Chappell Roan and the problem with fandom

If we want to change toxic fan behavior, we have to rethink fandom itself. vox.com/culture CULTURE   Way back when (read: 2008), I had a Jonas Brothers obsession so deep, so pure, so intense that I once hurled myself in front of their tour bus in a desperate attempt to get their attention. My twisted ploy to merely be acknowledged by a musical group I adored almost put me in harm’s way. All of which is to say: Fandom makes people do wild things. Few entertainers feel that pain as acutely as Chappell Roan. After her meteoric rise over the past year, Roan has had her fair share of brushes with toxic stans to the point where she [made a pair of Tiktoks]( begging for an end to the “abuse and harassment, stalking.” This week, my colleague Aja Romano analyzed[the rise of problematic fandom:]( when appreciating art and its creator morphs into fans feeling entitled to the celebrity’s time and space. I’m continually fascinated by Aja’s encyclopedic knowledge of fandom; in this piece, they map how a phenomenon that might seem relegated to certain A-listers like Roan or Taylor Swift actually extends much further than you might think. —[Allie Volpe](//link.vox.com/click/36866351.9461/aHR0cHM6Ly94LmNvbS9tZWxpbmRhZmFrdWFkZT91ZWlkPTNhNTA3ZmY1ZmYzNzViYTNjYWU5MjFkMzUzMTNiN2Nk/6094319a7418d377a33af3d5C31f3bf0e//link.vox.com/click/36866351.9461/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9hbGFubmE_dWVpZD0zYTUwN2ZmNWZmMzc1YmEzY2FlOTIxZDM1MzEzYjdjZA/6094319a7418d377a33af3d5Ce82fdf1c, senior reporter Chappell Roan and the problem with fandom [pop star Chappell Roan in a sparkly pink dress on stage]( Jim Dyson/Getty Images Having devoted fans can be a terrifying and fraught thing for a public figure to experience — and increasingly, the celebs are telling us about it. The latest round of toxic fandom discourse arguably started with Chappell Roan, who made headlines in August for speaking out against her own fans, elaborating in a pair of TikToks about fan harassment, stalking, inappropriate behavior, and bullying. “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,” the “Good Luck Babe” singer said. “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. It doesn’t mean that I want it; it doesn’t mean that I like it.” She’s clearly not alone: The sheer number of [celebrities who’ve either spoken out publicly or reached out privately in support of Roan]( after her TikTok rant is huge, a range of high-profile stars from Katy Perry to Lady Gaga, from Jewel to Elton John. What Roan is describing here is an increasing trend around the globe. Fandom has changed over the last decade to become more of a discourse, but while celebs have had to hear more and more of what fans have to say, now fans are getting a peek at what their actions mean to their favorite stars — and a lot of it is not so flattering. It’s unclear whether the celebrities’ pushback is making the situation better or if their protests will ever reach the most entitled fans and paparazzi — those for whom celebrities are less like people and more like collectible Pokémon. All of this suggests that Chappell Roan’s fans, and even her paparazzi, aren’t the problem: [It’s the increasingly toxic nature of celebrity fandom itself](. [Read the full story »]( The cultural power of the anti-woke tech bro The aesthetic of Cybertrucks, energy drinks, and MMA, explained. [Read the full story »]( 7 questions — and zero conspiracy theories — about the allegations against Sean “Diddy” Combs Everything we know about the growing case against the music mogul. [Read the full story »](   Support our work We aim to explain what we buy, why we buy it, and why it matters. Support our mission by making a gift today. [Give](   More good stuff to read today - [Why do we say “like,” like, all the time?]( - [Why America hates to love chicken nuggets]( - [Sally Rooney’s new book is an exquisite return to form]( - [Is making friends as an adult really hard, or is it just me?]( - [Should I sacrifice my emergency savings to pay off a loan?]( - [Agatha All Along is a Marvel show you don’t have to do homework for](   [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [YouTube]( Manage your [email preferences]( or [unsubscribe](param=culture). If you value Vox’s unique explanatory journalism, support our work with a one-time or recurring [contribution](. View our [Privacy Policy]( and our [Terms of Service](. Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Floor 12, Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved.