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dailytomlinson · 4 years

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While many artists would jump at the chance to tell you how lockdown has been a fruitful opportunity for self-improvement, full of pseudo self-help books and pompous podcasts, former One Directioner Louis Tomlinson is adamant that he has done, well, nothing.

“I’ve just watched loads of s___ TV,” he says after a long pause. “The Undoing is decent, isn’t it?”

Twenty-eight--year-old Tomlinson from Doncaster was always the down-to-earth Directioner, frequently describing himself as fringe member who spent more time analysing the band’s contracts than singing solos, known for chain-smoking his way through several packs of cigarettes a day and swearing like a trooper. A rarity, these days, among millennials who’d rather suck on a stem of kale and tweet about their #blessings.

The gig means a great deal to Tomlinson, whose first ever tour as a solo artist, to promote his debut solo album WALLS, was cut short back in March after just two concerts in Spain and Mexico. It was an album he’d spent five years working on: a guitar-led project that ruptured with the preppy pop anthems of One Direction, inspired instead by Tomlinson’s love for Britpop.

No doubt he was anxious to get it right following a decade “grown in test tubes”, as Harry Styles once described the band’s formation on the X Factor, where they came third before going on to make a reported $280,000 a day as the most successful band in the world. The pressure, too, was intense: all four bandmates had already released their own solo debuts.

Was he left reeling, I ask, unable to perform at such a crucial moment?

“The thing that I always enjoyed the most about One Direction was playing the shows, so my master plan, when I realised I was going to do a solo career, was always my first tour. It’s something I’ve been looking forward to for the best part of five years now. I got so close, I got a taste for it, and it’s affected me like everyone else, but I’m forever an optimist,” he says down the phone, with what I can only imagine to be a rather phlegmatic shrug.

Sure, I say, but the last year can’t have been easy. Didn’t he feel like his purpose had popped?

“You know what,” he says, reflecting, “maybe because I’ve had real dark moments in my life, they’ve given me scope for optimism. In the grand scheme of things, of what I’ve experienced, these everyday problems...they don’t seem so bad.”

Tomlinson is referring to losing his 43-year-old mother, a midwife, to leukemia in 2016, and his 18-year-old sister Felicite, a model, to an accidental drug overdose in 2018. The double tragedy is something he has been open about on his own terms, dedicating his single, Two of Us, from WALLS, to his mother Johannah, while often checking in with fans who have lost members of their own family.

It’s not unusual for Tomlinson to ask his 34.9 million followers if they’re doing alright, receiving hundreds of thousands of personal replies. It’s not something he will discuss in interviews, however, after he slammed BBC Breakfast for shamelessly probing his trauma in February this year. “Never going back there again,” he tweeted after coming off the show.

“Social media is a ruthless, toxic place, so I don’t like to spend much time there,” says Tomlinson, “but because of experiencing such light and shade all while I was famous, I have a very deep connection with my fans. They’ve always been there for me.”

In return, Tomlinson is good to them. Last month he even promised some new music, saying that he’d written four songs in four days. Does this mean that a second album is on the way?

“Yeah, definitely,” he says. “I’m very, very excited. I had basically penciled down a plan before corona took over our lives. And now it's kind of given me a little bit of time to really get into what I want to say and what I want things to sound like. Because, you know, I was really proud of my first record, but there were moments that I felt were truer to me than others. I think that there were some songs where I took slightly more risk and owned what I love, saying, ‘This is who I want to be’. So I want to take a leaf out of their book.”

Fans might think he’s referring to writing more heartfelt autobiographical content such as Two of Us, but in fact, he’s referring specifically to rock-inspired Kill My Mind, he says, the first song on WALLS. “There’s a certain energy in that song, in its delivery, in its attitude, that I want to recreate. People are struggling at the moment, so I want to create a raucous, exciting atmosphere in my live show, not a somber, thoughtful one.”

He sighs, trying to articulate something that’s clearly been playing on his mind for a while. “You know, because of my story, my album was a little heavy at times and a little somber. And as I'm sure you're aware, from talking to me, now, that isn't who I am.”

It must be draining, I say, the weight of expectation in both the media and across his fanbase, to be a spokesperson for grief and hardship. To have tragedy prelude everything he does and says.

“Honestly, it’s part of being from Doncaster as well, I don’t like people feeling sorry for me. That’s the last thing I want.”

Too many incredible memories to mention but not a day goes by that I don't think about how amazing it was. @NiallOfficial @Harry_Styles @LiamPayne @zaynmalik . So proud of you all individually.

The problem is, says Tomlinson, he doesn’t have the best imagination. “I have interesting things to say musically, but what’s challenging from a writing perspective is that I write from the heart, and I can’t really get into someone else’s story. And right now, being stuck at home, you have so little experience to draw from. It’s actually quite hard to write these positive, uplifting songs, because actually, the experiences that you're going through on a day to day basis, you know, you they don't have that same flavour.”

There is something that’s helping, though: a secret spot near Los Angeles, where he divides his time. “It’s remote and kind of weird, and I’m going to go there for three days and write. I don’t know why I’m so drawn to it. I found it via a YouTube video. It’s got some very interesting locals who live there, it’s sort of backwards when it comes to technology. It feels like you’re going back in time when you’re there. But I don’t want to give it away.”

Another source of inspiration for his second album is the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ back catalogue. “I grew up on their album Bytheway. And during lockdown I've been knee deep in their stuff. I’ve watched every documentary, every video. And I find their lead guitarist John Frusciante just fascinating.”

Has he spoken to Frusicante?

“I f______ wish,” snorts Tomlinson.

Surely someone as well-known as Tomlinson could easily get in touch?

“No, honestly, I think he’s too cool for that. He’s not into that kind of thing.”

Tomlinson’s passion for all things rock is also spurring on a side hustle he picked up as a judge on the X Factor in 2018: managing an all-female rock band via his own imprint on Simon Cowell’s Syco label. While the group disbanded before releasing their first single, and Tomlinson split from Syco earlier this year, the singer is keen to nurture some more talent.

“I'm not gonna lie, my process with my imprint through Syco, it became challenging and it became frustrating at times,” Tomlinson says a little wearily. “The kind of artists that I was interested in developing – because I genuinely feel through my experience in One Direction, you know, one of the biggest f______ bands, I feel like I've learned a lot about the industry – they weren’t ready-made. So I had lots of artists that I took through the door that were rough and ready, but major labels want to see something that works straight away. I found that a little bit demotivating. I love her and she's an incredible artist, but not everyone is a Taylor Swift.”

Tomlinson spends much of his free time scouting new talent either on YouTube, Reddit or BBC Introducing – he’s currently a huge fan of indie Brighton band, Fickle Friends. His dream is to manage an all-female band playing instruments. “Because there's no one in that space. And I know eventually if I don't do it, someone else will!”

Before he drives off to rehearsals, we chatter about how much he's been practising his guitar playing, and how he can't wait to take the whole team working at his favourite grassroots venue, The Dome in Doncaster, out ice-skating after he performs there on his rescheduled tour. “Because I've got skills,” he says, and I can hear his chest puff.

And then I ask the question every retired member of One Direction has been batting off ever since they broke up in 2015, after Zayn Malik quit. Rumours that his bandmates saw him as a Judas went wild after some eagle eyes fans noticed they’d unfollowed him on Instagram. Payne, Tomlinson, Horan and Styles have barely mentioned him since. Recently, however, they re-followed him, and Payne has teased that a One Direction reunion is on the cards.

So: might 2021 be the year of resurrection?

“I thought you were going to ask something juicier!” say Tomlinson witheringly. “Look, I f______ love One Direction. I'm sure we're going to come back together one day, and I'll be doing a couple of One Direction songs in my gig. I always do that, so that's not alluding to any reunion or anything. But, I mean, look, I'm sure one day we'll get back together, because, you know, we were f______ great.”

#telegraph uk #press #louis tomlinson #241120 #its FULL of stunts as telegraph usually goes #stunt mention #Eleanor Halls

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hopeshoodie · 3 years

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Ok so in light of the Independent article (see my tag #fusebox layoffs for more info), I’ve been trying to piece together the sequence of events that lead to FB Going to Shit™.

All of the below is based on articles, tweets from the staff, and dates from screenshots. Especially with the Matchmaker stuff, I’m using the dates I personally accessed the stories- that might not be accurate to when they were actually released to an international audience, just when my phone updated the app. In hindsight, I’m not a great person to do this because I have a shit memory and don’t keep receipts, so if you have any corrections PLEASE lmk either in the dms or replies.

In sum, the timeline appears to be:

1. Key players left Fusebox in early 2020.

The one that people are probably most familiar with is David Gallopim, one of the artists who helped define the S2’s distinct style, leaving sometime before March 2020. He seemed to indicate that there was conflict over the new art style of S3, and released assets he’d designed of Harry in his own style (notably way prettier than Harry looks in-game).

But probably more important to the direction of the company, Michael Othen, one of the co-founders and former CEO, left in July of 2020 (I had thought it was earlier in the year but according to LinkedIn it was July). It’s much more unclear why he left, but it’s notable because he was a huge force in making the game inclusive of LGBTQ characters.

So all in all, not a great sign when employees who had a huge hand in creating the content and direction of a game that defined its success jump ship. Especially after the game was seemingly hitting its stride, with the host of Love Island (the TV show) doing a sponsored Let’s Play of S3 and projects in the works like Boat Party and CMM.

2. It seems like Fusebox‘s CEO/executives hired new management, either in 2020 or early 2021. Employees complain that the executives don’t understand what it takes to make a game and are pulling the studio in the wrong direction. It’s unclear if the newly hired execs had experience.

Wil Stephens, the CEO/founder, has been with FB since its inception but also appears to have only founded game distribution ventures and not worked in any development or employment capacity. If that’s the case, maybe the complaints about lack of experience/knowledge about the mechanics of making games work are about him. If not, then some of the newly hired execs would likely be to blame.

Paul Virapen, COO, was brought on in November of 2020. He’s worked with Disney’s gaming division, Big Pixel studios, Wooga. The quality of that experience is dubious since he headed up the ‘let’s make apps for Apple watches, it’ll be the next big thing’ department… Lol. Notably also, all of his roles had been in the executive/managerial realm, not the development teams, so the complains might have been about him. THIS IS SPECULATION, but I’m willing to bet that Virapen was a if not THE driving force in switching Fusebox’s focus entirely to matchmaker. All the studios he’s worked with have primarily produced and promoted Match 3 games, and he has a background working with big studios that produce games for large international audiences, not small studios making narrative games for limited audiences.

A new Manager of Finances, Ruth Erskine, was brought on in December of 2020

Rob Goddard, a new producer, was brought in January of 2021

Several key operations positions were filled by existing employees being promoted to management- 2 as far as I can tell. But as a whole it seems like December 2020 was a huge shift in leadership for the upper management while a lot of the other teams expanded but kept their old players as well.

3. At some point in late 2020- mid 2021, the executive team made the decision to switch LITG’s focus from a narrative pass-based game to a Match 3 incorporating romance narrative cut scenes. In early 2021, Fusebox teased more content to come while releasing S3 (seemingly referring to Matchmaker and not S4). In the interim between S3 endings and Boat Party’s release they put out an interview confirming the new game will be Match 3 but did seem to indicate that the plan at that time was for Matchmaker to be a side project with a different development team and not replace the main game. Notably, the LITG writers and artists were reassured that their roles will continue to exist (according to the independent article) as they’re working on S4.

