On this episode of the Pulse of Pop Pod, I chat with Emma Dower. Emma is a Melbourne/Naarm English teacher, long time Chappell Roan fan and writer of her own reflective Substack channel, The Sierra.
We unpack the advocacy roles that some celebrities like Chappell Roan have played within popular culture, and how this shapes their audience as consumers.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, the star said that she had taken advice from the legendary Elton John to say no to things that didn’t serve the music, and that includes fast fashion.
“No, H&M does not fit in this world,” Roan said. “Also, fuck H&M,” she said.
But not all artists are that outspoken. Perhaps, some are advertisers and others are advocates…listen to this week’s episode now!
Transcript
ZK: Up-and-coming pop star, Chappell Roan, made headlines this September after speaking out against fast fashion partnerships. She said, “No, H&M does not fit in this ‘world,’ also F*** H&M.”
Ahead of our chat on celebrity endorsement, values and consumer response, welcome back to the Pulse of Pop Pod. I'm your host, Zoe Koulbanis and I’d first like to acknowledge Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation who are the traditional owners on the lands in which I record this podcast every single week.
Now, there couldn't be anyone more perfect to chat about all things Chappell Roan and her controversial fast fashion comments with than Emma Dower. Emma is an English teacher, a long time travel fan, who I also came across writing about the singer in her own Substack blog called, The Sierra. Welcome to the podcast Emma!
ED: I’m excited to chat with you and always to talk about Chappell.
ZK: As an observer of the Internet, how did you feel about her recent comments?
ED: It definitely made me laugh just knowing her personality and this trend of being so outspoken, but I really respect that cause there would be a lot of pressure and a lot of incentive to buy into those kind of big brand deals. Peach PRC recently did a collab with Cotton On and I went and looked at the ethics rating of Cotton On and even though they have all these kind of initiatives there, still rated ‘not good enough.’
ZK: Yeah and do you feel like a celebrity's stance on a topic like fast fashion for example has the power to change you as a consumer or make you think twice?
ED: Definitely. I mean as a teacher, I look at my students and what informs their decisions around these kinds of things and so if they’re seeing people that they engage with taking it seriously, then it's much more likely they're going to take it seriously. I mean for me it made me think about my own choices around fashion and where I'm putting my money. If there is good intention behind these kind of comments and people take the time so read and reflect, there’s huge power and influence that can be used in a really positive way. There's a real power to this concept of the ‘project’ and her music and performance being separate to the self. It's a persona and she acknowledges that.
ZK: Like her original quote on this fast fashion debate was that it didn't ‘fit within her world’ that she was creating as an artist.
ED: I mean it's like Lady Gaga. She has always, since the beginning I can remember, had this persona and this performative kind of aspect to her. She has really lived to those values and presented in a way that that speaks to her kind of core beliefs but yeah it takes time to develop that that that holistic image and I feel like Chappell’s obviously only just beginning.
ZK: So more than ever there is definitely a link between an artist’s business choices how their fans perceive them and even their own consumer behaviours as a result. I did read a comment that said Chappell's rejection of mass fashion brand collabs would, quote, “age like milk,” over the course of her career. I mean brand partnerships are one way to pay the bills?
ED: Yeah, something that breaks my heart is I've been a diehard Delta fan since I was seven years old, dancing around in my bedroom to Innocent Eyes, but one thing that's important to me is treating animals with care. She has historically been a part of campaigns that support Melbourne Cup. She will post on Insta and then switch off the comments, and it's like you know: take that brand deal, do that thing, but acknowledge the harm that it can do.
ZK: That's very true and I feel like the advocacy pieces very different, but that doesn't mean that all artists are the same in either.
I guess it's just that some celebrities take the advertising route, and others are advocates. But with fast fashion brands like H&M relying on traditional celebrities to leverage their Gen Z audiences towards their clothing, perhaps this new wave of defiance led by the self-proclaimed, “Queen of Thrifting,” Chappell Roan, will entice brands to lift their game when it comes to sustainable initiatives. But with other pop stars like Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX partnering with Skims and H&M recently, does Chappell have the power to really move the needle on this?
ED: It's always going to exist within the space of consumerism unfortunately but there is a very meaningful shift from artist like Chappell that is going to hopefully break that cycle or at least a crack where that authenticity and that advocacy can kind of peek through and make some meaningful change.
ZK: Well, that brings us to the end of another episode of the Pulse of Pop Pod. I feel like it's such an interesting topic to dissect as we navigate the digital world, celebrity culture and consumerism thanks so much Emma for all of your insights and if you're listening, please leave your opinions below in the comments and I'd love to check them out and have a further chat on this.
*Consent for audio to be recorded was obtained before recording begun.
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