Ā This thing started because I find the whole womanizer image of Harry absolutely disgusting and wanted people to see how utterly bad and wrong it was.
Please be aware that the following does not reflect Harryās personality but it shows us the image their label wanted him to be seen as.
Some disclaimer about where the data comes from
written, digital coverage (no print,Ā 1-2 videos, no radio)
google search āHarry Stylesā, I looked through the first 20 hits each month but didnāt read all of them ( headlines usually are a dead giveaway if an article contains a new āconquestā)
I did not list every woman that was mentioned in the same article as Harry. Also not those that showed interest in him. But most of those that were said he showed interest in (I might have skipped a few in the worst years just bc it was so freaking disgusting)
Often articles contained offhand comments about his pulling power or unrelatedly recounting his latest conquests in any given article to enforce the womanizer image. These did not make it into the list.
Deleted articles are of course not included (as of Aug 2020)
Some of the women turn up again for a round 2 (or 3 or 4), I only mention them once a year tho
I put the women into the list on the date the news coverage happened/started because many articles date back things by sayingĀ āpics have circulated sinceā¦ā āThey have been reportedly seen together sinceā¦ā or simply tell a story that supposedly happened a few years prior
Some dates overlap. Thats either bc they pushed several woman at once (very effective to drive the whole womanizer image home) or its bc one woman was seeded in while the other was happening.
Because this is a freaking long post, Iāll put it under the āread moreā
About the list
split by years
each year has Harrys age for that given year in brackets
each data set has in brackets the age, occupation and date of news coverage for the woman (if available)
winter gf get their own category as they sometimes overlap with other woman
Some of the woman get brought back up (not just mentioned in passing), those are listed at the end of each year with the dates when they where brought back up
āagainā is for those who dated him again
Women linked to Harry
2010 (16)
5(?) girls from bootcamp
Cher Loyd (17, txf fellow contestant, Oct)
unnamed girl fan (13.11.)
2011 (17)
Adele (23, singer, 27.09.)
Sarita Borge (record executive, 29.11.)
2011-2012
Caroline Flack (31, txf, 23.10.-27.01.)
2012 (18)
Pixie Geldoff (21, 09.02.)
Alexa Chung (28, model, 16.02)
Alexandra Burke (23, txf, 20.02.)
Jo Wood (56, ex of Ronny Wood 21.02.)
Denise Welch (54, actress, 21.02.)
Georgia May Jagger (20, Mick Jagger daughter, 21.02.)
Sarah-Louise Colivet (24, photographer, 11.04.)
Lily Halpern (19, singer, 11.04.)
Jillian Harris (32, reality TV star, 13.04.)
Emma Ostilly (18, actor for Gotta be You MV -Ā 22.04.)Ā
Ellis Calcutt (18(?), friend, deniedm, 30.04.)
Emily Atack (22, TV star, 20.05.)
unnamed girl (Article about her one night stand with H, 06.06.)
Lucy Horobin (32, radio presenter, 24.06., dated back to Aug-Oct 2011)
Caggie Dunlop (23, TV star, 12.07.)
Allyssa Reid (19, singer, 23.07.)
Blond girl with pink bag (from a night out, 26.07.)
Cara Delevingne (19, Model, 05.08.)
Natalie Imbruglia (37, singer actress 28.09.)
Ā 2012-13
Taylor Swift (22 singer 19.10.-07.01. (fling dated back to April 2012 then getting back together)
2013 (19)
Hermione Way (27, reality star, 08.01.)
Millie Brady (18, actress, 24.02.)
Shaniece Nesbitt (fan, 11.03.)
Yvette Fielding (44, TV presenter, 11.03.)
Fia Litton (niece of Preston Mahon (security), 14.03)
Chelsea Ferguson (25, stripper, 14.04)
Kimberly Stewart (33, confirmed by Rod, 27.04.)
Camilla Foss (18, fan in oslo, 09.05.)
Kara Rose Marshall (22, model, 03.07.)
Alexis Allen (19, fan, 21.07.)
Cara Delevingne (20, model, 11.09.)
Paige Reifler (17, model, 30.09.)
Sjana Earp (18, model, 25.10.)
Samantha Armytage (36, TV presenter, 27.10.)
Daisy Lowe (24, model, 01.12.)
Caroline Flack (brought back up, 01.02./11.09.)
2013-14
Kendall Jenner (17, model, 21.10. - 23.02)
2014 (20)
mystery brunette (20.01.)
Alison Mosshart (35, singer, 07.03.)
Daisy Lowe (25, model, 11.04.)
Larissa de Macedo Machado (21, brazilian popstar, 08.05.)
Lou Teasdale (30, hairdresser, 26.05.)
Sinitta (45, Smons ex, 22.07.)
Paige Reifler (18, again, model, 25.07.)
Meghan Trainor (20, singer, 27.08.)
blond woman (at Coldplay concert, 18.09.)
Katy Perry (29, singer, 01.10.)
Erin Foster (31, 08.10.)
Kate Moss (40, model, 03.11.)
two blond woman (leaving a club in LA with H, 30.11.)
Taylor Swift (brought back up, 12.02./02.03./20.08./14.10./04.12.)
Emily Atack (brought back up, 23.03.)
Caroline Flack (brought back up, 26.03.)
2014-15
Nadine Leopold (20, model, 20.12.- 12.03.)
2015 (21)
Emma Watson (24, actress, 14.01. dated back to 26.12.14)
Suki Waterhouse (23, actress, 05.04.)
Joy Muggli (23, talent agent, 12.05.)
Sara Sampaio (23, model, 15.06.)
Georgia Fowler (22, model, inspiration for Kiwi, 15.10.)
Nicole Scherzinger (34, singer, 17.10., dated back to 2013)
Taylor Swift (brought back up, 15.01./13.02./10.03./08.05./13.10./28.10.)
Caroline Flack (brought back up, 24.05./11.10.)
2015-16
Kendall Jenner (again, 30.12.- 31.01.)
2016 (22)
Pandora Lennard (28, model 31.01.)
Lindsay Lohan (30, actress, 10.03., dated back unspecified)
Kendall Jenner (again, 05.09.)