3. In September of 2020, Matchmaker became briefly available in the US. That’s when I first downloaded it, at least. It would be added/removed from the google play store multiple times before having a unilateral release in July of 2021.

Throughout 2020, Matchmaker is available to Asian audiences solely with LITG S1 getting rolled out in incremental updates.

Eventually, Beanie Quinn is released (March 2021)

LA Noir is released (May 2021)

Seduction Games is released (late May or June 2021- I got the update and played it June 3rd, but hadn’t opened the app for a month or so. It might have come out before then, which is unfortunate for this timeline since it’s so inextricably linked to the open letter and layoff dates)

LITG S2 is released (only like 20 levels of it) the same month- June 19th for me. Notably, all of these stories are only released to an international audience, with the UK and USA still not having access to the app.

4. At the same time, Fusebox’s internal affairs are pretty quiet from 2020-2021, at least on social media.

S3 comes out in 2020, Boat Party comes out later in the year and finishes in 2021. Post S3 in October of 2021, a survey goes out gauging player interest in new art styles and representation, which was pretty in keeping with past actions and seemed promising for S4.

Boat Party features a promising cross promotion implementing irl brands into the game. It’s unclear if enough money was made from this on FB or the sponsor’s end to make that strategy viable, but that might’ve impacted management’s outlook for the profitability of LITG.

Fusebox teases more content for the summer on Instagram, and then follows up and confirms it’ll be a proper season.

5. More key players leave in early 2021

Ed Sibley is still listed as Narrative Direction on LinkedIn, but he’s not credited as a writer on Season 4 (he was on 3,2,and 1) and started work with NetSpeak games in May of 2021, so we can assume he left around then or at least transitioned away from Fusebox then.

Fred Francis, another writer who had been on the team since S1, turns in his resignation ‘weeks’ before the layoffs were announced in late June. So we can assume he made his exit sometime early June or late May.

6. Prior to the release of Seduction games in May/June, staff expressed concern about the biphobia in Seduction Games. No sources have given a specific time when this took place. They were reassured that the problem would be corrected prior to release, but then the story was released as is to an international audience in June. The article released by the Independent is unclear- there might have been discussion prior to the open letter where staff expressed concerns and then were reassured before the game going live. OR the open letter might have been the first expression of concern by the staff. I tend to think the former, and the open letter was a response to Matchmaker going live with Seduction Games anyways, but I have no proof for that. On May 24th, 31 employees sent an open letter of concern regarding the problematic content in Matchmaker. This letter isn’t public, so we don’t know the scope of the employees' concerns or who the employees were.

7. To resolve the situation, a meeting between the staff and at least the COO (likely more than just him though) was held sometime after May 24th. Allegedly, Virapen was disrespectful to the employees who had questions, refused to answer, and ended the meeting early before any resolution was had by closing his laptop and leaving the room. At least 4 HR complaints were made in the wake of that meeting, we do not know the nature of those complaints.

8. Some time mid-July (maybe July 26th? A writer tweeted about their job ending soon on that date), employees were made aware that the LITG app would move into ‘sunset mode’. It’s unclear what was communicated, but it seems as though S4 will be heavily delayed or cancelled altogether and no future seasons would be made. Writers begin to post about looking for work on Twitter

9. June 30th- The majority of Fusebox writing staff announce on twitter they’re out of work. In addition to the entire writing staff, unity engineers and producers are also let go.

10. July 5th - Fusebox executives respond to an article by MCVUK with a statement asserting they were “consulting with [their] employees on a proposed change to its business model” that would focus on producing Matchmaker content. They also expounded that the move was to secure “cash injections and and continued support from respected investors across the media and gaming industry”

11. July 6th- Fusebox announces that S4 will be delayed from the summer release date and that there is no fixed release date.

12. August 2nd- three jobs are posted to Fusebox’s careers page on their website, one being Head of Narrative Content. In the job listing, it specifies that they’ll be maintaining existing properties as well as new ones, and that because of the co-development model (re:fusebox outsourcing Matchmaker to another studio) the new Narrative Lead must collaborate with external content creators.

Hopefully posting this timeline gives players a better understanding of how radically Fusebox has changed in the course of 2021 (and how royally they screwed over the people who made LITG what it is). Again, please let me know if you have receipts showing dates are different or things to add.

#fusebox layoffs #fusebox games

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louistomlinsoncouk · 4 years

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“I’ve just watched loads of s___ TV,” he says after a long pause. “The Undoing is decent, isn’t it?”

Far from aimless, however, today the singer is full of beans, cheerily shushing his barking dog as he potters about his North London home where he lives with his best friend from home, Oli, and his girlfriend, the model Eleanor Calder.

Was he left reeling, I ask, unable to perform at such a crucial moment?

Sure, I say, but the last year can’t have been easy. Didn’t he feel like his purpose had popped?

In return, Tomlinson is good to them. Last month he even promised some new music, saying that he’d written four songs in four days. Does this mean that a second album is on the way?

It must be draining, I say, the weight of expectation in both the media and across his fanbase, to be a spokesperson for grief and hardship. To have tragedy prelude everything he does and says.

“Honestly, it’s part of being from Doncaster as well, I don’t like people feeling sorry for me. That’s the last thing I want.”

There is something that’s helping, though: a secret spot near Los Angeles, where he divides his time to see his four-year-old son, Freddie, whom he shares with his ex Briana Jungwirth, a stylist. “It’s remote and kind of weird, and I’m going to go there for three days and write. I don’t know why I’m so drawn to it. I found it via a YouTube video. It’s got some very interesting locals who live there, it’s sort of backwards when it comes to technology. It feels like you’re going back in time when you’re there. But I don’t want to give it away.”

Has he spoken to Frusicante?

“I f______ wish,” snorts Tomlinson.

Surely someone as well-known as Tomlinson could easily get in touch?

“No, honestly, I think he’s too cool for that. He’s not into that kind of thing.”

So: might 2021 be the year of resurrection?

#louis tomlinson #24nov20

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hlupdate · 4 years

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“I’ve just watched loads of s___ TV,” he says after a long pause. “The Undoing is decent, isn’t it?”

Far from aimless, however, today the singer is full of beans, cheerily shushing his barking dog as he potters about his North London home where he lives with his best friend from home, Oli, [...].

Was he left reeling, I ask, unable to perform at such a crucial moment?

Sure, I say, but the last year can’t have been easy. Didn’t he feel like his purpose had popped?

In return, Tomlinson is good to them. Last month he even promised some new music, saying that he’d written four songs in four days. Does this mean that a second album is on the way?

It must be draining, I say, the weight of expectation in both the media and across his fanbase, to be a spokesperson for grief and hardship. To have tragedy prelude everything he does and says.

“Honestly, it’s part of being from Doncaster as well, I don’t like people feeling sorry for me. That’s the last thing I want.”

There is something that’s helping, though: a secret spot near Los Angeles, [...] “It’s remote and kind of weird, and I’m going to go there for three days and write. I don’t know why I’m so drawn to it. I found it via a YouTube video. It’s got some very interesting locals who live there, it’s sort of backwards when it comes to technology. It feels like you’re going back in time when you’re there. But I don’t want to give it away.”

Has he spoken to Frusicante?

“I f______ wish,” snorts Tomlinson.

Surely someone as well-known as Tomlinson could easily get in touch?

“No, honestly, I think he’s too cool for that. He’s not into that kind of thing.”

So: might 2021 be the year of resurrection?

#louis tomlinson #241120 #lt livestream #e and f mentions from the journalist removed where there is [...]#nothing altered from louis #stunt mention #at the link

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atruththatyoudeny · 4 years

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Monthly Reads | April 2020

The happiest of 28ths to all of you! April has been a fantastic month - Big Bang started!! Make sure to head on over to @onedirectionbigbang to check out all the upcoming fics and the awesome art.

⇢ How It Would Feel To Be Free | lovelarry10 | royalty - kid fic - angst - unrequited love - secrets - coming out - friends to lovers - 90k “When's she due?” “She said next month,” Harry replied quickly, ignoring the look of shock on Louis’ face. “How the hell am I going to tell my parents that I’m going to be a father, and to a baby born out of wedlock? It’s going to be some whole-ass scandal, Lou, and I can’t ... I can’t-” “I’ll help you. Whatever it takes, Harry, I’ll be there for you.” ~~~~~ When Prince Harry unexpectedly becomes a father, his best friend Louis steps in. The masses believe the baby is Louis’, but all Harry wants is to tell the world the truth - about the baby and his feelings for Louis.

⇢ There's No Other Place | nikogda | hybrids - a/b/o - 1930s - enemies to friends to lovers - soulmates - nesting - angst - roommates - misunderstandings - 52k “Do you have a warm place to go?" Harry asked. "I can offer you room and some food.” The hybrid pushed his cloak off his head as he looked at Harry in the darkness that covered them. “I don’t need your charity. You can be on your way, Sir.” “You could catch your death tonight,” Harry said. The hybrid stood and grabbed a bag beside him. “I’ve yet to catch my death, I won’t be doing such a thing tonight either.” He turned to leave and the air smelled sweet. Something inside Harry stirred and he reached out, grabbing the hybrid by his wrist. “I’ll ask you one more time.” His tone was firmer, more demanding as he spoke. “Come and stay at mine. You will be safe and warm.” The hybrid nodded and Harry dropped his hand. Or: the one where Harry offers his home for omega hybrid Louis in a world where his very existence is illegal. It was meant to be temporary, but as time goes on, neither of them want it to be. Too bad things are rarely that simple.

⇢ Follow Your Arrow | bitter_leaf | friends to lovers - High School - teen angst - slow burn - mutual pining - coming of age - 78k Harry was the golden child, blessed in every way; Niall was the charming miscreant, a bad boy; Liam was the future-son-in-law parents of daughters dreamt of, and Zayn was the kid parents wished was their son. But Louis, Harry thought, Louis was the special one. It's senior year and everything is about to change.

⇢ A Road To Something Better | taggiecb | friends to lovers - fluff - humor - 25k Louis Tomlinson, famous romance novelist, has just had the rug pulled out from under his feet when his boyfriend leaves him without notice. What's the most appropriate response to this? Move a thousand miles away and seclude himself in a tiny lake town, of course. But nothing is as he expects it to be in the very best way, especially not the handsome mayor of McAll, Idaho.

⇢ i must admit i thought i'd like to make you mine | disgruntledkittenface | Girl Direction - fake/pretend relationship - strangers to friends to lovers - fluff - 51k Louis fell apart when her ex broke up with her and moved across the country. Just as she’s starting to move on, Zayn comes back to town for their mutual friends’ wedding – with a new girlfriend as her plus one. Blindsided and scrambling to save face, Louis lets herself get talked into a fake relationship with her new friend Harry. Their arrangement makes Louis feel pathetic and embarrassed, but it’s only going to last a few weeks. She just has to get through the wedding – what could happen?

⇢ The Devil In My Brain | larryshares | Heaven Á Hell - devil - ghosts - witches - voodoo - immortality - past suicide attempts - reincarnation - angst - tragedy - hate to love - enemies to friends to lovers - humor - fluff - 75k “Jesus Christ!” Louis yells as he jumps back in reaction to Harry once again popping up out of nowhere. Harry doesn’t even flinch. “Quite the opposite.” He jokes, holding out one of the drinks for Louis to take. A freshly sizzling vodka Red Bull; his favorite. Louis’s initial reaction is the thought you remembered. His rational brain says, “No thanks.” “Louis.” Harry says it like a concerned parent, the tone of it matching the way his mum used to say Boo Bear, you have to eat your vegetables to grow up big and strong, and that ignites something feral within him. “Satan.” He counters, same tone coupled with a glare and a pair of arms crossed over his chest. - Louis used to be good friends with Harry, until he woke up alone and immortal with no one to blame but The Devil himself.

