Popstar or Political Influence?
Chappell Roan at Hollywood Palladium. Photo by Justin Higuchi from Flickr.
On March 25, Chappell Roan was a guest on the popular podcast “Call Her Daddy.” The podcast, hosted by Alex Cooper, provides a safe and comfortable space for celebrities to answer questions that would probably not be asked in a normal interview setting.
Cooper, who’s known for her questions that tend to dig deeper than normal interview questions, is never one to shy away from getting personal. As for Chappell Roan, the newly emerged popstar’s answers to some of Cooper’s questions were quick to spark controversy with viewers.
Roan spoke about her difficulty with trying to adapt to the fame that's been recently thrust upon her, and how it’s been hard to acclimate to her new lifestyle.
She touched on her feelings about being put in a political spotlight saying “...why the f*ck are you looking to me for some political answer? You think that I have the f*cking answer? Like I’m a popstar. I wish I had the answers. I wish the president was a pop star, but she’s not.” These statements made many people start to question whether we should be looking to artists for political influence.
Students have weighed in on Roan’s comments. “I 1000% think that artist’s political views should be kept separate from their music,” said Shane Mulvey ‘28. “People aren’t listening to music for political reasons…I listen to music and certain artists because I enjoy their music…I think artists should be politically informed but I also think everyone should. Just because they’re famous doesn’t mean they shouldn’t know what’s going on in the world of politics. However, I’m not listening to a song thinking ‘Damn! I wonder who this artist voted for?’ It’s stupid.”
“Artists should use their platform for good, like through raising money for beneficial charities,” said Seilah Quinones ‘27.
“I also think that artists using their platform for political messages is very effective. For example, ‘Zombie’ by the Cranberries, ‘American Idiot’ by Green Day, and ‘Strange Fruit’ by Billie Holiday are all recognized examples of this. However, if a celebrity is stating a controversial opinion in an entitled or ignorant manner, then it is not going to be received well, even if it is their own opinion,” Quinones added.
Roan received a lot of pushback for her controversial opinion, but there were also many who agreed with her. Whether or not this was a “hot take” on her part, it does make you wonder whether we should question who the ones influencing us are, especially when it comes to issues that not only affect us, but others as well. Chappell Roan’s comment reminds us that if we are misinformed about politics or want to learn more, maybe we shouldn’t be looking to pop stars for education.