Kara Rose Marshall (brought back up, 07.10.)
Suki Waterhouse (again + dated back to 2013, 11.11.)
Taylor Swift (brought back up, 01.02.)
2017 (23)
Tess Ward (26, food blogger, 09.05.)
Townes Adair Jones (20s, 17.05., dated back to 2014)
Camille Rowe (31, model, 31.07.)
Sjana Earp (22, again, 05.12.)
Taylor Swift (brought back up, 18.04./12.05./03.09./09.11.)
Kendall Jenner (brought back up, 31.01.)
2018 (24)
Delta Goodrem (33, voice coach, 27.04.)Ā
Camille Rowe (ends 31.07.)
Kendall Jenner (brought back up, 15.07./12.12.)
Taylor Swift (brought back up, 21.03./)
2019 (25)
Kiko Mizuhara (28, denied by K, 12.01.)
Camille Rowe (brought back up, 22.11.)
Kendall Jenner (brought back up, 11.12.)
Taylor Swift (brought back up, 23.08./04.11./13.12.)
2020 (26)
Daisy Lowe (brought back up, 20.06.)
Taylor Swift (brought back up, 02.03./24.07.)
data from here on is not included in the graphs, I will keep adding when things happen
Tracee Ellis Ross (48, actress, 28.10.)
The age differences
The graph shows clearly how
the age gaps are very big in the beginning, likely to attract an older audience in addition to the usual target audience of teenage girls
the amount of woman linked to Harry gets smaller each year because in later years, articles could just reference his history with woman
the amount of woman linked and mentioned in regards to Harry gets significantly lower after hiatus started
A rough timeline of women that where connected to Harry over the years
Why give Harry the womanizer image?
Would the image of a womanizer not damage the image of 1D?
If theyād portrait him as a sleeze it would have surely damaged the overal image of 1D. But Harrys image portrait him as charming, a bit quirky and overall an airhead that likes people and doesnāt want to be tied down. Thus giving the illusion of being potentially available to every woman and showing them a good, no strings attached, time. Which is a massive selling point for boybands to increase the age range of their fans.
In addition, all his conquests would be used to stir up drama or simply generate attention at crucial times to get 1D in the press without mentioning their current promo focus in every headline.
The winter girlfriends had a special role as they were the only ones actively worked as continuous dating. To build some attachment, have a continuous storyline that could be tied to the just released album and bridge the holiday pause, and when the relationship ended generate more drama to be used for promo.
Harry did keep on using his womanizer image to promote both his solo albums but in a very controlled manner. The numbers of new woman linked to him declined to 1 in 2019, for now we are at 0 (1) in 2020
HS promo used 3 woman as inspirations for songs (Towns, Fowler, Swift) and a tour gf (Rowe)
FL promo only uses the previous tour gf as now ex to push the storyline of a breakup album
He is very visibly changing his image while still maintaining a level of connection to his old image. Whether that's due to contractual restrictions or a strategy to not alienate to many fans is unclear
Jeff Azoff
For what Iāve seen Jeff and Harry seem close (the Azoff family having him on family pictures, posted by Jeffās brother)
Looking at the timeline of Jeff and Harry
2014-03-25 first mention of Harry at Azoff family home in an article about Irvin
2014-04-23 first pics of Harry and Jeff at a sports event (Jeff named as a friend, no name or position yet)
2014-12-22 Jeff not named yet but identified as his agent
2015-01-10 first time Jeff being named and being the link between Harry and a woman
2016-03-07 Jeff leaves CAA as a music agent and launches his own company Full Stop Management
2016-03-11 Harry confirmed to have joined Full Stop Management
Jeff likely took over as Harryās agent in early 2014. In 2015 Harryās image change starts to become aparent and changed drastically after hiatus.
Harry choosing Jeffs management firm as soon as he left Modest is a clear indication that he feels Jeff will represent him how he wants
The Timeline - Women connected to Harry and Promo
I started the visual timeline in end 2011 when his womanizer image started to take off
The instances before where likely used as seeding for this image (first instance was a segment in txf where he was linked to 5 of the girl contestants and funny enough one older guy)
sex workers fought in the street for you to be able to celebrate pride. sex workers rights should be an essential part of the pride celebration. I'm dead the fuck serious.
I love that so many people have mentioned Marsha P. Johnson in the tags, or made comments about black trans sex workers bc I know that includes Sylvia Rivera, but this post isn't just about them. This post is also about the kids who worked the streets of Greenwich Village who fought until the wee hours of morning on the first night of the stonewall uprising, even though THEY WEREN'T THE ONES THAT THE POLICE WERE TARGETTING THAT NIGHT. this is about those of us who have been fighting new censorship laws tooth and nail, the same laws that are now being used against trans and queer kids across the country and around the world. This is about the sex workers who tirelessly educated the public about safe sex methods during the AIDS crisis, when the government wouldn't even acknowledge that it is a sexually transmitted disease. Sex workers have fought for liberation from the very beginning and have CONTINUED to fight. we don't get to forget that our lives are considered "deviant". we are faced with that reality every single day, but many of us keep fighting for all "deviants" to be free to love, fuck, and live.
Every deviancy law that has ever been closed has been closed by a dog pile of sex workers tirelessly working to do so. Men, women, enbies, old sex workers, eighteen year olds who are homeless and angry, abled, disabled, black, white, latine, every race or ethnicity you can think of, but they all dogpile together on shitty laws and shitty authority figures and FIGHT for you. No cops at pride, keep the sex workers: cuz family friendly means you take care of the family that takes care of you, not sterilizing a protest for marketability.
We need a digital archive of LGBTQ+ works of art, science, and every other conceivable work we can share between each other because we are beyond the genocide warning level in most countries in the west and they're already trying to purge us from libraries.
Speaking as someone with a background in archives, stuff like this does already exist. No need to reinvent the wheel. Creating an archive and making sure it's accessible and searchable and actually preserves things for the long time (especially digital things) is actually a huge undertaking. Show some love to these already existing collections and maybe even consider contributing. There's the Digital Transgender Archive off the top of my head. I know more I just have to think.
