What if Louis' contracts with his label/management were actually expiring and he was no longer forced to renew with them?
The conditions that led Louis to sign those restrictive contracts probably no longer exist. There's no longer a band to protect. And Harry's career is now solid, as is his image, capable of withstanding any media backlash. The weapons they had to blackmail him and keep him in check no longer seem so effective. Perhaps they still have an NDA to protect them from future uncomfortable statements, but that wouldn't stop Louis, and Harry of course, from coming out into the open. And the resulting damage to the industry's reputation would be devastating. Because even if it wasn't explicitly stated, it would be clear to everyone that their closeting was real.
What if the only way to stem the threat was to deprive Louis of even the desire to come out? By isolating him, discrediting him, intensifying the sometimes questionable image they've painted of him over the years?
Certainly, what allowed Louis and Harry to endure this endless ordeal was the strength they found in each other, in their unbreakable bond. But for fifteen years, they could always count on a significant segment of fans who understood the reality of things and who didn't hesitate to support them in every way possible, devotedly. Now, this devotion would be a significant nuisance to the system. It would be a sounding board that was difficult to silence; it would attract too much attention. So, what to do? How to get rid, cleanly, of these age-old thorns in their sides? By driving them to self-eliminate, maybe?
And this is where the chaos begins!
What if the PR team's brilliant idea to permanently disperse the "devoted supporters" base was to create another stunt? This time, not to dispel rumors, not to divert attention from an uncomfortable relationship, and certainly not to promote the artist's image. But with the primary goal of exasperating "those" fans, hitting them where they know it will hurt the most.
So the choice doesn't fall on another "nice girl", the harmless, easily tolerable girl next door. But on a controversial and divisive figure, light years away from Louis's world and what he, and the other boys, have always represented to fans. Controversial not only for her background, but for her questionable statements on politics, integration, and civil rights, never denied but rather proudly flaunted. This association obviously raises eyebrows from the start. Nothing new, however, nothing the fans weren't used to. They grit their teeth and put up with it. But for the management, that's not enough, and they decide to up the ante. It's time for the toxic tweet. The tweet paints a picture of Louis starting to show a certain intolerance for what's circulating about him on social media, which is immediately and skillfully exploited by those in charge (management, PR team, armed phalanxes of fans who have fully embraced the narrative imposed by the system) as a direct attack against those very "devoted supporters." And the blows begin to land. Threats, signs of intolerance, and outright bullying spread. Some no longer feel protected, some believe the game isn't worth the effort, some begin to doubt. And the "evil team" scores its first point.
But it's still not enough. Time is running out. The contract with the stunt woman probably won't last very long, and she's already achieved everything she wanted. Maximum visibility, promotion of her projects and brands, an improved image and a significant increase in followers. Furthermore, the Soccer Aid effect (we're still good friends/I'm very proud of him) and the Glastonbury bomb (H&L in the same place, the "Like" on the Larry Reel, the "Hopelessly Romantic" T-shirt) have rekindled the hope and faith of "devotees". A July of concerts begins for Louis, and although he spares no effort in sending reassuring messages (I love Him, a giant Him on the LED Wall, his clothing, his blue-green, his merch, his visible loving look in the sea of Pride flags), everything is destroyed by yet another tweet. The artist admits he's hurt by the treatment reserved for his loved ones on social media, so much so that he has no other option than to distance himself. What was once again presented as a harsh accusation against some of his fans went viral, escalating the attacks against them. And insecurity and doubts began to grow among them, with more than a few turning against Louis himself, guilty of failing to defend them, or worse, deceiving them. The process of disintegration now seemed unstoppable. The final piece of the puzzle was the artist's launch on a new social media platform (it's fair to assume that this was the ultimate goal of the dissatisfaction with traditional social media), from which some of his followers were "democratically" excluded by the rules and on which they were constantly insulted and threatened.
If they don't fit into the bigger picture, they'll end up non-existent!
Objective achieved... or almost.
Now, imagine a Louis with an album coming out and a tour to organize, alone, without adequate promotion and without management and a label to support him, banned from mainstream media. Imagine he can no longer even count on that, who knows how large, segment of fans who have always supported and loved him for who he really is, not for how he was sold, because someone has succeeded in making them disappear. Would he really have enough strength to come out in the open despite everything, under these conditions?
Maybe this is an overly apocalyptic vision of the situation... I hope so!