⇢ Compete Against the Stars | amomentoflove | a/b/o - arranged marriage - college/university - werewolf - pining - fluff - angst - 31k “We should probably keep our distance,” Harry says, now backing up until he’s leaning against the wall opposite of Louis. It already feels too far away. “I don’t know if I can handle not being able to touch you in some small way.” Louis nods and looks down. “The solstice will be here soon,” he murmurs. “And with it, our mates,” Harry finishes, his voice cracking at the last word. An ABO au where Louis finds out he's claimed to another Alpha. Angst ensues.

⇢ Need So Much of You | lululawrence | canon divergence - fake/pretend relationship - famous/famous - coming out - friends to lovers - friends with benefits - pining - 47k “Alright, I’m just going to get right down to it,” Jess said. “We were contacted yesterday by Harry Styles’ team with some information regarding his own schedule and promotion that is going to have some bearing on Louis.” “Me specifically or all former members of the band?” Louis asked, confused. “You specifically,” Jess said, looking at Louis with a heavy gaze. “Harry’s going to start his own promo for his second album in the coming months, which is going to include a coming out.” “That’s great,” he said, nodding. “Is that it? Or is there more?” Mark shifted in his seat and Louis watched his expression change. “We’ve discussed it and we think it would be best if you came out as well and had a promotional relationship with Harry for the album drop through both of your tours next year.” Louis started laughing in surprise, but no one else joined in. Shit, they were serious. Or the would-have-been canon compliant, fake relationship, friends with benefits, friends to lovers fic where Louis wonders if this thing going on with Harry is going to break him or change everything for the better.

⇢ tempests of dust | scrunchyharry | royalty - historical - secret identity - angst - miscommunication - 31k Louis lived an ordinary life, albeit in an extraordinary place. His family, alongside many others, were mandated to maintain the fortress of Bourbon-l’Archambault, one of the many castles belonging to the crown of France. It was thankless work, but it was a roof over their heads and a quiet, steady life. For all that he knew, the Crown had forgotten Bourbon-l’Archambault even existed, which suited him quite well. That was until the Dauphin, Prince Harry, came to stay for a summer and decided that he would experience the life of a peasant, for his own personal growth, without any regards to how it would affect others. After a summer spent together, the thought of parting ways was too much to bear and they struck a deal: Louis would pretend to be a duke at the court of Versailles for a season: if after three months, he was miserable, Harry would let him return to his former life without making a fuss. Did they really think it would be that simple?

⇢ The Stars Look Very Different Today | kingsofeverything | science fiction - space - outer space - galactic colonization - space travel - rescue mission - hate to love - enemies to lovers - mistaken identity - enemies to friends to lovers - 43k For Harry Styles, child genius turned glorified spaceship mechanic, rescuing lost or broken down ships is a fairly common occurrence. There’s nothing common about his latest mission, the ship, or that ship’s captain. The last thing he expects to find in a distant galaxy is the one thing he’s been missing on Earth.

⇢ Under your skin, Over the moon | messofgorgeouschaos | enemeies to friends to lovers - royalty - 35k If there was one thing Harry didn’t expect the day before his uni graduation, it was for his long lost grandmother to show up and tell him he’s actually a prince thats next in line to rule Genovia. He also didn’t expect to fall for his royal advisor, who happens to hate his guts. A Princess Diaries AU.

⇢ Yahoo! | musketrois | fluff - pining - roommates - friends to lovers - 7k I think I’m in love with my roommate???? Harry typed into the question box. Oh, shit. Love? Did he love Louis? This question was already turning out different than he originally planned. He continued typing before delving into that thought process. or Harry turns to the Internet for romantic advice.

⇢ Where I Should Be | captainsftlouis | friends to lovers - mutual pining - cheating - angst - D/s undertones - 31k "Louis smiled, nodding at Harry, encouraging him [...]. Harry’s eyes were bright and his smile warm, and he winked at Louis before turning towards their friends. “We’re engaged!” Harry exclaimed. Loud cheers immediately filled the restaurant, and Louis laughed when he recognized Charlie’s very distinctive shrieking voice yelling an eloquent, what the fuck. He joined the clapping as everyone started to gather around the couple, but he stopped mid-clap when he actually turned his gaze towards Harry. Louis watched as Harry picked Amara up and spun her around, kissing her into oblivion, and over the cheering, he heard one part of his heart break with a thundering sound." --- Or, the affair AU where Harry is getting married, Louis is in love with his best friend, and they only have this life to get it right.

⇢ through the storm | Harryskiwiposes | mpreg - miscommunication - angst - fluff - 6k Harry and Louis' marriage has hit a rough patch. A much needed week vacation in Jamaica just may be the second chance their relationship needs. What could possibly go wrong? The answer? Everything.

⇢ Falling Down For You | theweightofmywords | a/b/o - arranged marriage - miscommunication - angst - fluff - implied/referenced cheating - 15k If there was an alpha that Louis wanted to call his, it would be Harry. But what happens when an arranged marriage, a hungry press, and doubts get in the way?

⇢ Second Spring | vondrostes | establshied relationship - trans female character - domestic fluff - light angst - implied/referenced sexual assault - gender dysphoria - hurt/comfort - hospitalization - surgery - post-op trans character - 103k Two years into their relationship, Louis and Harry encounter a new beginning

⇢ Oranges, Whipped Cream and Blueberries | Jennifer_Kaid | a/b/o - fluff - dom/sub - domestic fluff - arranged marriage - mpreg - 9k Louis was an omega of a pure bloodline. He had known since he was merely eight years old that he was to be bonded with a high ranked alpha. Not the one of his choice, but the one deemed suitable for him by the elders. Little did he know that the alpha would be the leader of his pack; the greatest pack known to their kind.

⇢ strawberry lipstick state of mind | Hazloveshisboo | Girl Direction - sex worker - cam girl - fluff - angst - 15k She unlocked her phone to that conversation and giggled at the message. She had been talking to this person casually for a while now, one of her subscribers and every message she received made her feel like a teenage girl with a crush. ltommo77: I don’t know how you manage to make me wet with a censored picture but here I am, sitting in front of 20 teenagers, in ruined underwear. Thanks for that. Harry beamed and laid on her bed as she typed out a reply. agedlikefinewine: And just why are you checking your Instagram when you should be teaching the future leaders of the world? *** Harry is a mother, bakery owner, and cam girl. Louise is a secondary school teacher. They've been talking online but what happens when they meet in person?

⇢ so...how's parenting going? vol. iv: the case of the reoccurring announcement | thealmightyavocado | kid fic - established relationship - crack - fluff - 19k Louis ruffles Rory’s floppy curls, sitting down on the stool closest to his son. “Rory, sweetheart, you know you don’t have to announce everything for us to listen to you.” “Yes, I do.” Rory insists adamantly, eyes wide. “Why?” Harry asks again, hoping to grasp just a single ounce of understanding into the innerworkings of this child’s mind. “Why Rory?” The question seems to utterly trigger Rory. “Cuz you don’t listen to me! I just told you! See! You’re not listening!” “Rory—” “Listen, Daddy Listen!” Rory stresses urgently. “I am listening, Rory I promise, I’m listening to you!” Harry frustratedly pledges. Rory shakes his head stubbornly, not at all willing to budge on his perspective. “Nuh uh. You only listen to Winnie now. I’m invisible.” or ever since the arrival of his baby sister, Rory no longer believes that his parents are really paying attention to him. Taking matters into his own four-year-old hands, he decides to announce everything he does.

⇢ pretty in pink | hereforlou | established relationship - body hair - beard burn - rimming - 6k Louis pulls back, lips tingling, and blinks his eyes open. The first thing he notices is how flushed Harry’s face is, how swollen and pink his lips have gotten. Then he notices that it’s not just his lips, but the skin around his mouth looks rubbed raw, and Louis reels further back. “Shit,” Louis says. “Sorry, baby.” (Or, the one where there’s beard burn.)

⇢ keep me safe, keep me sane, keep me honest | hilourry | royalty - a/b/o - arranged marriage - fluff - implied mpreg - 9k Louis is the Prince of England. All past omega princes and princesses have been married and pregnant at age 18, so his parents arrange him to be married to Harry Styles, the royal family's PR guy.

⇢ make this feel like home | soldouthaz | enemies to lovers - slow burn - angst - minor character death - grieving - famous/not famous - roommates - past alcoholism - past drug use - past emotional abuse - 43k The house on West 28th Street in London is twice the size of Louis', more expensive than the price of all of his house and car payments combined, and is falling apart at the seams.

⇢ Sometimes You Just Know | 2tiedships2 | a/b/o - soulmates - bonding - exes to lovers - fluff - 34k “Dear diary. Today is going to be a good day, and here’s why...” “What are you doing?” Louis mumbled as he bit into a piece of toast. “It’s been almost two years and today Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson reunite. Louis is very excited about…” Louis’ chair screeched along the kitchen floor as he flew up out of his seat, quickly grabbing the paper from Niall’s grasp. As he scanned the page he found it amounted to lines of nothing. “What is this?” Louis asked again. “We’ve discussed how Harry Styles will never be spoken of in this flat. I don’t care how long it’s been.” Niall snatched the paper from Louis and proceeded to draw a line across the page before writing. “Today is the day that he-who-shall-not-be-named is coming to dinner.” Or the one where Harry and Louis don’t believe in soulmates… until they do.

⇢ fearless | suspendrs | friends to lovers - enemies to lovers - High School - famous/not famous - betrayal - angst - internalized homophobia - 97k “You’re my best friend, Louis,” Harry says, barely above a whisper. Even if he was yelling, Louis wouldn’t be able to believe his ears. “And I know it’s been a while, but you’re still the person I consider my best friend,” Harry says. Louis blinks, and then blinks again. “I honestly cannot say the same, Harry,” he says. Or, Harry left home without a word after high school, and a lot can change in ten years.

⇢ i hope that you won't slip away in the night | louistomlinsons | royalty - established relationship - light angst - 14k He turns back to Maybe Jessica. “Who’s going to be here?” “Harry Styles,” she says. “The one-” “I know who he is,” Louis snaps. “Who invited him?” “Uh, you did, sir.” Louis didn’t think that was serious. When he had responded to Harry’s cheeky tweet about the gala with his own cheeky ‘You should come - I’ll put you on the guest list’ he hadn’t expected anything to come of it. Least of all for Harry to show up. or the one where louis is a prince and harry is a popstar

⇢ Nothing But You On My Mind | nonsensedarling | royalty - enemies to lovers - secrets - 84k Louis Tomlinson is a PR manager hired to improve the image of royal bad-boy Prince Harry Styles. Unfortunately for him, that means being faced with the Prince's constant innuendos, incessant dirty jokes, and relentless flirting. Louis just wants to make it to Princess Gemma's coronation; once she's crowned Queen, his contract is up and he never has to see the Prince again.