The History Project, based in Boston, is an LGBTQ+ community archive that's existed for decades. Many of their collections are digitized.
The Lesbian Herstory Archives, based in Brooklyn, is similar.
The Digital Public Library of America covers a great many topics, but they also have LGBTQ+ stuff.
I'd also recommend searching "lgbtq+" and "libguide" in your preferred search engine. Many universities list helpful resources and databases, some of which are freely accessible.
Many public and academic libraries in the US and Canada (not sure where you're writing from) subscribe to the Gale Archives of Sexuality and Gender. If you have a library card or are a student at a given library, you can access it for free.
In general, I'd really recommend searching around to see how you can support existing museums, community archives, college and university archives, etc that specialize in LGBTQ+ history and media local to you, whether that's in your same town or regionally.
The Queer Newark Oral History Project (QNOHP) records interviews with LGBTQ Newarkers about their lives, makes their stories accessible to academic and community-based researchers, students, and artists; sponsors innovative programming that bridges the community and campus, spreads awareness of oral history methods, and commemorates the community's elders.
Gay Birmingham remembered, from Birmingham LGBT Community Trust (from website:Ā āIt features memories, images and archive materials collected from a diversity of gay men and lesbians who have lived, worked or socialised in Birmingham, whether for a few years, or all their lives, set in a wider social, political and legal context.ā) (see also: plays based on further research; this thesis.)
Other Stories LGBT History Project, Derbyshire, from Derbyshire LGBT. (From the about: āWe will be recording peopleās memories and also delving into archives to find āother storiesā of interest to the LGBT+ community, with a particular focus on Derbyshire and surrounding areas. The project is hosted and delivered by Derbyshire LGBT+, a charity dedicated to supporting the community in and around Derbyshire.ā)
(Am sure there are more outside the Midlands (esp London), but these are the ones Iām aware of.)
Your infinity of repeated cycle is SUPER INTERESTING because it reminded me of Vision By W.B. Years, inspired by the phases of the moon which be expressed through the 28 days. Which is a cycle in which life is round and we are stuck in this endless cycle an infinite birth and rebirth and like the moon change and growth, while its phases is a natural process it is symbol of mutability and impermanence.
I got this anon yesterday. Isnāt the sculpture with the ladder called āWhat if my marble was the moonā????
And we just had a super full moon yesterday. Meaning that a new cycle of 28 days have just begun.
The thing thats bothering me is they are making H into a boy Taylor Swift. He's so bland now that he can be anybody anyone wants but it means its so hard to root for him because he's just a blank slate??? Do you know what I'm saying?
I know what you mean entirely.Ā
Iām going to preface this by saying that Harry was always my slight favourite in the band. He and Louis were my top two but Harry was always the one I loved the most. He was my member. So everything Iām saying is not out of hatred but more just...almost sadness.Ā
Artists I tend to really love are people who are really vocal and particular and have a personality and own it. I love Rina Sawayama because sheās happy to call out racism and sheās very outspoken about her queerness, and it gives me a reason to identify with her and also want to see her succeed. Lady Gaga originally really gained traction and blew up BECAUSE she was outspoken and really tried to stand for something and spoke very plainly about who she was and what she cares about, and really didnāt give a fuck if she was offending peopleās conservative sensibilities. Really her brand was built around pissing conservatives off and being unapologetic about it. Her interviews were alwaysĀ āthis is what I think and fuck offā.
Harry/his team are definitely pulling a Taylor Swift. They want him to be whatever you want him to be, so that heās just as marketable to queer men in San Fran as he is to conservative corn fed Iowa girl. The reason I, personally, find it hard to really get into Taylor as an artist is that I really donāt know who she is, and no matter how much of her content I consume, Iām not any more certain. Iāve watched her Netflix documentary and all I got from it was that her life seemed actually kind of depressing, and her team were nervous af about her ācoming outā as a democrat. And itās fine if you like Taylor, thatās good for you and I donāt mind at all, but I personally just...donāt know who she is and find it hard to, therefore, invest or even trust.Ā
Harryās aesthetic is becoming quite particular, but its more his words and overallĀ ābrandingā which gives me Taylor vibes. Harry hasnāt really said an interesting thing in an interview for a while. As Iāve said before, everything he says is almost verbatim the same as it was the last time he said it, its very manicured, very media trained. He doesnāt offer strong perspectives on pretty much any topic and often comments on political issues in a way that depoliticises them or just downplays their importance. Even talking about eg how Zayn leaving made him feel, he is so careful to not offend anyone or come across as too angry or too nice or too anything, that he just...doesnāt really say anything.Ā
On the one hand I appreciate him wanting to have his privacy, but on the other I think its mainly a branding choice. And its an odd one because it gives me fucking whiplash - he has BLM stickers on his guitar and waves pride flags and goes to protests but then never...speaks about any of it. And I know to some Ā extent with the queer stuff that could be because of the closet, but lots of straight people (eg Daniel Radcliffe) are far more vocal about LGBT+ issues than Harry is.Ā
I donāt know that I blame him as an individual for any of it, but I hate his branding right now because its getting harder to...as you said, root for him. I donāt wish him badly (at all) but his team arenāt giving me a person to grab onto and care about. They are giving me this white dude who barely speaks and never has an open opinion on literally anything. And when those opinions do pop out his team will use them as a merchandising/branding opportunity (eg the covid shirts) or will bland it out so that its as weak a statement as possible (eg endorsing Biden but not using the words and THEN linking it to his own branding š).Ā
Itās frustrating because I know Harry is charming and I fully suspect he is more politically astute than they allow him to show, but I wish his team would just...wake up and smell the boring. If you look at the white men the internet tends toĀ āstanā, they are men who do at least speak and have some kind of semblance of opinion and quirk. Rpatz is weird as hell and people love it. All Chris Evans had to do to get people to love him was have some left wing opinions on twitter.Ā
The Taylor Swift brand model clearly works but tbh I hate it and I am struggling to stay interested inĀ āHarry Styles TMā. If I have to hearĀ āI lived in Benās attic for a year...I did mushrooms and bit my tongue...this song is about whatever you want it to be about....ā one more time. LET HIM BE INTERESTING FOR THE LOVE OF GOD.Ā
Jeff, Ryan was the most boring character on the OC. LEARN FROM IT.Ā
howdy, yāall. iāve been thinking about expanding some of the research i did for a paper during undergrad for a while now, and iāve finally worked up the energy to get the ball rolling on that with these surveys.Ā
if you could all help me out by reblogging this post if you see it so my responses arenāt skewed to reflect one cluster of a single fandom, i would be forever indebted to you. thank you, and much, much, much, much love!
opinions on fan fiction for readers
opinions on fan fiction for writers
each one should take anywhere from 10-25 minutes to complete, depending on how much you have to say for the open-ended questions.
