I decided no for this because this is important
and really I mean it
right so today I was just doing my thing
(my "thing" constitutes of going on tumblr and twitter and thinking about harry&louis if you haven't noticed um)
and I started thinking a lot a lot about one direction
and how
it is something that is really, really important in my life
and I thought so much I started making a pretend video
you know
the ones where people just talk into the camera
but me I talked into the room mainly
so anyway
I just..wow.
firstly you must know I am not a
"directioner"
"larry shipper"
(yeah I'm past that now)
and if you call me any of that
u r dead
because yes, I think harry and louis are in an actual relationship
and this isn't merely a "ship" because in my opinion it is an actual, real thing
(from what I've consolidated after seeing, reading, analysing things with some logic
and "ship" connotates a fictional quality about them and huny there is nothing unreal about the way harry and louis act)
so I've taken to referring to them by harry&louis, and addressing it as if I were talking about an actual romantic relationship between two real people
and I feel like saying that I "ship" them kind of strips away a bit the respect this relationship deserves.
(because yes, sometimes we forget that there are real human emotions of real life people involved within this relationship that shouldn't be played around for entertainment if we are to, you know, bring this up in a real-world situation)
and also I am not a "directioner" because I just don't want to be identified with them "directioners"
I'm not going to attempt to explain it it just doesn't sit well with me
you can leave it at "one direction fan" and I think that's the furthest I can go.
right, so that is out of the way.
basically
understanding the nature of their relationship
has helped me understand even better the world/society I live in
they are two not-heterosexual men in an extremely internationally-successful pop boyband, and they happen to be in love with each other
then you take into account the fact that majority of the world is still largely homophobic or at the very least very against the whole idea of unstraightness
and the fact that one direction was created to be a goldmine, to bring in loads and loads of cash
and there you go
you start to learn about heteronormativity
and the (glass) closet the boys are forced into
and capitalism, in a way
(how their attainability ordains their success, basically
because their target audience are teenage girls, mainly
and these people are the ones who enable them to earn the amount of money they do
so if not one, but two!! members are not-straight then how the heck are the girls in love with said boys supposed to be as emotionally invested, right?
think of the backlash if one direction doesn't turn out to be the wholesome boyband it is projected to be wow!)
and through one direction's zayn malik
who is the only non-white member so
discrimination issues surface
because zayn is you know muslim and all
and he is faced with so many taunts because of religion
and then there are those who find him not living up to his religion good enough
and zayn has to face all this while juggling fame
and it's important!
and yet it isn't addressed in the movie
while it could have been to bring some depth into it!
and then there's the whole media fiasco
the
appearance vs reality
"reality tv" vs reality
what is real what is not?
print media? filmed interviews where things actually come out their mouths?
what is the agenda here?
the extent that media shoves ideas like "womaniser harry styles" into the minds of the public masses is ridiculous
(did you know on two different occasions they were passing off lou teasdale his married!! stylist and gemma styles his sister!!!! as harry's "new mystery girl" these were /headlines/ on published press let us mull over this for a moment yes thank you
that's...gemma styles??? sister of harry styles??????
am not gonna bother finding the printed news article of lou and harry at the casino
just trust me somewhere on this planet it exists
science is amazin g)
the fact that louis' supposed girlfriend is brought up as much as possible is also fishy as fuck.
(too many incidences if I start I won't stop just trust me on this one they bring her up even when it is highly unnecessary)
they are just pushing louis' heterosexuality so, so hard
and you start to wonder why
hey, is there something they are trying to cover up?
is there something really, really urgent being hidden?
something that carries repercussions so, so heavy the band will be affected oh wait
(I am going to digress a little but
Louis Tomlinson and Louis_Tomlinson are two different people totally
eg. sensitive-to-queer-fans louis vs online-homophobic-bastard louis
"oh, that one's not a lady!" vs "larry is the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard"
vs
it just doesn't match up, ok.
once more, real louis vs online persona/twitter louis - who to believe?
how convenient it is to have the second louis be the one more discernible on a very elevated social media platform also.)
(you learn body language
you compare the boys' intuitive reactions
with what they are trying to deny
"oh, but haven't you kissed?" *looong pause, quickly put-together scandalised expression* "...NO!"