⇢ The Nation's Sweetheart | Snowy38 | ice skating - injury - hurt/comfort - age difference - alcohol use/misuse - 77k In limped a graceful giant; slim bodied but broad shouldered with thick thighs. Harry's hair was a little wild where it had grown out of it's usually boyish short style. For some reason Louis' fingers flexed, as if wanting to course through the flicks in the bottom of his rich brown hair. It had been curly once. Louis had seen pictures of him innocent with wide green eyes and a wider, bright white, toothy grin. Everything about him screamed privilege. Louis wondered if he knew he'd only taken this job to stop him losing his flat.

⇢ come on over, we've got something to share | jaerie | a/b/o - lactation kink - male lactation - accidental bonding - unplanned pregnancy - friends with benefits - neighbors - kink exploration - 13k Even as an unbonded omega with a four year old, Harry had everything he needed. His beautiful son, a nice apartment, money to pay the bills -- oh, and an alpha next door always willing to knot his brains out.

#28th appreciation #fic rec #my reads #monthly reads #completed fics #larry fics

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lt2archive · 4 years

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The former One Direction star and solo artist reveals his plans to manage woman rock bands, and tackles those pesky One Direction rumours

24 November 2020 • 4:05pm

“I’ve just watched loads of s___ TV,” he says after a long pause. “The Undoing is decent, isn’t it?”

He's getting ready to rehearse an exciting one-off gig that will be live-streamed from a secret London location on December 12, announced today exclusively via the Telegraph. The proceeds of the night will be split across four charities: The Stagehand Covid-19 Crew Relief Fund and Crew Nation, Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice and Marcus Rashford’s charity FareShare, to help end child poverty. Tomlinson will also be donating money to his own touring crew, many of which have been out of work since March. “I've been incredibly worried about them and felt incredibly powerless, so wanted to give something back.”

The gig also means a great deal to Tomlinson on a personal level. His first ever tour as a solo artist, to promote his debut solo album WALLS, was cut short back in March after just two concerts in Spain and Mexico. It was an album he’d spent five years working on: a guitar-led project that ruptured with the preppy pop anthems of One Direction, inspired instead by Tomlinson’s love for Britpop.

Was he left reeling, I ask, unable to perform at such a crucial moment?

Sure, I say, but the last year can’t have been easy. Didn’t he feel like his purpose had popped?

In return, Tomlinson is good to them. Last month he even promised some new music, saying that he’d written four songs in four days. Does this mean that a second album is on the way?

It must be draining, I say, the weight of expectation in both the media and across his fanbase, to be a spokesperson for grief and hardship. To have tragedy prelude everything he does and says.

“Honestly, it’s part of being from Doncaster as well, I don’t like people feeling sorry for me. That’s the last thing I want.”

Too many incredible memories to mention but not a day goes by that I don't think about how amazing it was. @NiallOfficial @Harry_Styles @LiamPayne @zaynmalik . So proud of you all individually.

Has he spoken to Frusicante?

“I f______ wish,” snorts Tomlinson.

Surely someone as well-known as Tomlinson could easily get in touch?

“No, honestly, I think he’s too cool for that. He’s not into that kind of thing.”

So: might 2021 be the year of resurrection?

Tickets for Louis Tomlinson Live In London are on sale tomorrow from 4pm

#lt live from london #nov. 24 2020 #press #the telegraph #nov 2020

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lordendsavior · 5 years

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In the latest episode of HBO’s new NSFW teen drama Euphoria, there was sex scene between Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson. Well, kinda. One of the characters in the show, Kat (played by Barbie Ferreira), is famous online for writing One Direction fan fiction, specifically about Larry Stylinson, the name given to the theory that Styles and Tomlinson were, in fact, lovers. The sex scene in the episode actually comprised of versions of the two former boyband members in an animated scene lifted from one of this character’s stories. It’s unfortunate that the animation left Styles looking a little like Lord Voldemort and Tomlinson like a sweaty teenage boy.

But while that aspect of the show might not have been real, the conspiracy of Larry Stylinson very much is. Since One Direction were launched off the back of The X Factor in 2010, Tomlinson and Styles have been dogged by rumours that they are embroiled in a love affair. On Tumblr – a breeding ground for fan theories, fan art, fan videos and fan fiction – fans would collect GIFs, images and videos of the pair that “proved” that they were in a relationship. A lingering glance was decoded as a lustful stare, the brush of knees during an interview a sign of a secret intimacy. These in turn would mutate into smutty fan fiction about the pair, where these unspoken sexual wants could play out in full explicit glory.

In the tradition of Bennifer and Brangelina, their names, like their desires, were brought together for the portmaneu Larry Stylinson. Shipping them – the act of wanting two people to be together romantically – became a way of life for some fans. To this day, these fans, known as Larries, are unwavering in their belief, love and support of Larry Stylinson.

The same cannot be said for Louis Tomlinson. For nearly nine years, he has been dogged by rumours and speculation about his relationship with Styles. This latest outing of Larry in Euphoria is just another example of the theory’s pervasiveness. After the scene aired, some fans on Twitter messaged Tomlinson to see if he had been consulted about the scene. His reply was telling. “I can categorically say that I was not contacted nor did I approve it,” he wrote.

For years, Tomlinson has categorically denied that Larry is real. In 2012 he responded to a fan stating that “Larry is the biggest load of b——- I’ve ever heard”, and in a 2017 interview with The Sun, the Doncaster-born singer said that he found the rumours disrespectful of his relationships with women and shared how it had also affected his friendship with Styles. “It took away the vibe you get off anyone. It made everything, I think on both fences, a little bit more unapproachable,” he revealed. “I think it shows that it was never anything real, if I can use that word.”

The decision to include the animated Larry sex scene in Euphoria has provied divisive. On Twitter, One Direction fans have dubbed it “disrespectful”, “vile” and an “embarrassment”. Even self-professed Larries called out the scene and some fans went so far as to start a Change.org petition to have the scene removed from the episode. (At the time of writing it has over nearly 17,000 signatures.)

The fandom’s rejection of Larry, at first, seems hypocritical. How can the very people who have spent years perpetuating the narrative that Tomlinson and Styles are romantically linked show annoyance when that same narrative gets utilised in wider media? However, fandom, specifically fan fiction, is a contradictory and confusing beast. The thing is, Larry Stylinson is bigger than the two boyband members at its core. Their supposed romantic relationship really has nothing to do with them at all.

To give a brief history of fan fiction, the medium, while it always existed in some form, came to prominence in the 1970s in fanzines for the TV show Star Trek. Then known as slash fiction (the slash refers to the forward slash that divide the two characters, for example “Kirk/Spock”), these early writings reexamined scenes within Star Trek episodes where it appeared that there was coded queer behaviour, language or sexual tension. A chance meeting on the bridge of the USS Enterprise could result in steamy sex behind a computer console. A violent clash with a Klingon that left either Spock/Kirk injured, may end with a restorative tryst in a hospital wing.

As fan communities evolved from zines to online forums, so fan fiction became more widely accessible. Forums gave birth to sites like fanfiction.net and archiveofourown.org, where every intellectual property from Harry Potter to Bob the Builder was free game. And not every story written was sexual, either. Many fan fictions, while romantic in nature, kept their plots suitable for all ages. They also mainly took fictional characters and queered formerly heteronormative (or platonic) senarios.

Incorporating of real people – celebrities, public figures, popstars, actors, artists – into these stories propagated during this online boom of fan fanction. Portals like nifty.org had dedicated sections for celebrity fan fiction, while sites like Wattpad, a sort of social media site for writers to share their work, filled with stories about famous people. During One Direction’s imperial phase, Wattpad especially became a hive of 1D fan fiction.

And not all of it was slash fiction, either. Anna Todd’s popular YA novel After, which became a movie this year, had its beginnings as One Direction fan fiction on Wattpad. That story featured a heterosexual relationship. Her literary success follows in the footsteps of EL James, whose Twilight fan fiction was repackaged as 50 Shades of Grey.

Nevertheless, it’s fair to say that much fan fiction, smutty or not, specifically draws on queer narratives. The reasons for this are multi-faceted. Demographically, fan fiction is predominantly written by women. In the case of Spock and Kirk, it has been argued by academics that in queering their relationship, women were able to carve out safe sexual spaces in the world of fiction away from the dominant glare of patriarchal sexuality.

According to fandom academic Camille Bacon-Smith, the fact that the gender of the characters was the same allowed women to reconstruct men without the toxicity of masculinity. The American writer Joanna Russ added to this, suggesting that in this safe space, women were able to explore their fantasies outside the confines of heteropatriarchal normalcy.

In fact, Constance Penley, a professor of Film & Media Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, wrote in her book Nasa/Trek Popular Science and Sex in America that the gender of the characters was irrelevant. The act of having characters acknowledge their homosexual desires, she argued, was a metaphorical one, grounded in a desire to change “oppressive sexual roles”.

Still, exploring sexual desire with fictional characters doesn’t feel like an ethical problem. Neither, really, do private fantasies about real people. But fan fiction takes those private fantasies and makes them public. If authors like JK Rowling and Annie Proulx (Brokeback Mountain) take umbrage with fans writing their own stories using their made up characters, how do real people feel about having their lives dissected and fictionalised for entertainment?

The problem is the blurred line between celebrity and the human being. As celebrity’s lives playout on websites, television and physical media, their real life stories – often fabricated for headlines or sales – become a sport. There’s a twisted sense of ownership over these people. The public, as a throbbing and beating entity, made them famous. Their payment is their lives. The boundaries begin to disappear, and these human beings become characters in a soap opera. The internet, which its unending ocean of content, only helps to conjure more moments that fans can decode or adapt for their fics.

The implications of this are different for everyone. Stars like Benedict Cumberbatch and Andrew Scott, who played Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty respectively in the BBC’s cult favourite Sherlock, take the fictionalised versions of their lives in their stride. In an interview with MTV, Cumberbatch, while acknowledging that he found some of the racier stories weird, called it “flattering”. Daniel Radcliff and James McAvoy also seemed to be able to find the humour in it (although, again, acknowledging that they find it “really weird"). There’s also those who just outright ignore that this phenomenon exists.

Harry Styles, despite being one half of Larry Stylinson, has only ever alluded to it once. After the release of his debut solo album, fans speculated that the track Sweet Creature was about Tomlinson. In an interview with a radio station, Styles said: “I think people are always gonna speculate what songs are about, and I don’t think I’d ever want to tell anyone that they’re wrong for feeling what they feel about a song. Even when they’re not necessarily right. But I think if you really listen to the lyrics, I think you can work out if it’s really about that or not, and I would lean towards no.”

However, this level of ambivalence isn’t always easy. In a recent interview with British GQ, Taron Egerton expressed his discomfort with people writing fan fiction about him. “I don’t know why people think I’d want to see that,” he said. “I don’t love it at all.”

It seems that Louis Tomlinson exists firmly in this camp. And unlike these other celebrities, the ship he was involved in evolved into a full blown conspiracy theory. Fans accused management of keeping his and Styles’s relationship a secret. Paparazzi pictures, performances, interviews, press cuttings, tweets and Instagram posts were dissected for clues that the pair were linked. Tomlinson and Styles were bombarded on Twitter by fans, the first comment under every post on social media almost always being “Larry is real”. That level of scrutiny would have been difficult for anyone, but for a teenager progressing into young adulthood it was unbearable.

What’s debatable is whether any of these fans and their libraries of “proof” and “receipts” actually believe that Larry Stylinson is real or whether shipping them is just an extension of their fan fiction fantasies. For the millions of One Direction fans, the members of the group, while clearly real people, were also mythic, so far removed from their realities that they were almost imaginary.