No really itās actually a four-way bc the artist does also have a say in it. At least sometimes. Because please be aware that most queers do not want to be closeted. They are afraid to come out! Because the world tends to be VERY violent against us. So we stay closeted bc itās easier and safer, but it takes a toll. A huge toll. Because we are pretty much lying all the time, sometimes even to people we like, and we are living in the knowledge that some people that are now nice to us would (sometimes quite literally) kick us to the ground or worse. This is not good for one's soul.
Now most of us deal with that with a limited range, maybe 100 people that actually know us.
And now imagine that being millions of people.
Even it being thousands of people is already scary af.
Itās hard to come out for artists!
Because the world in large has been trained to be against/hate otherness.
There is this circle of action and reaction
We have the artist who most likely is a creative soul and just wants their music to be heard. If that artist wants to make it big and is lucky enough to be noticed the label comes in.
The label wants to make money. They take a risk by putting money into an artist and they will make sure that the artist will succeed, because thatās where they get their money back and also earn more money.Ā
How do they make sure that an artist succeeds? They work out an image and narrative that appeals to the general public (GP) and will get them noticed in the most effective way.
How do labels know what appeals to the GP
market research
basic human psychology
Humans tend to prefer the known patterns. There is safety in old patterns. (Iām not gonna dive into THAT topic bc that would go deep into psychology and evolutionary stuff. So youāll just have to take my word for that.)
These patterns are attended to by media outlets.
These patterns are also generated by media outlets.
And this is where it gets tricky.
GP is used to a certain narrative by media outlets.Ā
X and Y are good things.
Q and R are bad things.
Life is easier when you know where you stand and the media outlets are doing their best to make very clear what is good/acceptable and what is not (in their eyes).
That could be about which country is the bad one but also about what food is the correct one, which music is good or how women and men have to behave to be seen as such and therefore accepted into the flock.
Now itās hard to see where and how queerness was perceived and established as otherness and therefore assigned as bad.
All we know is that media took that concept and rode it hard. They are still riding it. Even if voices against that approach are getting louder and louder. They have their world view and they stick to their narrative.
So labels not only need to take into account what kind of narrative will work with GP but also what kind of narrative will be accepted by the media and as they are part of media themselves they need to look where they fit in and what their bosses tell them. Because if the media heads do not approve they can boycott the whole thing.
Which pretty much gives them the most power in this situation.
That sounds a bit dystopian and honestly it kinda is.
Because media is controlled by only very few companies and their heads ...
Bertelsmann - CEO Thomas Rabe, male, white, 55yo
National Amusements, Inc. (ViacomCBS) - CEO Sumner Redstone, male, white, died at 97y in 2020
Sony Corporation - CEO Kenichiro Yoshida, male, asian, 61yo
Disney - Executive Chairman Robert Iger, male, white, 69yo
AT&T - CEO John T. Stankey, male, white, 59yo
are all male, most of them old and white.
Now this all sounds super bad and it is but it will change. Because queers are slowly, slowly getting louder, more vocal. More people come out, more people are vocal and give closeted queers a sense of visibility. More queer people are starting to demand representation.
AND (and this is the more powerful part) the more people are aware of their queerness and feel part of that group, the more the market value of queers in general will rise.
And these corporations will not ignore that for long.
If youād like to read further about the world of media corperations: here is the wikepedia for concentration of media ownership and here you find an article (from 2017) with some nice info-graphics
To preface this story: Speculation, especially on someoneās body, is never good in excess. However, the people in this story were three very high trans people (including myself) and one very high and confused cis person, and I found it quite humorous in hindsight.
So my roommates and I decided to pull and all nighter on New Yearās eve. We watched WW84, Die Hard, and a couple other movies so we were still awake come 5 am, even with the influence of the pot (Iām proud of us lmaooo). I got the notif for two hours until the TPWK mv and I made them continue to stay up with me and wait because I was worried Iād fall asleep if there was no one there with me. And I was NOT going to miss the release of TPWK, as itās my favorite song on Fine Line (judge me, itās okay Iām used to it).
And so we waited and then watched it. Afterward, the cis girl just looked at us and said āthat was cute,ā while the rest of us just kind of stared at the TV for a minute, trying to make sense of all the gender shit with our stoned brains.
Another roommate, an amab genderfluid person who has been microdosing estrogen for about nine months now, then decides we have to watch Golden because itās their favorite song on the radio atm. I make the executive decision to put on the Golden behind the scenes because I find it more interesting.
We get to the scene with the extreme close up of Harryās decolletage and they said āheās got some good growth.ā Which in hindsight is very humorous to me because it didnāt register the first time he said it and I just nodded and agreed. Our cis roommate just furrowed her brows and made a āhmā sound which is the same reaction she makes when we say a trans thing she doesnāt quite understand yet lmao!
And afterward they came up to me apologizing about assuming that kind of thing about someone I care about. I told them that itās alright, Harry shouldnāt take offense to someone thinking he might be trans. They just saw themself in him and thereās nothing wrong with that, even if it was just the hitties. Iām not sure if this is as entertaining as I think it is though lmao.
This was incredibly chaotic and I kind of loved it.Ā
Your cis roommatesĀ āhmmā sound is kind of like the sound from some of this fandom when Harry does something the cis people canāt understand. Except from that part of the fandom the sound is lessĀ āhmmā and moreĀ āWQEIGHPQORGQBQETUBRWGQ HES NOT A TRANSā.Ā
The chest shot in Golden is such a fucking moment. Like Iāve never seen a manās chest treated like that on film, with it peaking out of the top of a shirt like cleavage and lingered over.Ā
I love it when Harry makes cis brains short circuit ā¤ļø Can I live in your house?
