A recent heated topic has been whether relationships between celebrities and fans have gone too far. The topic arose after the recent controversy with Chappell Roan after she sent a security guard to remove a little girl who smiled at her. This sparked a debate, and many people believe that celebrities should give up their privacy when they choose to become famous. The real question is: when do these relationships cross the line?
The Chappell Roan incident is not the first that she has been involved in. She is known to distance herself from her fans and take breaks from concerts because her fans have become too “intense.” In my opinion, there are boundaries that you have to accept will disappear when you become a celebrity. Although with the advent of social media, these relationships have become more parasocial, leading some fans to stalk celebrities. So Roan isn’t completely selfish, but when a child is smiling innocently, there is no reason to have them removed by security. She needs to look at celebrities such as Taylor Swift, who is one of the most famous people in the world, and understand that fans are what make them who they are.
Taylor Swift engages with her fans. At her concerts, she gives a fan the “22” hat. She also visits her fans in the hospital and hosts “Secret Sessions” at her home to listen to her new albums. Behind the scenes, there are certainly inappropriate people, but she shines a light on all of her good fans and makes them feel valued. Chappel Roan treats her fanbase as a single group, as if one person’s behavior reflects all of their fans.
Often, fans will obsess over celebrity relationships, which can be very personal. Fans will make edits and speculate about whether they were broken up, etc. It is important to remember that people are curious. When someone looks up to you, they want to know what is going on in their lives. However, it is important for fans not to take it too far, to the point that it personally affects them. According to Newport Academy, a mental health organization, 20 percent of fans show “intense personal obsession” with celebrities. These obsessions can lead to fans acting on these obsessions.
A well-known example of an unhealthy relationship was when singer John Lennon, a member of the famous band the Beatles, was murdered by an obsessed fan. This was in the 1980s, but even then, there still were dangerous fans.
Social media has made it easier for people to access celebrities, but these parasocial relationships have been going on forever and will continue to go on. Celebrities need to increase their security and understand that there are creepy people in the world. Unfortunately, there is little that can be done to prevent that. Becoming a celebrity means giving up your old life, and you can make positive relationships with your fans by engaging in harmless interactions, or you can ignore your fans and turn them against you.