Anyone who has ever truly obsessed over a band or musician can understand that this distance between true human interaction incubates a need to develop an alternative form of intimacy, be it through listening religiously to their music, attending concerts or cooking up fantasies.

And because of the inequalities in knowledge between celebrities and non-celebrities, where we know everything about them and they know nothing about us, these fantasies, and in turn our perceptions of them, become skewered. This mutation is the perfect breeding ground for fan fiction and conspiracy theories as we attempt to fill in the blanks in our intimate knowledge of celebrity lives.

In the case of One Direction, whose fans were mainly young girls and gay boys, this fantasy became a way to explore their own sexual wants and desires. It’s what the showrunner of Euphoria, Sam Levinson, told The Los Angeles Times he was trying to convey by having the character of Kat write 1D fan fiction.

The fact that the members of that boyband were in a similar age bracket only intensified things. Intimacy and a coarse understanding of celebrity saw the lines between fantasy and reality blur, accelerated and magnified by social media. In a way, it stopped being about Styles or Tomlinson and became about the fans, the community they’d found, a safe space to explore their desires in which those desires were often mirrored and supported by others in their community.

Does all that make real person fan fiction okay? Speaking to i-D, sex psychologist Jess O’Reilly, put it like this: “How might is make someone feel? How would their parents, partner(s), kids or friends feel about reading it? How would they feel if their friends and family read your work? How would you feel if someone published a similar story about you, your child, your partner, your best friend, your sibling or someone else you love?”

For Tomlinson, who has repeatedly shared the impact the sexual speculation had on his relationship with Styles, maybe a line has been crossed. His discomfort with the theories and fan fiction, along with countless other public figures who take issue with it, should be respected.

And, really, in the pantheon of fandoms, Larry Stylinson was its own perfect storm of burgeoning internet cultures, the proliferation of social media and cute boys singing pop bangers. The need to share sexual desires in fan fiction and, by extension, romantic celebrity conspiracy theories, feels more complicated than mere right or wrong, but rather an expanse of grey, ethical ambiguity.

It also feels too late for it to stop, too. Perhaps, as the role and makeup of what constitutes celebrity evolves, accepting fan fiction in its myriad of forms, like with gossip and rumours, is par for the course. Clearly, it’s up to the individual to figure out if they’re okay with that.

#this is a very decent take on RPF

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accidentalharrie · 5 years

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maybe you or one of you followers has access to the telegraph article about Harry "Why does the world want Harry Styles to be gay" I don't know what to think about this headline and I really want to read it but its online only for subscribers

Here you go, Nons. (I hesitate to post this but…)

When Harry Styles played the O2 Arena in 2018, his fans illuminated the cavernous venue in the colours of the LGBTQ Pride flag. Coordinated by a social media account called The Rainbow Project, each seating block was allocated a different colour, so that when Styles played the song Sweet Creature, an enormous rainbow emerged from the crowd. I was there, and it was pretty magical. But it was also emblematic of how Styles’s fanbase views their idol: as a queer icon.

There’s arguably never been a better time to be an LGBTQ pop star. Acts such as Sam Smith, who came out as non-binary earlier this year, Lil Nas X, the first gay man to have a certified diamond song in America, Halsey, queer boyband Brockhampton, pansexual singer Miley Cyrus and Kim Petras, who is transgender, have all enjoyed an incredible year, bagging the biggest hits of 2019.

Still, when Styles shared Lights Up, the lead single from his forthcoming second solo album Fine Line, there was a collective intake of breath. The song and video - in which he appears shirtless in what looks like a sweaty orgy as both men and women grab at him - was heralded as a “bisexual anthem” by the media and fans on Twitter, despite not really making any explicit or obvious statements about sexuality or the LGBTQ community. Instead, Lights Up was just another example of the queer mythologising that occurs around Harry Styles.

As a member of One Direction, Styles was – aside from Zayn Malik – the group’s most charismatic and enticing member. From his first audition on The X Factor to the band’s disbandment in 2015, the teenager from Cheshire managed to elevate himself and his celebrity swiftly rose to the A list. Helping him along was speculation about his private life: during his tenure in the band he was romantically linked to everyone from Taylor Swift to Kendall Jenner.

But there were two other rumoured relationships that dogged Styles more than the others. The first was his close friendship with radio DJ Nick Grimshaw. Styles and Grimshaw were often photographed together, and there were anodyne showbiz reports about how they even shared a wardrobe.

Inevitably, rumours suggested they were romantically linked. In fact, so prolific was speculation that during an interview with British GQ, Styles was asked point blank if he was in a relationship with Grimshaw (he denied any romantic relationship) and, in a move that upset many One Direction fans, if he was bisexual. “Bisexual? Me?” he responded. “I don’t think so. I’m pretty sure I’m not.”

The second, and perhaps most complicated of rumours, was that he and fellow bandmate Louis Tomlinson were in a relationship. Larry Stylinson, as their shipname is known, began life as fan-fiction but mutated into a wild conspiracy theory as certain fans – dubbed Larries – documented glances, gestures, touches, interviews, performances and outfits in an attempt to confirm the romance. Even now, four years after the band went on “hiatus”, videos are still being posted on YouTube in an attempt to confirm that their relationship was real.

For Tomlinson, Larry was fandom gone too far. He has repeatedly rejected the conspiracy. Styles, meanwhile, has never publicly discussed it. In fact, unlike Tomlinson, whose post-1D career trajectory has seen him adopt a loutish form of masculinity indebted to the Gallagher brothers, Styles has largely leant into the speculation surrounding his sexuality. Aside from the GQ interview, Styles has told interviewers that gender is not that important to him when it comes to dating. In 2017 he said that he had never felt the need to label his sexuality, adding: “I don’t feel like it’s something I’ve ever felt like I have to explain about myself.”

Likewise, during his time touring with One Direction, and during his own solo tours, the image of Styles draped with a rainbow flag became ubiquitous. He has also donated money from merchandise sales to LGBTQ charities. His fashion sense, too, subverts gender norms: Styles has long sported womenswear, floral prints, dangly earrings and painted nails.

Nevertheless, Styles’s hesitance to be candid has met with criticism. He has been accused of queer-baiting - or enjoying the benefits of appealing to an LGBTQ fanbase without having any of the difficulties. I’ve written before about how queer artists, who now enjoy greater visibility and are finding mainstream success, have struggled commercially owing to their sexuality or gender identity.

Styles, who is assumed to be a cisgender, heterosexual male, doesn’t carry any of the commercial risk laden upon Troye Sivan, Years and Years or MNEK, who all use same-gender pronouns in their music and are explicitly gay in their videos. His music – with its nods to rock’n’roll, Americana and folk – doesn’t feel very queer, either. Looking at it this way, the queer idolisation of Harry Styles doesn’t feel deserved.

“The thing with Harry Styles is that he often does the bare minimum and gets an out-sized load of credit for it,” says songwriter and record label manager Grace Medford. For Medford, who has worked at Syco and is now part of the team at Xenomania records, Styles’s queer narrative has been projected on him by the media and his fans. “I don’t think that he queer-baits, but I don’t think he does anywhere near enough to get the response that he does.”

Of course, Styles does not need to explain or be specific about his sexuality. As Medford puts it: “he’s well within his rights to live his life how he chooses.” However, he has also created a space for himself in pop that allows him that ambiguity.

It’s a privilege few pop stars have. Last year, Rita Ora was hit with criticism after her song Girls, a collaboration with Charli XCX, Cardi B and Bebe Rexha, was dubbed problematic and accused of performative bisexuality. Even though Ora explicitly sang the lyric “I’m 50-50 and I’m never gonna hide it”, she was lambasted by social media critics, media commentary and even her fellow artists until she was forced to publicly confirm her bisexuality.

But the same was not done to Styles when he performed unreleased song “Medicine” during his world tour. The lyrics have never been confirmed, but the song is said to contain the line: “The boys and the girls are in/ I mess around with him/ And I’m okay with it.” Instead of probing him for clarity or accusing him of performativity, the song was labelled a “bisexual anthem” and praised as “a breakthrough for bisexual music fans”.

Of course, there’s misogyny inherent to such reactions. But there’s also something more layered and complex at play, too. “There’s such a dearth of queer people to look up to, especially people at Harry’s level,” posits Medford. “With somebody who is seen as cool and credible and attractive as Harry, part of it is wishful thinking, I think.

“The fact is, he was put together into a boyband on a television show by a Pussycat Doll. And he has rebranded as Mick Jagger’s spiritual successor and sings with Stevie Nicks; he’s really done the work there. Part of him doing that work is him stepping back and letting other people create a story for him.”

One only has to look at how Styles’ celebrity manifests itself (cool, fashionable, artistic) in comparison to that of his former bandmates. Liam Payne (this week dubbed by the tabloids as a chart failure) has been a tabloid fixture since his public relationship with Cheryl Cole and relies on countless interviews, photoshoots and even an advertising campaign for Hugo Boss to maintain his fame.

Styles, meanwhile, doesn’t really engage with social media. He also rarely appears in public and carefully chooses what kind of press he does, actively limiting the number of interviews he gives. Styles’s reticence to engage with the media and general public – perhaps a form of self-preservation – has awarded him a rare mystique that few people in the public eye possess.

This enigmatic personal, along with his sexual ambiguity, his support of LGBTQ charities and his gender-fluid approach to fashion, creates the perfect incubation for queer fandom. It also provides a shield against serious accusations of queer-baiting. As Medford argues: “Harry’s queer mythology has been presented to and bestowed upon him by queer people whereas other acts feel like they have to actively seek that out.”

Ultimately, the way that Styles navigates his queer fandom doesn’t feel calculated or contrived. For Eli, an 18-year-old from Orlando who grew up with One Direction, seeing Styles “grow into himself” has been important. He suggests that Styles’ queer accessibility has helped to create a safe space for fans. “Watching him on tour dance on stage every night in his frilly outfits, singing about liking boys and girls, waving around pride flags, and even helping a fan come out to her mom, really helped me come to terms with my own sexuality,” he explains.

Vicky, who is 25 and from London, agrees: “To be able to attend his show with my pansexual flag and wave it around and feel so much love and respect - it’s an amazing feeling. I’m aware so many queer people can’t experience it so I’m very grateful Harry creates these safe spaces through his music and concerts.”

There’s appeal in Styles’s ambiguity, too. Summer Shaud, from Boston, says that Styles’ “giving no f—-” approach to sexuality and gender is “inspiring and affirming” for those people who are coming to terms with their own identities or those who live in the middle of sexuality or gender spectrums. “There’s enormous pressure from certain gatekeeping voices within the queer community to perform queerness in an approved, unambiguous way, often coming from people with no substantive understanding of bisexuality or genderfluidity who are still looking to put everyone into a box,” she argues. “Harry’s gender presentation, queer-coding, and refusal to label himself are a defiant rebuke of that “You’re Not Doing It Right” attitude, and that resonates so strongly with queers who aren’t exclusively homosexual or exclusively binary.”

Shaud says that the queer community that has congregated around Styles is another reason she’s so drawn to him. “Seeing how his last tour was such an incredible site of affirmation and belonging for queers is deeply moving to me, and as older queer [Shaud is 41] I’m so grateful that all the young people growing up together with Harry have someone like him to provide that.”