How we failed to notice that they were seeding this PR stunt from the start
Thanks @/LookatmeLou for pointing this out
The announcement for Harry being cast in Donāt Worry Darling - Sept 11th 2020
Filming/ Principal Photography begins for Donāt Worry Darling - Oct 20th 2020
Pap pics of Harry and Olivia on set - Nov 4th 2020
They made sure we saw 2 things:
Harry wearing this shirt:
Here he is making sure we see that tshirt:
And the second was Harry coming up to Oliviaās trailer:
They made sure to mention it on Just Jared:
Picture of Olivia wearing HarryāsĀ āvote vote vote voteā shirt - Nov 9th 2020
Olivia & Jason announce their split - Nov 13th 2020
Harryās Vogue cover and issue drop online - Nov 13th 2020
Olivia is quoted in the article:
Olivia defends Harry wearing a dress - Nov 15th 2020
Harry hugs Olivia goodbye before leaving the set with his assistant, Luis - Nov 21st 2020
That is very obviously Luis. He drives Harry to/from set and helps H on set when needed. You know, like an assistant. Why yāall were clowning this was Louis I will never know.
Olivia and her daughter on set via her IG story - Nov 24th 2020
Harry and Olivia on set of Donāt Worry Darling in Palm Springs - Dec 1st 2020
Chris Pine says he is done filming and comments how āHarry is a loveā - Dec 7th 2020
Olivia comments on Harryās 1 year of Fine Line IG post - Dec 13th 2020
Harry releases the music video for Treat People With Kindness - Jan 1st 2021
And it is the gayest thing he has ever done:
News breaks that Harry and Olivia are rumored to be dating - Jan 4th 2021
Pictures of them at Jeffās wedding over the weekend are released:
Daily Mail releases pictures of Harry and Olivia allegedly at Harryās house in LA - Jan 4th 2021
She can be seen wearing his signature glasses and possibly Eliou necklaces?
Olivia is papped outside Jasonās house - Jan 4th 2021
Daily Mail publishes pictures of Olivia allegedly driving Harryās Range Rover around - Jan 5th 2021
However, as I point out in this post,Ā IDK when theyāre trying to imply these are from, but she is wearing the same thing as she did when arriving at Jeffās wedding as per the same article:
Sheās even holding the keys.
Harry is papped hiking with his manager - Jan 5th 2021
So yeah guys. This PR stunt was done brilliantly. Itās classic old school seeding of a PR relationship. We just failed to see any of it because we were focused on other things. Theyāve been planning this for months. Probably since the summer, if not longer. Iād go as far as saying since Harry began his involvement in the film. So who knows when that was. Probably early summer, right after Olivia fired Shia from the franchise.Ā
They even used their signatureĀ āsharing clothes and accessoriesā stunt move. Wow. A classic!
Iāll continue updating this timeline as we go and the stunt develops.Ā
Not because I donāt like you anymore. In fact I love you dearly. Love your music. Love your commitment to being kind to everyone. Love your real personality, the kind, funny, dorky guy that does want people to choose love and mask up.
I can however not stand for the image you portrait in the tabloids these days. You look like a white rich fuckboy. The pictures of you, your team and Olivia having a splendid time without masks are giving assholes like COVID denieres new amunition and will further fuel party goers. This will not help the current situation. It will make it worse.
I do not know why these pictures were necesarry. They would have carried the same promotional value with masks on. What I know is that I do not stand for this.
I know you are most likley not gonna see this and your social media is the only way to let at least your team know that this is not ok.
TheĀ āAm I being aĀ transphobe in this fandomāĀ masterpost.
So, I donāt know about the other trans people here, but I am tired of getting the same questions over and over again. Partially because Iāve already answered them many times and it is very boring, and partially because its very typical for cis people to expect trans people to do emotional labor for them and tell them how gender works, instead of, you know, using google.Ā
Here are the questions I tend to get every time Harry does anything that plays with gender, and here are the answers. I fully expect Harry is only going to get more confident and bold over time, so here are the answers for those who want them (even though I suspect those people who really need to read this, will not).
This post is going to be long, I apologise in advance. Ā
1. You are forcing a gender identity onto Harry:Ā
The ONLY people forcing a gender identity onto Harry are those who are insisting he is definitely cis.Ā
I have never seen a trans person in this fandom say that he is definitely trans. We are simply saying he MIGHT be trans or MIGHT be questioning. I am perfectly happy for him to be cis. I am also perfectly happy for him to be trans.Ā
What is actually problematic is saying Harry is 100 percent cis when he has never, ever said that, and when he is clearly playing with gender to some degree. Cis is not the default gender (just likeĀ āstraightā is not the default sexuality).Ā
It is harmful to say that Harry must certainly be cis until proven otherwise. This view treats trans identities as āotherā and almost implies it is somehow deeply offensive to be viewed as potentially trans.Ā It is not remotely harmful to sayĀ āwe should leave room for the idea that Harry could be trans or questioning until proven otherwise.āĀ
2. I am happy for him to be trans but I think he is definitely cis until he says he isnāt:Ā
Once again, cis is not the default gender and to behave as if it is, is something we callĀ ācissexistā.Ā
To quote Healthline:Ā āCissexism operates as a subtle web of ideas that many people hold based on the assumption that all people are cisgender. Because this assumption is so deeply ingrained in our society, many people say and do things that are cissexist without realizing it.ā
Trans people can be closeted. Trans people are still trans and still valid even if you donāt know they are trans. Further, people can go through extensive periods of questioning their gender, and being questioning is valid.Ā
