of me better Someone you couldn't lose You said, "We're not together" So now when we kiss, I have anger issues”

Casual by Chappell Roan

“The first and fundamental law of Nature, which is, to seek peace and follow it.”

Thomas Hobbes

Following the stalking incidents, in early August, Chappell decided to scale back on her work commitments: “A few years ago I said if [there were] stalker vibes, like if my family was in danger, [this] is when I would quit. And we’re there.”

The social discourse died down for a few days, and then cancellations across her European leg of the tour started to happen.

Fans were again outraged, especially when they noticed that some of the canceled dates coincided with her eminent performance at this year’s VMAs.

Chappell Roan is no stranger to swinging tides. She has been open in interviews about her struggles with being bipolar herself, and how audience perception can affect her mood.

It is then paradoxical that her young fanbase, the Gen Z and Millennial kind that will roar online about respecting boundaries and the importance of mental health, would fail to see and understand the human side, and the personal desires of their favorite artist.

How many of us grew up in our rooms, with a loud CD player in the background, lip-synching on a hairbrush in front of the mirror, pretending to be performing at the VMAs?

Wouldn’t it be only fair that we’d allow someone we’re a fan of the fulfillment of their dream too? Wouldn’t we be able to show grace to someone struggling with their mental health and feelings of safety to enjoy something they need?

According to research by the Thriving Center of Psychology, 39% of respondents said a goal for their new year was to allow themselves to say no. A whopping 56% would choose to prioritize self-care, and 24% would prefer to limit time with draining people.

But in a perverse twist of events, the same demographic would deny Chappell Roan the same rights.

The social contract we establish with celebrities is much more akin to the Hobbesian definition of a State of Nature: it is chaotic and lawless, and everyone only narrowly sees what is in it for themselves.

“Ladies, you know what I mean And you know what you need and so does he But does it happen? (No) But does it happen? (No) Well, what we really need is a femininomenon (a what?) A femininomenon”

Femininomenon by Chappell Roan

“The strongest is never strong enough to be always the master, unless he transforms that strength into right.”

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

In the just published Rollint Stone interview, Roan says she is trying to rethink her interactions with fans, stating that she won’t respond to the name Kayleigh if asked for a photo on the street.

“They need to see me as a random bitch on the street. You can’t yell at a random bitch who’s on the sidewalk that you don’t know. It’s considered catcalling or harassment.”?

In her own way, she is trying not only to establish a strong set of personal boundaries but also to include new clauses in the existing social contract between celebrities and fans worldwide. She is changing the landscape as it is for other singers, actors, and idols.

Chappell is the Rousseau of pop music, and she only asks each fan to share in the general goodwill, so they can be given exactly what they want… connection through the art, not through the celebrity.

In this way, she might avoid the rise of another Yolanda Saldívar, the convicted murderer of Selena, and at that time, also the president of her fan club.

Chappell might succeed in causing the revolution she foretold us about in her songs.

What we really need is a Femininomenon!

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