Singer Chappell Roan has explained why she swore at a photographer on the red carpet at the MTV Video Music Awards this week.
On Wednesday September 11, while Roan’s stylist fixed her dress and amid the chaos of the crowds, a photographer was heard shouting "Shut the f*** up," which prompted the MTV ‘Best New Artist’ to respond in kind, shouting:
"You shut the f*** up. No, not me, b***h."
The clip went viral on social media, however, speaking later to Entertainment Tonight on the red carpet Roan, whose real name is Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, explained why she felt the need to set boundaries with the photographers.
"This is quite overwhelming and quite scary," she said. "I think for someone who gets a lot of anxiety around people yelling at you … the carpet is horrifying, and I yelled back. You don’t get to yell at me like that."
She later said the VMA red carpet was a "horrifying" experience.
It’s been over a century since theater mogul Sid Grauman introduced the concept of the red carpet at the 1922 premier of Robin Hood, and it’s now become an essential part of 'celebrity', with photographers clamouring to catch their every move.
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It sounds stressful from both sides, as George and Amal Clooney were recently filmed rushing to a photographer's aid at the Venice Film Festival after he tripped and fell onto the red carpet. As he gets up another photographer can be seen shouting at yet another photographer, who had used the distraction to get closer.
The tight crowd of photographers all lurching forward, the flashing lights, the shouting, the live filming, all combine to create what sounds like a terrifying experience.
Speaking to CNN, photographer Chelsea Lauren, who has documented the red carpet scene for the photo agency Shutterstock for nearly a decade, admitted that the red carpet can be overwhelming, even for the most seasoned celebrities.
"I have a lot of (actors) tell me they look for me on the carpet because it makes them feel calmer and safe," Lauren told CNN. "It’s a lot to be screamed at like that… Sometimes, they’ll break from posing and run over to me on the carpet to give me a hug."
Stephen Lovekin, a Shutterstock Staff Photographer, wrote in Photography News that it’s not all fun and games on the other side either. Speaking about shooting at the Met Gala he said:
"A full Met Gala shift can last upwards of 10 hours. You can’t let exhaustion creep in; if you fade, your photos will begin to fade as well. It’s important to stay focused and to keep your head in the game.
"During those hours on the red carpet, I have a series of small windows of five to 10 seconds to capture the photos during different people’s arrivals. Therefore, you need to be quick and always alert."
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