It may well be that Harry is cis, but to ASSUME he is when he is this blatantly experimenting in some way, is to be cissexist. He does not need to come out to you in order for you to be a decent person, and leave space for the idea that right now, we donāt truly know what his gender may be. You approaching human beings with the idea that they are cis until proven otherwise, is inherently transphobic.Ā
3. Harry uses he/him pronouns and is sometimes referred to as a man, he is therefore cis:Ā
Non-binary people use the pronouns that āmatchāĀ the gender they were assigned at birth, all of the time. A non-binary person who was born male may use he/him, they/them/, she/her etc in any combination. That does not make them not trans. Genderqueer people may have a day where they are feeling very much like a man and a day where they are feeling very much like a woman, or a day where they feel neither.Ā
Also, once again, closeted people exist. I use the pronouns he/him and they/them, but I am not out to everyone I know. Those people use she/her for me, and just because Iām not out, it does not mean that is any less painful or their assumption that I am cis is any less damaging.Ā
4. It is regressive to say that Harry may be trans because he is wearing a dress/feminine clothing:Ā
VOCABULARY & PRONOUNS
Acknowledgement of other gendersĀ 2Ā 3
FRIENDSā VOCABULARY, PRONOUNS, & NICKNAMES
Harry LambertĀ 2Ā 3Ā 4Ā 5
Marc Jacobs
Harris Reed
Bowen Yang
Alessandro Michele
Nick Grimshaw
Matt Bellassai
Gemma
āSueāĀ 2
General stuffĀ 2
FASHION CHOICESĀ
Mary JanesĀ 2
Bags/pursesĀ 2Ā 3Ā 4
Pearl necklacesĀ 2Ā 3Ā 4Ā 5Ā 6Ā 7
Nail polishĀ 2Ā 3Ā 4Ā 5
The tutuĀ 2
DressesĀ 2Ā 3Ā 4Ā 5Ā 6Ā 7
SkirtsĀ
GlovesĀ 2Ā 3
BlousesĀ 2Ā 3Ā 4Ā 5
Makeup
ShoelacesĀ 2
Rings
Lace
The French braids
The kiltĀ 2Ā 3
Lingerie/underwearĀ 2Ā 3
Other accessoriesĀ 2Ā 3Ā 4Ā 5Ā 6
Cinched waist silhouetteĀ 2
General fluidityĀ 2Ā 3Ā 4Ā 5Ā 6Ā 7
SONG LYRICSĀ
SheĀ 2Ā 3Ā 4Ā 5Ā 6Ā 7
Only Angel
Fine Line
Lights UpĀ 2
Falling
Perfect NowĀ 2
Girl Crush
Madame George
GeneralĀ 2
MISC
Trans flagsĀ 2Ā 3Ā 4Ā 5Ā 6Ā 7
Fine Line artĀ 2Ā 3
Lights Up video
Just Like You video
Kiwi video
Adore You poster
Another Man
Gucciās genderfluid fragrance campaignĀ 2Ā 3Ā 4Ā 5
Gucciās Chime for Change
MermaidsĀ and FishĀ 2Ā 3
First of all, DISCLAIMER: These are merely the things that I noticed and what I think they could mean. I do not claim that these are Hās brain childs.
Second of all I might have written some stuff double, but I really wanted to publish this before TPWK drops. So YAY to that.
Third of all. Sorry this is really long ^^* Now lets start.
The two main parts that I noticed about the MV:
there is a shit ton of cuts
there are 7 different characters
Letās have a look at the later first
THE CHARACTERS
In order of appearance
1. The Runner
1.1. clothes
white oversized shirt
half unbuttoned
shorts in soft sand and red colours, one of a kind feedsack shorts (hybrid seeds)
white (but dirty) canvas shoes with soft pink and white laces
gold cross necklace
1.2. symbolism
lots of skin visible through shorts, half-open shirt and shirt being half see-through = openness
canvas shoes are well worn and dirty = steadiness/consistency and loyalty/devotion
shorts: genuine hybrid seeds (Hybrid seeds are bred for higher yield and better resistance against pests and disease. Their seeds will not produce the same plant as the parent)
colours:
white - associated with light, goodness, innocence, purity, virginity, perfection
beige - neutral, calm, relaxing
pale pink - soothing
1.3. behaviour
main protagonist
runs after the camera
looks at the camera nearly all the time
Smiles/sings along/runs hard
chases camera, sometimes under strain but most often running with it
He is the thread that leads through the MV (appears a lot in the beginning, gets strewn in until the end, is the first and the last)
only one not wearing pearls
1.4. special moments
āI know you were way too (camera changes from full-frontal to frog perspective to show the bright sky) bright for meā
āloving youās the antidote, goldenā (greets away from camera)
2:35 not running (during the 28 goldens) ruffling hair and looking around as if uncertain how to proceed, āBecause Iām so goldenā turns and runs away from the camera, āYouāre so goldenā camera switches back to frontal
Gonna put the rest under the break because this thing got massive and long
2. Suited Up
2.1. clothes
light blue/turquoise blazer
shirt striped white and soft blue
tartan flares
white lace gloves (not always)
white (but dirty) canvas shoes with soft pink and white laces
patterned trousers - giving balance to the monochrome jacket, the pattern is very small, you have to look close to see it properly
striped shirt - two contrasting colours, stripes were historically used for outcasts and people that needed to be contained (servants, jesters, prostitutes, ...) in this case the contrast is low (white and light blue) and not always right away visible
non-formal suit, no tie, top buttons are open to reveal jewelry, sometimes with lace gloves - hides most of himself but not in an uptied way. There is a playfulness about it with the top buttons undone and the lace gloves that do cover his hands but also not. He plays peek-a-boo with how much he reveals
canvas shoes are well worn and dirty = steadiness/consistency and loyalty/devotion
Colours:
light blue - serenity, stability, inspiration, wisdom, calming, reliability but also sadness
white - associated with light, goodness, innocence, purity, virginity, perfection
gloves: in the beginning and the gesturing along with the chimes
no gloves: dorky dancing and car hood flirting
āOf who I am and all Iāve ever knownā dorky dancing
hides his hands when he flirts with the camera while singing āI donāt want to be aloneāĀ
grinning dancing, camera twirls around him, he twirls and lands on a car hood, flirting with both people inside (they are not distinguishable), his foot is raised up coquettishly, pan around to his face, he smiles broadly
the jacket is gone, leaving the striped shirt in full view
shirt not buttoned up
