Marilyn Monroe did it, so did Chappell Roan – but what is the point of a stage name?

Sydney Morning Herald

a day ago

'A celebrity's name is fundamentally part of who they are. When movies use names like Margot Robbie or Quentin Tarantino, it instantly boosts its perceived value before we even see the trailer. Names carry associations. They've got specific prestige, tones, they set certain expectations.'
Loading
Much of this star power doesn't come from the name itself, but the persona behind it. However, some believe that to develop such a star persona, one must begin with the right label. For example, singer Alicia Keys changed her surname to represent her love of music.
'Names are an instrument utilised for identity management. They're a form of strategic branding or even intentional rebranding,' Burgess says.'It could allow for a creative rebirth, helping people enter a different area of specialisation and offering them more legitimacy.'
Certain names can expose stars to new audiences, says RMIT music industry and pop culture lecturer Kat Nelligan. David Bowie (David Robert Jones) not only used a pseudonym, but also a string of other personas including Ziggy Stardust and Aladdin Sane, all of which allowed different demographics to engage with him on various levels.
'Lady Gaga embodied a male alter ego, Jo Calderone, at the 2011 MTV Music Video Awards,' Nelligan says. 'That persona was a way for Gaga to not only express herself artistically, but to also reach queer audiences. It's a way to explore artistry, and to toy with different identities.'
Pseudonyms can also operate as a boundary, she adds. Chappell Roan's name represents her more confident self, and also separates her public and private lives, something the singer has made clear is critical to her.
'In that way, pseudonyms could be tied to mental health and preserving the self,' Nelligan says.
Is it just a Hollywood thing?
No. Pseudonyms are common in other entertainment industries too, including Bollywood and K-Pop.
'It can be quite common for Bollywood actors trying to crack into a Western market. You start to see some of that colonial influence,' Burgess says. 'Stars may anglicize or simplify names to avoid marginalisation. Or perhaps they just want their name to be more memorable, to stand out on a more global level.'
Meanwhile, in the K-Pop realm, Nelligan says adopting a stage name is often part of the transparently commercial process producers and studios go through to create pop stars. Examples include Suga from BTS, whose real name is Min Yoong, and Rosé from Blackpink (Park Chaeyoung).
'K-Pop is an industry built on this idea of a machine. It's curated and very strategic in how a K-Pop star is produced, so it makes sense that pseudonyms are used in that context.'
Sean Redmond, associate dean of media, writing and publishing at RMIT, says many female authors used male pen-names during the 19th century due to misogynistic gender norms.
'George Elliot used a male pseudonym because of gender prejudice in publishing, and because she lived an 'unconventional life' – Mary Ann Evans lived with a man, but they weren't married,' Redmond says.
Similarly, some male actors used pseudonyms to appear more masculine. 'John Wayne was born Marion Robert Morrison, a name deemed too feminine, or even too Italian, for American viewers. The director Raoul Walsh chose the name Wayne, inspired by revolutionary war hero Mad Anthony Wayne.'
Some American-Jewish actors changed their names because of concerns around antisemitism, Redmond adds. For example, Edward G. Robinson's real name was Emanuel Goldenberg, while Kirk Douglas' real name was Issur Danielovitch. Others may even use a pseudonym to protect themselves from the law, such as Banksy, the street artist whose anonymity is a significant part of their appeal.
Authentic or phoney?
Loading
Pseudonyms do not diminish a person's craft, Nelligan says – stage names are often forms of artistic expression.
'People are generally more concerned with whether an entertainer is staying true to their values. Let's say there's an artist who sings about climate change, but then they don't walk that talk. Audiences feel more duped by that … The pseudonym is neither here nor there in that sense.
'The view that a person's real self needs to be embedded in the music or literature is outdated … We still want to trace it to a person, but it doesn't matter if they use a pseudonym.'
Although a lack of transparency around a public figure's name can generate engagement and intrigue, Nelligan says it can also leave fans with nowhere to channel that fascination.
Burgess agrees, noting some pseudonyms could even appear deceptive. For instance, record producer Dr Luke, who was embroiled in a now-resolved legal battle against Kesha, went by the name Tyson Trax on Doja Cat's 2020 song Say So.
'You might see some negativity there because some people may not have supported the work if they had known he was involved. The name carries a lot of weight,' Burgess says.
'Consumers demand transparency and authenticity, but we also have to remember there are people behind these pseudonyms who obviously want some degree of privacy, and often it's not for sinister or deceptive reasons.'