The singer Chappell Roan recently made headlines for apparently releasing a furious rant, condemning her own fans. Was she slinging insults and burning bridges? No, all she did was make a video in which she clearly and concisely asserts her boundaries, asking for privacy and reminding her fans that although they may enjoy and support the fruits of her musical labour, they don't actually know her.
"It's weird how people think that you know a person just because you see them online and you listen to the art they make," she said, admitting that sometimes she gets uncomfortable when people scream in her face on the street, and that when asked to pose for photos and sign autographs, she'd quite like the option to refuse without being branded rude.
Chappell ended her video with the statement, “I’m allowed to say no to creepy behaviour.” Naturally, this has sent the internet into an uproar, with those who disagree branding her ungrateful, unworthy of her fame and not cut out for a life of pop stardom.
There's a perceived ownership of beloved celebrities that is at best protective and at worst incredibly invasive. A “parasocial relationship” refers to the one-sided bond you might feel with a celebrity or public figure through which you feel intimately connected to someone who is, in reality, a perfect stranger.
They're not a new phenomenon, but the internet has provided the perfect breeding ground for unhealthy attachment and perceived proximity. Many celebrities offer direct and frequent insight into their daily lives, vulnerability which unfortunately can lead some people to develop parasocial attachments.
Chappell is perhaps feeling this invasion more acutely than most musical stars who have achieved her level of popularity, as her entrance........