In fact, she argues that there’s a symbiotic relationship between Styles and his queer fans. She cites an interview he gave to Rolling Stone this year in which he said how transformative the tour was for him. “For me the tour was the biggest thing in terms of being more accepting of myself, I think,” Styles shared. “I kept thinking, ‘Oh wow, they really want me to be myself. And be out and do it.’”

All of the queer Harry Styles fans I spoke to agreed that it really didn’t matter whether their idol was explicit about his sexuality or not. “It’s weird that people scrutinise people who don’t label [their sexuality] when they have no idea what that person feels like inside or, in Harry’s case, what it’s like to be under the public eye,” argues Valerie, who is 18. “It’s an individual choice, not ours,” agrees Vicky.

Ollie, 22 and from Brighton, takes a more rounded view, however: “On one hand, I think that quite simply it isn’t any of anyone else’s business. On the other, if you place yourself in the public eye to the level of fame that he has then you should be prepared to be probed about every minute detail of your personal life, whether you like it or not – you should at least be prepared to be questioned about it.” Still, he says that the good that Styles does is what’s important: “He brings fantastic support and attention to the community, whether he is actively a part of it or not.”

Arguably, the ambiguity and mystery that surrounds Styles only allows more space for queer people to find safety in him and in the fandom.

Still, if fans are expecting a queer coming of age with new album Fine Line, they will be disappointed. Lyrically, he doesn’t venture into new territory, although there are some new musical flares. He also seems like he’s started to distance himself a little from the ambiguity, too. “I’m aware that as a white male, I don’t go through the same things as a lot of the people that come to the shows,” he told Rolling Stone. “I can’t claim that I know what it’s like, because I don’t. So I’m not trying to say, ‘I understand what it’s like.’ I’m just trying to make people feel included and seen.” Having said that, within weeks Styles appeared on Saturday Night Live playing a gay social media manager, using queer slang and even wearing an S&M harness.

And so the cycle of queer mythologising continues, and is likely to continue for the rest of Styles’s career. And maybe things will change and maybe they won’t.

“If you are black, if you are white, if you are gay, if you are straight, if you are transgender — whoever you are, whoever you want to be, I support you,” he said earlier this year. “I love every single one of you.” In a world where LGBTQ rights are threatened and there’s socio-political insecurity, perhaps, for now at least, that’s enough.

#I hope it goes without saying that I disagree with a LOT in this article #telegraph #not sure how else to tag this #asks #Anonymous

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path-of-my-childhood · 5 years

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Taylor Swift is the artist of the decade

By: Courteney Larocca for Insider Date: December 16th 2019

Not only has Swift been putting out No. 1 hit after No. 1 hit this decade, but her music has latched onto its listeners in deeply intimate ways. The singer has also been actively using her platform as a successful artist to shed light on injustices within the music industry to ensure a younger generation of musicians can thrive in an environment that cares about their work, as opposed to commodifies it.

Taylor Swift knows that if you're the smartest person in the room, then you're in the wrong room. Oddly enough, Swift usually is the smartest person in any room.

While the casual observer may see Swift as nothing more than a pop star, she's one of the few people who has actively been making her industry - and the lives of her fans - better in irreversible and notable ways throughout the decade.

Swift was barely 20 years old when she became the youngest artist to ever win album of the year at the Grammy Awards on January 31, 2010, for her sophomore album, "Fearless." While the album came out in late 2008, it set Swift up to become an international phenomenon over the course of the 2010s; it even landed at No. 98 on this decade's overall Billboard Hot 200 list.

Her early success made sense - audiences love a wunderkind, plus there was something so incredibly relatable about a teenager telling her crush, "you belong with me."

But for me, and other fans of Swift, it was more than that. She was someone we could see ourselves in as we navigated our own lives and romances. And with the release of "Speak Now," in late 2010, Swift proved she wasn't capable of just reinventing optimistic love stories, she had a complete grasp on heartbreak and pain, too.

Swift demonstrated her songwriting prowess early on, and her music only continued to get stronger all the way through her 2019 album, 'Lover'

"Speak Now" is an entirely self-written album that charted on the Billboard Hot 200 for 137 weeks, which was not only a huge middle finger to critics who claimed Swift didn't write her own music, but also proof she was one of the most promising songwriters of her generation.

Arming herself with lyrics like "I feel you forget me like I used to feel you breathe," and "The lingering question kept me up / Two a.m., who do you love?" Swift created a bulletproof foundation for a career built around her uncanny ability to pinpoint crucial moments of intimacy and turn them into universal anthems of heartbreak, love, and loss that became soundtracks to real fans' lives.

Obviously, the stellar music never stopped coming. With 2012 came "Red," an album that's aged so gracefully that it's landed on numerous best albums of the 2010s lists.

Swift dropped her pop masterpiece, "1989," in 2014 - an album that boasts her biggest Billboard Hot 100 hit to date, "Shake It Off," which stayed on the chart for 50 consecutive weeks. "1989" also earned Swift another album of the year win at the Grammys, making her the first woman to ever be honored with that award twice.

Swift continued her career growth with "Reputation" in 2017, which helped her break The Rolling Stones' record for highest-grossing US tour in history by earning a whopping $266.1 million. Then, capping off the decade came 2019's "Lover," an album that showcased all of Swift's immense musical talents, but stands out in her catalog as the first album that she outright owns - a triumph that goes far beyond the music itself.

It's important to note, though, that there is no singular album that can easily be delegated as the "fan favorite," largely because each album is so special within Swift's discography. If you picked seven different fans off the street, they could very easily all have a different answer to the question, "What is your favorite Taylor Swift album?"

Even critics can't fully answer that question. While "Red" is known for being critically beloved (and is my own personal favorite), Billboard had six of its writers argue for one of her first six studio albums as being her best. Also, when I ranked Swift's best and worst songs for Insider earlier this year, songs from every single one of her albums made the "best" list.

One of the reasons Swift's fans constantly latched onto her music this decade - leading to her chart-topping dominance - was because her lyrics always felt so personal, yet relatable at the same time.

Take "All Too Well," for instance. It was a deep cut tucked cleverly away at track No. 5 on "Red." It was never released as a single, but this mighty pop-rock ballad became the sort of musical zenith most artists only dream about writing.

Hearing Swift weave in intimate details about listening to her ill-fated lover's mother tell stories about his childhood or leaving her scarf at his sister's house might seem too specific to reach a larger audience outside of her piano room, but it's exactly that candor that makes Swift's best songs feel so ubiquitous.

Swift's relatability proved crucial in 2017 when it came to her impacts on societal shifts outside of the music industry

Two months before the New York Times exposé of Harvey Weinstein was published, Swift stood up in a Denver courthouse against an ex-radio DJ who groped her at a 2013 meet-and-greet and then had the gall to sue her for damages after he was fired from his job.

The phrases from her testimony, "I'm critical of your client sticking his hand under my skirt and grabbing my a--," and "I'm not going to let you or your client make me feel in any way that this is my fault," will forever be ingrained in Swift's fans' minds alongside the lyrics she wrote in her high school diaries.

After she won her symbolic $1, which she sought out for "anyone who feels silenced by a sexual assault," The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, or RAINN, told ABC that its national hotline saw a 35% increase in calls over the weekend following her testimony.

"Seeing someone that they respect, that they identify with [state they've been assaulted], has a big impact," RAINN's president Scott Berkowitz told ABC News at the time.

It's easy to look at a statistic and not think about the people behind it, but I can say that for myself, Swift played a pivotal role in how I viewed my own sexual assault.

Even before her fearless testimony, I turned to her 2010 ballad, "Dear John," for validation that I wasn't the only woman who ever counted her footsteps, praying the floor won't fall through again while dating a man with a "sick need to take love away." I later found solace in "Clean," the atmospheric "1989" closer that promises its listener that they'll one day be able to finally breathe after a roller-coaster relationship.

There's no doubt in my mind that I'm not the only one who saw their own pain reflected in Swift's lyrics, allowing them to grieve. After all, she wouldn't have become the artist with the highest-ever amount of American Music Awards, which is a fully fan-voted show, if her music was just OK.

Swift has also made strides at bettering the music industry for her fellow artists as well as herself

I won't rehash the recent legal woes brought on by Scott Borchetta selling Swift's former label Big Machine Records - and thus, all of Swift's catalog up through 2017's "Reputation" - to Scooter Braun (because who needs Big Machine anyway?). I will say that Swift fighting to own her art, and by proximity her fight for all artists to own their art, is just one example of the work she's done this decade to protect artists' rights.

You may remember that she got endlessly dragged for taking her music off Spotify or writing a letter to Apple condemning its policy of not paying artists during a three-month free trial period of Apple Music. But underneath all of the misogynistic, "she's only out for money" criticisms spat at her, you'll find she did those things to bring light to issues within her industry that hurt up-and-coming artists who don't have the millions of dollars that Swift has. Within less than 24 hours, Swift received a direct response to her open letter to Apple, saying the company had decided to reverse its decision.

When Swift chose to leave Big Machine behind in 2018, she didn't just leave for the sake of leaving. She instead negotiated a deal with Universal Music Group that not only granted her the rights to everything she would create under the label but also included a clause in her contract stipulating that "any sale of [UMG's] Spotify shares result in a distribution of money to their artists, non-recoupable."

She also said the label had agreed to this "at what they believe will be much better terms than paid out previously by other major labels."

That means that with her contract, Swift made sure other favorite artists of this decade, like Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, and Kanye West, will benefit from the revenue their art brings in. The same goes for lesser-known and newer artists signed to the label.

Even other artists have given credit to Swift for the way she changed the way we consume pop music

It's hard to imagine today's pop stars like Ariana Grande would be able to name-check their former lovers in songs like "Thank U, Next," and have them be the successful hits we know today if Swift hadn't previously crafted breakup songs like 2010's "Dear John" and 2014's "Style" that made it clear who the tracks were about - John Mayer and Harry Styles - right there in the titles.

Halsey, another artist who rose to prominence this decade, has even lionized Swift as one of her songwriting heroes, notably for her smart bridges.

"The bridge [of a song] is a fortune cookie. It pulls the whole thing together, it's the punchline, it's one of the most important parts of a song. Ask Taylor Swift, she writes the best ones in history," Halsey said in a November 2019 interview with Capital FM.

Anyone who's listened to "Out of the Woods," "Don't Blame Me," or "Lover" knows this to be true.

Swift deserves to be the artist of the decade because her music validated women while she simultaneously fought for a younger generation to make new music in a better environment

It took 13 years for Swift to come out with a track contemplating the misogynist double standards she's had to face as a woman in the music industry, and it's easy to agree with her sentiment: If Swift were a man, then she would, no doubt, be "The Man."

But while she maybe would have faced fewer obstacles and overtly sexist criticisms throughout her career if she were a man, she may not have touched as many women's lives with her music.

Being someone who has idolized Swift since I was 11 years old, I can say that the reason she matters is because not only does she produce beautifully-worded tracks that resonate with fans on extremely personal levels, but she also wants to make the world a better, fairer place - one music contract, open letter, and song lyric at a time.

And that's something that should never be shaken off.

#taylor swift #artist of the decade #insider #article #about taylor #2010s #all the eras

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demonfox38 · 6 years

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Completed - StarTropics

So, whaddya think? Playable character, assist trophy, or back into the void of nostalgia?

