Idolizing celebrities isn’t necessarily harmful behavior. It’s normal to admire people who create the music we listen to and act in the movies we watch. However, admiring a celebrity doesn’t mean that we’re entitled to know everything about them. Celebrities often share portions of their personal lives with fans, usually via interviews or social media posts, but many fans go to extreme lengths to learn more. The boundaries that once explicitly existed between celebrities and their fans have eroded; fans have begun stalking celebrities, and now act as though they’re entitled to interactions with their favorite celebrities. This lack of boundaries is especially noticeable in the fanbases of female celebrities, and many have faced increasing amounts of sexualization and harassment. Female celebrities are also held to a higher standard by the media, and are more likely to face criticism over smaller transgressions.
One of the most famous celebrities right now is Chappell Roan, a pop singer who experienced a meteoric rise this past summer. Along with her newfound fame, she’s had to deal with an increased number of invasive fans, some of whom have gone so far as to stalk the singer and her family. When Roan publicly denounced some of her fans, she was met with backlash from both those fans and the media. Many called Roan “over emotional” and “defensive”, and some went so far as to say that she “isn’t cut out for fame”. Some even said that she should expect people to behave this way, and that this type of behavior is simply a consequence of becoming famous. The response to Roan’s post exemplifies the misogyny that women in the entertainment industry have to deal with.
Chappell Roan shouldn’t be forced to beg her fans to respect her boundaries and personal space. She, and other women, should be able to set explicit boundaries with their fans without facing extreme levels of criticism for it. Existing in the public eye is difficult for women, and invasive fans make it harder. Many fans seem to have forgotten that celebrities don’t really owe us anything beyond the entertainment they provide, and they certainly don’t owe us extensive access to them. When fans demand more, it exposes the entitled attitudes they’ve begun to develop. As fans, we have a responsibility to seriously reevaluate the way we treat celebrities, and must learn to enjoy someone’s artistry without making them feel severely uncomfortable. It’s incredibly common for people to ignore women’s boundaries, and it’s worse for female celebrities, who are often known by millions of people. The fact that female celebrities like Chappell Roan have to explicitly ask people not to invade their privacy is reflective of the unchecked misogyny present in the entertainment industry.