lace gloves - protection vs being open, purity vs debauchery
separated from camera through windshield - distancing himself from the onlooker
Colours:
light blue - serenity, stability, inspiration, wisdom, calming, reliability but also sadness
white - associated with light, goodness, innocence, purity, virginity, perfection
3.3. behaviour
does not smile
sings and seems mostly neutral and concentrated on driving
3.4. special moments
ātake me back to the lightā in tunnel, hard cut to outside tunnel, hard cut to inside tunnel emerging from tunnel
last line: āI donāt want to be aloneā
4. Waterboy
4.1. clothes
swim shorts striped blue/off-white
gold cross necklace, blue beads necklace (Millefiori necklace+Freshwater pearls)
4.2. symbolism
lots of skin, open hands stretched out towards camera - very open
barefoot - innocence/childhood, freedom from real-life requirements
switch from light blue to a stronger blue (necklace and shorts) - emphasize on that colour
Colours:
blue - serenity, stability, inspiration, wisdom, calming, reliability but also sadness
white - associated with light, goodness, innocence, purity, virginity, perfection
4.3. behaviour
only one depicted in 3 different ways (1. outside of water filmed from inside water, 2. inside water filmed from inside the water, 3. inside water filmed from outside the water)
outside of water: squatting, facing the camera, strong gestures and mimic, slightly crazy
inside the water: diving, sinking, floating, often with eyes shut
Water is used as something to either hide in (camera) or be surrounded with (H)
4.4. special moments
first appearance: āI donāt want to be aloneā reaches for and sings to the camera (which is under water and peaking out) āI donāt want to be aloneā dives into the water
āI can feel it take a holdā under water, only eyes above waterline and out of view from the camera
āout of my headā starts shaking his head crazily āand I know that youāre scared because hearts get brokenā camera sinks deeper under water, when itās under, H hits the water
āI know that youāre scared because Iām so OPENā hits the water
5. Fishermans Hat
5.1. clothes
yellow fishermanās hat
Cross necklace, white bead necklace (Millefiori+Freshwater pearls)
long flared trousers beige with blue flower print
brown belt
white (but dirty) canvas shoes with soft pink and white laces
5.2. symbolism
first appearance of yellow, only hints of blue in the fine flower print
upper body naked, lower body completely covered - ambivalence between showing and not showing but very clearly divided. Covered parts are not guessable bc even the form is hidden
Colours:
yellow - most luminous colour, stands for happiness, optimism, enlightenment, creativity, sunshine but also betrayal and cowardice
blue - serenity, stability, inspiration, wisdom, calming, reliability but also sadness
5.3. behaviour
either pressing his lips together or mouthing along to the instrumentals
swaying to the music
stands on various places on the shore rocks in different distances
lots of cuts
5.4. special moments
only appears during the 28 goldens and the following āBecause Iām so openā
only once turned away from the camera 2:38 (extremely short cut, only visible if slowed down to the max)
6. Crystal ball
6.1. clothes
nail polish gold/silver
white beret with black bow/trim
Cross necklace, white bead necklace (Millefiori+Freshwater pearls)
6.2. symbolism
only clothing is the hat, crystal ball is center - technically very open but what you see is upside down and distorted
he holds the crystal ball himself - the distortion and turning upside down of what we see is in his hands
Colours:
white - associated with light, goodness, innocence, purity, virginity, perfection
6.3. behaviour
being upside down
sings along
only fast cuts to him
6.4. special moments
first appearance after āBecause hearts get brokenā
last appearance āI know that youāre scared because Iām so openā (analysis of that part in the extras)
7. Reflection
7.1. clothes
swim shorts
7.2. symbolism
the person itself is only seen in contour and upside down - no real information and lots of distortion and distraction (upside down, reflection on the water, tinted red and yellow, clouds and stones mix into the picture)
Colours:
yellow - most luminous colour, stands for happiness, optimism, enlightenment, creativity, sunshine but also betrayal and cowardice
blue - serenity, stability, inspiration, wisdom, calming, reliability but also sadness
this could be the 4th version of the Water Boy but as there are so many differences I put him extra
we only ever see the dark reflection of him
always upside down
dances in swaying motions
7.4. special moments
the whole composition looks a bit like an eye
appears 3 times during the 28 goldens
Constants in all roles are:
silver and golden nail polish
Both stand for wealth
silver additionally stands for kindness, psychic abilities and is believed to be the mirror to the soul, helping us to see ourselves as others see us
gold associated with illumination, love, compassion, courage, magic and wisdom but also sparkle and glamour
golden cross necklace
pearls (and Millefiori beads in light blue or blue)
only the Runner doesnāt wear them (itās not clear for the Reflection but based on the shorts Iād say the styling is the same as for the Waterboy)we all know how H is wearing pearls now basically everywhere so him wearing them in the MV is no surprise
Pearls are said to attract wealth and luck, offer protection, balance karma, strengthen relationships, symbolize purity, generosity, integrity, loyalty, used for purifying wate
The millefioriare glas beads that depict flowers. Flowers symbolize fertility, health, flourishing
these necklaces are pretty and colour coordinated to the outfits but they also seem to be a blessing
when there are shoes itās white (but dirty) canvas shoes with soft pink and white laces
which can stand for steadiness/consistency and loyalty/devotion
Main themes
a journey that starts in a tunnel and ends on a open road, both (beginning and ending) are unprovoked
conflict between openness and secrecy, how much is shown and how much of that is the reality?