A rarity among NES games, “StarTropics” was developed and released exclusively for western audiences (released in 1990 in the US and 1992 in PAL territories.) Set in a chain of tropical islands, it stars Mike Jones, all-American doofus. The adventuring teen sets out to rescue his uncle from monsters and aliens using little more than his wits and a yo-yo. Ya know. What you’d expect from a 1980s teen action-adventure movie.

The easiest game comparisons to make for this title is in reflection to Zelda games--specifically, “Zelda II: The Adventure of Link.” World navigation is laid out in a zoomed-out fashion, pulling in for dungeon navigation (which, in terms of layout, is more like the first Zelda game.) Like a typical Zelda game, your goals involve collecting weaponry (well, sports equipment, anyway) and health boosts in the shape of hearts to navigate and conquer dungeons. So, basically, Mike’s like an early-90s Link with a couple of significant flaws.

Namely, Mike plays like an amnesiac tank.

Mike’s response time is sluggish. It takes him a moment to get moving. Longer still, to pivot to a new direction. He also can’t do diagonals, but even that could have been compensated for if the dude could just get his giddy up. Everything outside of his yoyo gets dropped at the exit of a dungeon. So, burn what you’ve got because you won’t be able to keep it (especially potions.) Because of these characteristics, Mike is a frustrating person to play, especially when the game requires quick, precise platforming. I say he’s like a tank, but honestly, actual tanks on the NES can outperform him. (”Blaster Master”‘s Sophia the Third comes to mind, in particular.)

Coupled with Mike’s frustrating playstyle is the game’s difficulty and learning styles. Most NES game difficulty can be pinned on one of two elements—physics quirks and game designers being assholes. The former can result in awesome games with steep challenges—your “Ninja Gaiden”s, “Castlevania”s, “Super Mario Bros”s, and the battery of platform games that dominated the console. The latter results in shit like the “Dirty Harry” adaptation’s trap room or MacVenture/Sierra deaths, where you are punished for doing a bad thing that perhaps you didn’t know was bad at the time. Being the bold game that it is, “StarTropics” decides to have both!

Like, wonky physics, okay. I can learn wonky physics. However, it’s frustrating to have to deal with obstacles like being kicked from a dungeon because you took the wrong flight of stairs or finding the path of progression by pixel hunting or Mike drowning because he doesn’t have the foresight to learn how to swim before visiting a goddamn island. Some of the issues I had were due to my own putziness, but the game isn’t completely obtuse. At the very least, monster behavior is easy enough to learn and handle. Still, given how perfect you need to be to clear a map with any decent amount of health, you may find yourself repeating the same rooms over and over again.

The penalties for failure are exhausting.You might as well treat your first life as your last in this game because death will kick you back to a previous checkpoint with three hearts tops. Also, your weapon follows NES Zelda rules in terms of strength, so it’ll be at your weakest when you need to use it the most. That’s not even mentioning relying on potions that don’t fully restore your health at later levels, relying on random drops for health, and running into items that can steal your lives. Oh, and instakilling enemies, too! And saving is auto-controlled by the game! Because what loser needs control over that?

No judgment here if you want to use save states or reset your game on your first death. I mean, it’s humiliating how much save rotation I did on my NES Classic.

Having said that, the greatest struggle I had with the game was in Chapter Three. If you make it past that chapter, you’ll have it in you to finish off the game. (Mostly, because you’ve become numb to failure and death by then.) While most chapters have one or two dungeons to challenge, Chapter Three has five. That’s a lot of shit to process, especially with a spike in difficulty. I suppose it’s that front-loaded because of the security lock that happens in Chapter Four, but yikes. That’ll scare the kids off way before the copy protection would.

Oh, yeah! You know about the copy protection for this game, right? You’re given the number on a piece of paper that was included with the game’s packaging that reveals the frequency 747hz, which is what your submarine and its navigational robot use to locate your uncle. To view that number, you’re supposed to dunk the letter in water. Yep! That’s something that’s going to survive the test of time! Wet paper! (Granted, you can still brute force your way out of this lock, but pour one out for the poor kids that started at 000.)

If this game is either a malevolent bastard or a frustrating putz, what’s the point in playing it?

For as twisted as its guts are, “StarTropics” does have a neat face. Its overworld sprite work isn’t the prettiest, but the dungeon sprites are big and colorful. (The hairline cracks and tiny pixel hints for secret places can be missed, but I’m chocking that more up the malevolent bastard design than any aesthetic flaw.) In particular, the game really shines when it pulls out its large character portraits and detailed ending artwork. No surprise this was made by the developing team for “Punch-Out!!”, with art like that.

You know, this game could have had a King Hippo fight.

The music for “StarTropics” is both cool and busted. It has a noticeable groove to it (particularly, the dungeon music, which thank God.) However, something is wrong with one of the channels in the overworld tune. Just let it sit for a minute, and you’ll hear the echoing channel either drag or drop out completely. It’s weird that this error exists, given it’s one of the first tunes you hear. However, the rest of the music is swinging and unique enough to forgive that oversight.

“StarTropics” also does its darnedest to hold its plot and themes, too. A lot of it feels like a Spielberg movie, especially with kids taking the lead, aliens running amok, and that whole Captain Bell subplot involving a giant pirate ship and an elaborate musical keyboard unlocking a dungeon. However, it is original in its progression and setting. It even tries a hand at humor, although it’s pretty juvenile. Like, appending the suffix -cola to every town’s name, finding creative uses for bananas, and getting magicked into looking like a girl to get through a town of Amazons. But, hey! Who doesn’t like a creative use for a banana, now and again?

While interesting as a twist in Nintendo’s publishing history, I would not recommend suffering over “StarTropics.” If you’re not the resilient type (or at least, not the kind that would throw your progress in the trash repeatedly just to do a task better), it may be for your benefit to just watch a long play of this game on YouTube. That way, you can enjoy the game’s aesthetics without suffering to its traps. However, if you have an incredible amount of patience (or skills specific to NES-Zelda games), you might have a decent chance with this game. There is something satisfying on working around this game’s bullshit, but it is entirely a masochistic feeling.

I doubt you’ll see Mike in a Smash game any time soon, but I do think he could steal Lucas’ lunch money and stuff him in a locker. Which, really, most Nintendo characters could.

#post game evaluation #startropics

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papermoonloveslucy · 6 years

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ALL STAR PARTY FOR LUCILLE BALL

December 9, 1984

Directed by Dick McDonough ~ Written by Paul Keyes

Lucille Ball (Honoree), Monty Hall (Host), Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra

Monty Hall was the honorary chairman of Variety Clubs International.

Featuring Lucy's family: Gary Morton, Lucie Arnaz, and Desi Arnaz Jr..

Lucy's former (and future) guest-stars: Sid Caesar, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, John Ritter, as well as uncredited appearances by Barbara Eden, Eva Gabor, Bernie Kopell, Rich Little, Cesar Romero, Art Linkletter, Kirk Douglas, Bea Arthur, Ken Lane (Dean Martin's pianist), and Ricardo Montalban

Presenters and entertainers also include: Joan Collins, Cary Grant, Shelley Long, Carl Reiner, and Vicky McLure

Former Variety Clubs honorees in attendance: James Stewart, Burt Reynolds, and Frank Sinatra

Also present at the party (all uncredited): Loni Anderson, Lloyd Bridges, James Caan, Sammy Cahn, Ted Danson, Barbara and Marvin Davis (Childhood Diabetes Foundation), Altovise Davis, Charles Durning, Farrah Fawcett, George Hamilton, Barbara Harris (Mrs. Cary Grant), Lisa Hartman, Ted Lange, Vicki Lawrence, Carol Lawrence, Michele Lee, Olympian Carl Lewis, Hal Linden, Karl Malden, Roddy McDowell, Gloria Hatrick McLean (Mrs. Jimmy Stewart), Donna Mills, Stefanie Powers, Barbara Sinatra, Joan Van Ark, Dick Van Patten, Dionne Warwick, Dennis Weaver, Raquel Welch, and Betty White.

Taped at Warner Brothers Studios on November 18, 1984 and aired on CBS on December 9, 1984. Due to the December air date, the room is decorated in poinsettias. Lucy makes her entrance holding a dozen long-stem roses. At Lucy's center table is her husband Gary Morton, Frank and Barbara Sinatra, Burt Reynolds and Loni Anderson, Jimmy and Gloria Stewart, Cary Grant and Barbara Harris.

Variety, the Children's Charity is an organization founded in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1927, when a group of eleven men involved in show business set up a social club which they named the Variety Club. On Christmas Eve 1928, a baby was left on the steps of the Sheridan Square Film Theatre. When efforts to trace the mother failed, the Variety Club named the child Catherine Variety Sheridan, after the club and the theatre on whose steps she was found, and undertook to fund the child's living expenses and education. Later the club decided to raise funds for other disadvantaged children. The discovery of the baby inspired the film Variety Girl (1947).

The program was the second highest rated show of the night with a 21.7 share, second only to its lead-in “Murder She Wrote” with a 22.3 share.

Monty Hall says that this is the 9th annual Variety Club All-Star Party. Two years later, Lucille Ball hosted the 1986 event honoring Clint Eastwood. In 1982 she participated in the All-Star Party for Carol Burnett.

In an interview to promote the program, Lucy said that Lucie Arnaz wrote the lyrics to the “I Love Lucy” tribute song that she and Desi Jr. sang. But on the show, Burt Reynolds claims the special lyrics were by Sammy Cahn.

Also in the interview, Lucy says she'd never do another series again. Two years later she changed her mind and agreed to do “Life With Lucy” for Aaron Spelling and ABC. She also says she'd like to do a drama about seniors being driven from their homes. It is likely that by November 1984 Lucy was already in talks to do her final film, TV's Stone Pillow, which would begin filming in April 1985 and air in November of that same year.

To kick off the event, the Nelson Riddle Orchestra plays “Hey Look Me Over” as Lucy's entrance music. Lucille Ball introduced the song in the 1960 Broadway musical Wildcat by Cy Coleman.

Joan Collins (TV's “Dynasty”) details Lucy's background and rise to fame; 76 films and over 500 television programs. She reminds Lucy that she auditioned for the role of Scarlet O'Hara in Gone With The Wind. In 1987 Collins was honored with her own All-Star Party.

Joan: “Not even Clark Gable could look into that face and say 'Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn’”.

Frank Sinatra sings “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” to Lucy, a 1973 song written and recorded by Stevie Wonder.

Sinatra says to Lucy “You're the best thing to happen to Adam's rib.” This causes a quizzical look to come over Lucy's face. Later in life, Sinatra was known for his occasional odd references and non-sequitur. He had been honored by Variety Clubs the previous year, 1983.

Cary Grant reads a letter from President Ronald Reagan. Reagan was honored with an All-Star Party the following year, 1985. When first addressing Ball, Grant says “Lucy, Lucy, Lucy,” imitating his falsely attributed quote “Judy, Judy, Judy.” Grant would also read a congratulatory telegram from President Reagan in 1986, when Clint Eastwood was honored.

Carl Reiner introduces and interviews Sid Caesar as (all the way from Germany) Professor Ludwig Von Blearyeyes, the world's most renowned viewer of Lucille Ball's television shows. The Professor describes his second favorite episode of “I Love Lucy” which is a crazy mash-up of parts of several episodes, including “Lucy Goes To The Hospital” (ILL S2;E16), “The Audition” (ILL S1;E16), and “Pioneer Women” (ILL S1;E25). The Professor then recounts the same episode in Italian, proving that Lucy is known all over the world. The description of the Professor's favorite episode sounds like the plot to King Kong.

