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Chappell Roan claps back with two FIERY videos addressing her election views controversy
There's always two sides to the story...
It’s been a wild year for Chappell Roan, who had a meteoric rise to stardom after the release of her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. She went viral for kissing Olivia Rodrigo, she’s basically taken over, and her stardom has brought on unwanted stalkers.
Oh, and now she’s under some major fire for not endorsing Kamala Harris which indicates we may have actually already seen the full rise and fall of this Midwest Princess (but they could never make us hate you!)
If you’ve been out of the loop for the last few days or so, quick recap: Roan did an interview with The Guardianon September 20, where she said of the election, “I have so many issues with our government in every way. There are so many things that I would want to change. So I dont’ feel pressured to endorse someone. There’s problems on both sides. I encourage people to use your critical thinking skills, use your vote — vote small, vote for what’s going on in your city.”
After the intense backlash, Roan took to her TikTok to address the controversy. Even though she turned off the comments, it caused so much continued conversation that she wound up posting another one as a final effort to get people off her back.
“I have encouraged people to use critical thinking skills, learn about what they're voting for, learn about who they're voting for, and ask questions, and it's being completely taken out of context, per usual,” she said in the first video, stating that there’s a nuance to what she says in interviews and that she thinks it’s important to question everything more than what face value provides.
“This is my third election in voting, and the world is changing so rapidly, and I want to be part of the generation that changes things for good, because we need it,” she continued. “If you come to my shows, if you read my full interviews, if you literally know anything about me and for what I stand for, you know that this is not lip service. This is not virtue signaling, that my actions have always paved the way for my project and the people who really know me. Actions speak louder than words, and actions speak louder than an endorsement.”
In clarifying what she said in the interview, she reiterated that the most important change she wanted from this year’s US election is trans rights, stating, “They cannot have cis people making decisions for trans people. Period.”
She also confirmed she would not be voting for Trump, but made it clear, “I will always question those in power and those making decisions over other people. And I will always stand up for what’s right and what I believe in… I’m sorry you fell for the clickbait.”
In the second video, a more visibly upset Roan addresses us, having “just woken up to people just skewing it even more.”
“Endorsing and voting are completely different,” she said, a main focus of her message when it comes to celebrity endorsements.
She once again addressed her issues with both sides of the spectrum and policies on both ends, saying, “That's why I can't, like, put my entire name and my entire project behind one, because there is no way I can stand behind some of the left's completely transphobic and completely genocidal views… You know what is right and wrong. F*ck Trump for f*cking real, but f*ck some of the sh*t that has gone down in the Democratic party that has failed people like me and you and more so Palestine and more so every marginalized community in the world.”
While she did admit she would vote for Kamala, she stressed that no one would make her feel bad for questioning the actions of the government or the internet.
“This is not me playing both sides,” she said. “This is me questioning both sides because this is what we have in front of us... Vote for who, in your mind, is the best option for what we have right now… I’m not picking the sides of what we have right now. Yes, one’s obviously better than the other, but Jesus f**king Christ, I hope you don’t settle for what we have and put your name behind someone that you don’t fully, fully trust.”
@chappellroan Im done talking about it. If you dont get what im saying from this, its a lost cause. And im not forcing you to agree with me. This is my statement. Have a good day
Naturally, the response has continued to be mixed. Check out some more reactions below.
Andrew J. Stillman is a freelance writer and yoga instructor exploring the world. Check him out at andrewjstillman.com or follow him @andrewjstillman on all the things.
Andrew J. Stillman is a freelance writer and yoga instructor exploring the world. Check him out at andrewjstillman.com or follow him @andrewjstillman on all the things.
