Why Do We NEED To Know Who Chappell Is Voting For?
Pop culture’s newest fixation, Chappell Roan, has recently sparked another controversy — fans are outraged that she has refused to endorse either candidate in the US election. Known for her candid lyrics and unfiltered personality, Roan has faced harsh backlash from fans who expected a more overt political stance from her; many interpreted her reluctance to endorse as an attempt to avoid politics altogether. The controversy reveals the kind of political lasermaze that celebrities are trapped in — with silence being unacceptable, they are dragged into the political narrative whether they like it or not. And this raises a larger question about modern fandoms: why are fans pressuring celebrities to reveal who they are voting for?
Roan’s original comments were printed in The Guardian: ‘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.’
Accusations of playing both sides, of being a privileged centrist, and even a Trump supporter were quickly fired at Roan. But these claims have majorly misunderstood the context of Roan’s comments. As someone who donates her merchandise profits to aid Palestine, ferociously advocates for queer rights, and previously declined to perform at the White House due to political reasons, Roan has never shied away from addressing political issues. Her stance is far from apathy or centrist — many simply misunderstood the point she was trying to make.
In a follow up TikTok, she clarified: ‘Endorsing and voting are completely different. I don’t agree with a lot of what is going on with the policies, like, obviously f*** the policies of the right but also f*** some of the policies on the left. That’s why I can’t endorse. That’s why I can’t put my entire name and my entire project behind one.’ Angered at having to spell out her views so simplistically, Roan bluntly stated: ‘Yeah. I’m voting for f***ing Kamala’.
Rather than sitting in the middle, Roan is advocating for more radical leftist change than the current administration offers; she expressed her concerns about the ‘completely transphobic and completely genocidal views’ of the left.
The misinterpretation of Roan’s feelings speaks volumes about the current political landscape. In an era of extreme polarisation, it is often assumed that a critique of the left must indicate support for the right. But this binary thinking does not allow for the complexity of political beliefs — and Roan’s perspective speaks directly to that complexity. Her comments are a reflection of the internal conflict many progressive voters currently feel: that the left is preferable to the right, but it still doesn’t promise the change they want to see. And this is a reality of living under a two-party system, not a moral failing on her part.
What’s most striking about this controversy is that it reveals how fans often project their own political ideas onto celebrities, expecting them to represent their views perfectly. By refusing to subscribe to the ‘Kamala Is Brat’ mentality, like hordes of other celebrities have done, Roan has fallen victim to sudden dislike. Fans are disappointed because many of them expected her to fit neatly into the mould of other young, progressive artists who have enthusiastically endorsed Harris. But Roan has never fit neatly into any mould, and she has never promised to.
Roan is pushing back against the demands of modern fandoms. In today’s landscape, stars are under increasing pressure to not only entertain, but to also perform politically — in a specific, public way that leaves little room for nuance. It seems that many fans rely on celebrities to give blanket endorsements, or clear-cut political statements, in order to make sense of their own ideas. But expecting celebrities to always provide simple answers isn’t just unrealistic, it’s limiting. Celebrities, like any citizens, should be allowed to navigate their political stances without being boxed into an all-or-nothing narrative.
By challenging these expectations, Roan is engaging in the kind of authenticity that is increasingly rare. Instead of bending to the pressures of modern fandoms, she has chosen to speak her messy, complex truth, without fear of alienating parts of her fanbase — a commendable authenticity which should be cherished. After all, Roan is engaging with politics in a way that we would hope all voters would: with scepticism, honesty, and a desire for genuine change.
