Chappell Roan, the Pink Pony Girl that you are. You’re a gay icon who takes no shit, a nerd with an affinity for medieval fantasy like the rest of us, and you’re also calling out how the United States’ political systems have made even some who pretend to be progressive complicit in genocide. They could never make me hate you. The “Good Luck, Babe” singer consistently endears herself to me and others, and that continues with her on-stage antics and banter. This time, we have talent recognizing talent, as Roan endorsed a fan’s use of a Nintendo DS (or 3DS, probably) to take photos during one of her concerts.
The now-viral clip of Roan’s September 21 London performance shows her between songs pointing out that someone in the crowd was taking photos with what appeared to be the clamshell handheld gaming device. In a world where smartphones have professional camera-level fidelity, it might seem silly to use a now decade-old Nintendo handheld to take pictures at a concert. But I used my PlayStation Vita as my primary photo device for two years, and I know the appeal of committing to the bit. So does Roan, it seems, as she was supportive of the fan on stage.
“Bitch, is that a DS?” Roan asked, then laughed. “You keep taking photos on your DS, you keep doing it.”
Though Roan calls it a DS as shorthand, it’s most likely that the fan was using either a DSi or 3DS, as the camera wasn’t a mainstay of Nintendo’s handhelds until the DSi in 2008. And if you’re using one of those in 2024, that is next-level commitment to the bit and I applaud you for it. That’s Pink Pony Girl, shit.
This is the third time I’ve been able to cover Roan on Kotaku as she thankfully keeps overlapping with games and nerd culture. Girl, you wanna chat about video games? Gay shit? Gay video game shit? I’ll have my people call your people.
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