Now to the cuts
The editing of the video is brilliant and hides so many little tidbits that I fear that I have seen only half of them (I meantioned the most noticable ones in the Roles), so here goes nothing
There are 156 cuts
The highest concentration of cuts is during the 28 goldens until āBecause Iām so open.ā
The biggest cluster of cuts is at 2:43 (7 cuts) and 2:44 (6 cuts) āBecause Iām so openā
All cuts visualized
Runner - skin tone
Suited Up - royal blue
Car Driver: Tunnel - dark red, Outside - sky blue
Waterboy: Outside - pale green, Under Water - dark green, In Water - bluish green
Crystal Ball - brown
Fishermans Hat - yellow
Reflection - purple
The last dark red cut should be morphing into a sky blue (just couldnāt figure out how to do that)
The lead up to the climax starts shortly after the first appearence of the crystal ball (5th row from the bottom)
the 28 Goldens start with the Suited Up blue in the same row
All appearences of the Fichermans Hat are only during the 28 Goldens and in the climax
Now letās talk about the climax
the 28 Goldens end with the last appearence of the Reflection (purple)
The following 5 seconds are the climax
Cristal ball āI knowā Suited up (full body, looking to the right, lips pressed together, steps forward)
āThat youāre scaredā Runner (stands,looks at camera, hands on hips)
āBeā Suited Up (portrait, looks at camera, slightly upwards)
ācauseā Suited Up (portrait, looks at camera, slightly downward)
āIā Crystal ball
āāmā
Suited Up (portrait, looks at camera slightly downwards)
Waterboy (in water, head above, hands strechted out to a V)
Fishermans Hat (half body, raising arms, head tilted to the right)
āsoā Crystal ball (lowering the Crystal ball)
āoā
Waterboy (in water, head above, hands slowly sinking, moving head backwards as if cheering)
Crystal ball (without Crystal ball, comes into focus)
Waterboy (in water, head above, moving head backwards as if cheering, wave rolls into the focus, Waterboy not visible)
Crystal ball (without Crystal ball)
Crystal ball (super short flicker, with Crystal ball again)
āpenā Waterboy (outside water, hits the water)
Runner (turnes away from camera and runs away)
So what is the story? At first it might look as if all the different characters are random and the MV only being about a nice summer day, singing about a love and not having an underlying story but when we look deeper there is a lot to unpack.
When we look at the distribution of how much time each character got and when which character was the focus it becomes clear that the Runner is the main protagonist. He is the one that starts us off, carries us through and brings it to the end. He quite literally runs us through the MV. He is the red thread tying it all together. He is also the only one not wearing pearls, which sets him apart from all the characters but also from H himself.
Looking at the other characters he is one of only two that actually smile. But while the Suited up character is, well... suited up, literally hiding most parts of himself from the viewer, even going as far as wearing gloves, the Runner is wearing loose clothes, short or see through and not buttoned up. He is showing quite a lot of himself and he is not self conscious about it or coquettish or anything really because he is focusing on running. Pulling us through the music video by running towards us(?), the camera, really. He is also not chasing. There are parts where he pushes himself to run faster but itās never a chase. Always running with the camera.
The only time he breaks the pattern is during the instrumental part, the 28 Goldens, where he stops running, looking around as if questioning where to go. He picks back up running directly after the climax āI know that youāre scared because Iām so openā but this time he runs away from the camera as if choosing a different path. Because maybe he doesnāt want the other to be scared and choses to go back or maybe he wasnāt actually open and wants to change that by retracing his steps. But with the next cut to him he is again running towards the camera. Itās not clear if anything changed and then he just stops running. The camera getting further away from him. He looks on, there are no sad feelings.
Of all the other characters only one shows no signs of hiding anything.
Suited up is dorky, expressive and flirty while also playing with the contrasts of a full suit but a not fully buttoned shirt, with lace gloves that hide him but also give peeks of him, with hiding his hands behind his back while flashing his dimpled smile. He looks genuine, he probably is ... to some extent. There are parts of himself that he doesnāt show but he is charming about it. Playing with it.
The Driver hides behind his windshield, also wearing the lace gloves but he is not charming or even smiling. He drives. Somewhere. He definitely drives from the dark tunnel into the light while singing ātake me back to the lightā and he ends his appearances with the words āI donāt want to be aloneā. He shows us his vulnerable side by telling us his hopes but there is no deep connection, he keeps a distance.
The Fishermans hat seems open and for a certain part he is, a bare chest with all his history etched into his skin is quite clearly open. But his lower body is so effectively covered, we canāt even see the exact shape of his legs due to the trousers cut, or if he is even wearing any shoes. that it feels like a statement of āyes you can see part of me but the other part I keep absolutely hidden.ā He keeps his lips well pressed together. Jumping closer and further back again with each cut. Making it hard to place him or foresee what to expect next.
The Crystal ball is a study in hiding. Yes the part of the body we see is naked and seems very open, but itās also upside down and distorted by the ball that he holds himself. And even the part of the climax where he lowers the ball to reveal himself ends in a short flicker of the ball being back, distortion in place. That is the last appearance of this character.
The Reflection is by far the most mysterious. We donāt see anything of him except for his outline. He is a reflection in a pond, distorted and tinted by the other reflections and the stones under water as well as the whole scene being tinted by red and orange. There is no way to get any real information from that one.
And then there is the Waterboy. The one in just swim shorts. The one pulling faces at something, someone, in the water. The one talking directly to the camera āand I know that youāre scared because hearts get brokenā while the camera sinks lower. The one jumping into the water āI donāt want to be aloneā and āI can feel it take a holdā while being under water. There is no clarification who he is talking too/about but it is clear that he wants to be close and closer. Wants to surround himself with it. This openness is especially stark as every other side character is a version of hiding in some way or the other.
The clash of all those characters hiding, distorting, playing peek-a-boo with how much they reveal and how much of their personality is reality and that one honest open character that wants someone so much that he is diving for them. Disregarding all the other characters because he is the one that scares the other by being open.
And still the last side character making an appearance is the one suited up, he smiles and is charming, flirting with people that canāt be seen, we can see them waving and really they could be anyone that wants his attention. He twirls, drapes himself over the hood of their car, letting his dimples pop, delicately placing his chin in his hand and raising his foot. Itās the longest continuous scene in the music video and is followed only by the Runner stopping to run, ending his part of escorting us through the story.
I was talking about Louis' band!! I'm not actually crying dgtthvihthjj it's just very confusing to me. I've only very recently begun paying much attention to them and telling apart four white people who (to me!!) look quite similar, at once is a bit much for my brain. sorry sdkenidndjddnkl
Required Grain of Salt Disclaimer, but thank you Anon, youāve made my Christmas. šš„ŗšš„°š May I share the (edited) second part or was that just for me? I didnāt want to just post it too without making sure. š