"me and harry are just really close" *harry's foot searches louis' under the tables*
not even making this up)
(and the best song ever mv
portrays one direction to be in control
shows them trashing up the studios and going against the executives and their managers and superiors
also harry to be the one taking lead and interacting most with veronica, once again pushing the "harry is leader of the band/harry and his back-up singers" and "womaniser harry styles" images
but is this really, really the case?
does the band really have a say in how they are marketed?
what purpose does the video hope to fulfill at this point?)
so you see
it helps me become by and by more analytical and less prone to passively accepting what is being forced into me left right center
and I'd be damned if this isn't a crucial thing to learn
in this period where pop culture is so prevalent and pervasive
and little kids are just
oh yeah
louis & eleanor are in love ya xxx
I want a relationship just like theirs :) x
they start to emulate them and it's all wrong it's all not right
(having your gf credited for your performance on the football pitch
for your singing
for your well-being
isn't healthy.
this
isn't healthy.
what the heck @JohannahDarling
good job on the PR stuntin')
tbh if you look into louis and eleanor's 'relationship' deep enough
there is nothing healthy about it at all, really.
they don't know anything and
all this blind following is just harsh and it pains me kind of
just
ugh
I get so, so frustrated and wow.
one direction are made out to be these superficial airheads in pop culture but there's so much more to them and no one knows because no one thinks twice when everything is so available and definitely credible tabloids and twitter updates provide all there is to know about one direction.
they don't understand there is so much to learn from them, and this is what sucks a lot.
sometimes I get teased a bit for liking one direction but they don't understand that one direction teaches you a lot
not directly, of course, but
if you put yourself in the proper company
(tumblr users
lapelosa
stupidstagram
thisismyoneluckyprize
poparoll
homeiswithlarry
who are mostly people who are either grown adults, not-heterosexual or both
so yeah, pretty sure they'd have some sound judgement on all this)
and you learn so, so much it is astounding
I am in awe at how much I've begun to comprehend about
sexuality
gender norms
gender identities
feminism, even
(which prevails when you start considering
fan culture
eg. "crazy one direction girls" vs "avid football fans"
voilà misogyny and sexism at work once again)
and then you start applying all this in your daily life and wow
how fucked up society is
( I hate using the word "society" but yeah, it is quite a wrecked thing to an extent.)
and so I am not lying or exaggerating when I say I owe one direction
a lot
because I do
I do owe them, in a way
without them I would've never been exposed to all these
these being things I think every one should delve into
because they carry so much immediate real-life implications
I'd have no problem shipping two m/m fictional characters
(Supernatural Destiel, anyone?)
but it just, I think, /won't/ develop my social-consciousness as well as comprehending louis&harry's situation would
because, once again, the immediate real-life implications one direction offer are incredible.
so yes, one direction really is important in my life.
and not because they tell me that not knowing that I am beautiful is what makes me beautiful
(oh harry once made a lyric change
"you still have to squeeze into your jeans AND you're perfect to me"
not "but", he used "and"
and that makes a hella difference harry is actually really clever and aware fight me on this.)
which are honestly problematic imo
because
oh yeah, you need boys to come and save you to tell you you're pretty
because all girls have internalised insecurities about themselves
just NO. THESE ARE NOT OK MESSAGES. NO.
YOU DON'T NEED BOYS TO COME SAVE YOU
YOU DON'T NEED THEM TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR PHYSICAL LOOKS TO FEEL VALIDATED STUPID MESSAGE STUPID /STUPID/ MESSAGE.
but anyway!
one direction is important in my life because it helps me understand it
without them I don't think I could have opened my eyes well enough to see what is happening around me
and people have to understand that one direction is my own means of understanding myself and the world I live in.
and it's done a damn good job of it.
and right now I am not chiding myself for loving one direction, am I?
also I get to watch them being cute and I get to cry and sob and
I get to read beautiful fics
and watch again all five boys acting in really touching homoerotic ways
and they are all so beautiful
and stupid and cute and endearingly idiotic
and the songs are cool and catchy and just so pick-me-uppy even if problematic
and I make myself happy while learning god damn why aren't we analysing one direction in school school would be sO MUCH FUN IF WE DID.
basically the great thing about one direction is
it can either be another puppet of the music industry for mindless brainwashing by pop cult-ure
or
it can be a way for younger audiences to be exposed to all the issues I mentioned, and more, even.
because yeah they are relevant in so, so, so many ways.
right so there you go
this is why one direction is important in my life
my thoughts were muddled and mixed and convoluted but
you gET IT
this is definitely not the end of it, I'm not gonna lie.
I can go on for hours about one direction and this is really a very diluted version.
literally hours and days.
so uh hm.
this has been a lengthy, genuine one direction appreciation post.
(also I use "understand" too much in this I'm sorry.)
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