“Since this spring, Roan has experienced the kind of rise that makes words like “meteoric” feel quaint. Back in April, she wrapped a stretch of dates opening for her friend Olivia Rodrigo. The tour gave momentum to Roan’s fun, insanely memorable debut, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, released last September. Then came Coachella. Like the rest of the performances that weekend, Roan’s afternoon set was broadcast live on YouTube, and while thousands watched in person, millions more were glued to their screens, sharing and reacting to clips on social media in real time.
“She feared her own sexual identity for a long time. “I was scared of flamboyantly gay people because I was taught that,” she says. “[I realized] people hate flamboyantly gay people because it exudes femininity, and people hate women. Just little things like that that you’re like, ‘Oh, my God, this is so fucked.’
“Roan has had to do some rewiring. Ingrained in her was deep shame about her own sexuality and self. She’s taken parts of it in stride; she still wears the opal purity ring she and her family prayed over when she was younger. “It’s too pretty not to wear it,” she says, showing it off like she just got engaged.
“My visit to Roan’s house took place a day after an embarrassing press conference hosted by then-presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden. Roan and I commiserate over how horrifying both the presser and his recent debate with Trump had been. At the time, Roan’s views echoed those of a lot of young voters, especially in the face of multiple wars, drag bans, and diminished health-care access for both trans people and those seeking abortions. “I’m pretty, ‘Fuck the government, and fuck everything that’s going on right now,’ ” she says, middle fingers in the air. “I don’t have a side because I hate both sides, and I’m so embarrassed about everything going on right now,” (Spanos, 2024).
Yesterday, Rolling Stone published their interview with Chappell Roan. Much of the interview is spent discussing her life as a young queer Midwesterner from a religious family whose values did not always allow her to express her identity and, like much of her fan base, a lifelong struggle with mental health. It’s not jumping to conclusions to say that a part of Chappell Roan’s overnight success is due to the fact that her experiences are highly relatable to many young, particularly queer Americans.
Chappell Roan is a great example of the importance of representation. For the first time ever (as far as I’m aware), an openly lesbian artist has become the face of success in the pop industry, and she’s from the Midwest, and struggles with mental health. She is exactly the icon that so many people need. She actually understands what it’s like because that’s who she is. As a queer person with many queer friends, we are all obsessed. We turn on the radio and hear songs that reflect our and our community’s experiences, and it helps us feel proud, or at least less ashamed.
The question is, is Chappell Roan successful? She has clearly expressed that fame and success aren’t what they’re chalked up to be, in her own words, “Part of me hopes I never have a hit again because then no one will ever expect anything from me again” (Spanos, 2024). Success comes with attention, and attention brings pushback and hate, something ODNR is extremely familiar with already as a government agency.
So, if any large-impact project comes with pushback and hate how do I define what a successful project is? What does ODNR think success is? What do they want it to look like? Is it reducing money spent or getting people to dump less trash in the park? Should successful waste reduction be voluntary on visitors’ part? Or might ODNR just ban all plastic items from their parks and call it a day.
References
Chappell Roan. (n.d.). Chappell Roan Is a Pop Supernova. Nothing About It Has
Been Easy (Interview by B. Spanos) [Transcript]. Rolling Stone. Retrieved
September 11, 2024, from https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/
chappell-roan-good-luck-babe-fame-fans-1235094314/
Inez AND Vinoodh. (2024). [Chappell Roan]. Rolling Stone.
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/
chappell-roan-good-luck-babe-fame-fans-1235094314/