John Ritter is introduced as a 'member of Lucy's mutual admiration society,' a fellow comedic actor on TV. Lucille Ball had hosted a two-part retrospective of Ritter's show “Three's Company” in 1982. Ritter would be Ball's first celebrity guest-star on “Life With Lucy” in 1986.

Ritter introduces Olympian Carl Lewis and Vicki McClure, a young woman from Los Angeles chosen to sing at the opening ceremonies of the 1984 Summer Olympics. McClure reprises the song she sang at the ceremonies, “Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand).” The song by Ashford and Simpson was the debut solo single of Motown singer Diana Ross, released in April 1970. McClure, a checkout girl at the Hughes Market in Canoga Park, was at first just the rehearsal stand-in for Ross but she was chosen for the real thing because as an unknown, she reflected the youthful image that organizers hoped to project for the games.

Shelley Long (TV's “Cheers”) admits that she never worked with Lucy, but admires her as a role model working mother.

Long 'passes the baton' to Dean Martin, while the Nelson Riddle Orchestra plays his signature song “Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime,” a song written in 1947 by Sam Coslow. Martin sang it in “Lucy Dates Dean Martin” (TLS S4;E21), as well as on "Lucy Gets Lucky," their 1975 special. Martin (with Ken Lane at the piano) sings “When You're Smiling” by Larry Shay, Mark Fisher and Joe Goodwin. He changes the lyrics to suit the occasion:

“When you're Lucy, When you're Lucy, You're never off TV. When you're Lucy, That's all you see, You're own life constantly. On Channel 7, 5, 4, 9, 8 or 10, Wherever you turn, That's our Lucy again. When you're Lucy, When you're Lucy, You're never off of TV.”

Jimmy Stewart says that Lucy and Gary are celebrating their wedding anniversary. Stewart introduces Gary Morton, who presents Lucy with an Olympic-style medal for being a “gold medal wife.”

Sammy Davis Jr.'s first remarks incorporate references to the 1961 musical Stop the World – I Want To Get Off by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse. Davis starred in the 1978 Broadway revival of the show as well as the TV special “Sammy Stops the World” that same year. He then gives a heartfelt and emotion tribute to Lucy's world-wide and timeless appeal.

Sammy: “Lucille Desiree Ball, daughter of Desiree and Henry Ball, who stopped the world and said 'I wanna get on' in Jamestown, New York. On an August the sixth, this world of ours took little note then, but will long, long remember. Be proud, Lucy, of your legacy. Very proud. Be aware, as you sit here among your grateful friends, the sun never sets on Lucille Ball. All over this worried world tonight. Nations of untold millions are watching reruns they also watched the first time around. In Iran and Iraq on this very night, the fighting stops long enough for frightened people to laugh again as you hide the frozen meat in the furnace. In Finland after a long hard day at the factory, husbands and father are just settling down to watch the American girl they love the most get half bombed on her first TV commercial. And in Lebanon, ravished Lebanon, worried parents of many fates share a common experience, with innocent war-torn children, who tune in to forget the debris long enough to feed their hungry souls with laughter as you parade down the Champs Elysee in an outfit that drove the Paris designers to double aperitifs. Across the world in Singapore, Japan, whole families gather for a 'Lucy break' as laughter erases their problems watching you rehearse your trip to the hospital for television's first birth. And in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Columbia, Honduras, Guatemala, Peru, San Salvador, Venezuela, and other sunshine countries, laughter crosses friendly and unfriendly borders as you try to keep up with the chocolates on the assembly line. Yes, my dear friend, Lucy, you are the one they love most.”

The specific “I Love Lucy” episodes Davis is referring to (in order) are “The Freezer (ILL S1;E29); “Lucy Does a TV Commercial” (ILL S1;E30); “Lucy Gets a Paris Gown” (ILL S5;E20); “Lucy Goes to the Hospital” (ILL S2;E16); and “Job Switching” (ILL S2;E1). Lucy later said that Davis wrote the above speech himself.

Monty Hall returns to tell Lucy that Variety Clubs International has added new facilities in children's hospitals dedicated to John Wayne (in Miami), Elizabeth Taylor (in New York City), Jimmy Stewart (in Minnesota), Ingrid Bergman (in Des Moines), Jack Lemmon (in Buffalo), Burt Reynolds (in Atlanta), Carol Burnett (in Los Angeles), and Frank Sinatra (in Seattle).

Burt Reynolds recounts his first meeting Lucy, through an introduction by Lucie Arnaz. Lucie and Reynolds dated for a year and a half. Nelson Riddle and the Orchestra play the “I Love Lucy” theme by Eliot Daniel. Lucie and Desi Jr. then sing the song to their mother with special lyrics by Sammy Cahn. Ball struggles to hold back the tears. Lucie Arnaz is noticeably pregnant. She would give birth to her daughter, Katherine Luckinbill, on January 11, 1985.

To the strains of the title song from Mame, Lucy joins Monty Hall at the front of the room where he informs her of the naming of a research library in her honor at the Barbara Davis Juvenile Diabetes Hospital in Denver, Colorado.

Lucille Ball thanks everyone for the tribute. She asks Mike Frankovich of Variety Clubs to stand and take a bow.

Lucy: “To everyone who said such wonderful things about me tonight, I just wish you were all under oath.”

At the very end, the entire crowd sings “Happy Anniversary” (to the tune of “Happy Birthday”) to Lucy and Gary, who were married on November 19, 1961.

Oops! Over the entrance music, Lucille Ball can be heard to greet Dionne Warwick saying “Hi Diane.” Did she think Warwick was Diahann Carroll? When Lucy sees Eva, she just repeats over and over “A Gabor! A Gabor! A Gabor!” perhaps unsure if it is Eva or Zsa Zsa. Bear in mind that Ball did not know the guest list ahead of time. While the announcer reads off the guests stars for the opening credits, Lucy can be heard to say “I hope I remember the names.”

When Gary Morton puts the Olympic medal around Lucy's neck, she says “Turn it around!” Lucy wanted the front of the medal facing the camera. She then jokes that she is “always directing.”

This Date in Lucy History – December 9

"Don Juan and the Starlets" (ILL S4;E18) filmed on December 9, 1955

"Lucy and the Military Academy" (TLS S2;E10) aired December 9, 1963

"Guess Who Owes Lucy $23.50" (HL S1;E11) aired December 9, 1968

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pantton-sandacers · 7 years

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Who would the Sanders Sides be as the Beatles?

Alright, everyone, this is gonna be a Long Post so buckle up.

I was thinking about which of the Sanders Sides would fit which of The Beatles, and this is what I came up with. Here we go.

Anxiety/Virgil as Ringo Starr:

1. Later addition to the group and lack of initial acceptance.

Ringo was added to the Beatles later than any of the other members, being the replacement for their former drummer, Pete Best. After Ringo was added to the band, many fans were outraged, and they made their voices heard.

After his appearance at the Cavern Club the following day, Best fans, upset by his firing, held vigils outside his house and at the club shouting "Pete forever! Ringo never!"[x] Harrison received a black eye from one of the upset fans, and Epstein, whose car tyres they had flattened in anger, temporarily hired a bodyguard to ensure his safety.[x]

Eventually, Ringo was accepted by fans as a member of the band and began receiving as much fan mail as the other band members, securing his place as a member of The Beatles.

By November 1962 Starr had been accepted by Beatles fans, who were now calling for him to sing songs.[x] Soon afterwards, he began receiving an amount of fan mail equal to that of the others, which helped to secure his position within the band.[x]

He was a source of inspiration for several songs written at the time, including Penny Valentine's "I Want to Kiss Ringo Goodbye" and Rolf Harris's "Ringo for President".[x] In 1964, "I love Ringo" lapel pins outsold all other Beatles merchandising.[x]

During live performances, the Beatles continued the Starr Time routine that had been popular among his fans: Lennon would place a microphone in front of Starr's kit in preparation for his spotlight moment and audiences would erupt in screams.[x]

Both Ringo and Virgil had later additions to their respective groups, a lack of initial acceptance, and eventual very wide acceptance from others.

2. Exclusion from their group.

As the Beatles’ music evolved, Ringo’s drumming wasn’t needed as often for their songs anymore, and he was eventually only getting one track per album, though he was content with that.

He was also feeling increasingly isolated from the musical activities of his bandmates, who were moving past the traditional boundaries of rock music into territory that often did not require his accompaniment; during recording sessions he spent countless hours playing cards with their road manager Neil Aspinall and roadie Mal Evans while the other Beatles perfected tracks without him.[x]

In a letter published in Melody Maker, a fan asked the Beatles to let Starr sing more; he replied: "[I am] quite happy with my one little track on each album".[x]

During the recording of Sgt. Pepper’s, Ringo wasn’t given as much freedom in how he could play his instrument, often being given specific instructions on how and what to play.

Although the Beatles had enjoyed widespread commercial and critical success with Sgt. Pepper, the long hours they spent recording the LP contributed to Starr's increased feeling of alienation within the band.

He commented: "[It] wasn't our best album. That was the peak for everyone else, but for me it was a bit like being a session musician ... They more or less direct me in the style I can play."[x][x]

His inability to compose new material led to his input being minimised during recording sessions; he often found himself relegated to adding minor percussion effects to songs by McCartney, Lennon and Harrison.[x]

The Beatles began to argue with one another as tensions rose between them. Paul criticized Ringo’s drumming, making Ringo leave the band and go on holiday for two weeks to get away from the other members.

During the recording of the White Album, relations within the band became openly divisive.[x] As the sessions progressed, their collective group dynamic began to decay; at times only one or two Beatles were involved in the recording for a track.[x]

Starr had grown weary of McCartney's increasingly overbearing approach and Lennon's passive-aggressive behaviour, which was exacerbated by Starr's resentment of Yoko Ono's near-constant presence.[x]

After one particularly difficult session during which McCartney had harshly criticised his drumming, Starr quit the band for two weeks, taking a holiday with his family in Sardinia on a boat loaned by Peter Sellers.[x]

When Ringo returned from his vacation, he found that George gave him a ‘welcome-back’ gift.

He returned to the studio two weeks later,[x] to find that Harrison had covered his drum kit in flowers as a welcome-back gesture.[x]

Both Ringo and Virgil were excluded by the other members of their groups and were often restricted in what they were allowed to do. They both took some time away from the other members, came back, and received kind gifts from one of the other members of the group. (George giving Ringo flowers and Patton giving Virgil a card.)

3. Other forms of subtle ostracization from peers.

Ringo was often joked about among the Beatles, but if you look at any given Beatles interview, you’ll find them joking about each other a lot, so Ringo was not a specific target of joking for the band, but I still included some of their interview moments from/about Ringo.

(source) [Image description: Reporter:”Is Ringo the best drummer in the world?” John:”Ringo isn’t even the best drummer in the Beatles.”]

(source) [image description: Interviewer:”Do you have any political affiliations?” Ringo:”No, I don’t even smoke” *brings his cigarette up to his mouth*] I just felt like this would be a kind of thing Virgil would do.

Logic/Logan as George Harrison:

-The “forgotten member”

Each one of the Beatles has something memorable about them. For Paul and John, it was their huge roles in the band as the composers and singers on a majority of the Beatles’ songs. For Ringo, it was his large nose and his... difficulty singing. George, however, didn’t have much of a memorable trait about himself (until the later years when he became fascinated with Indian music and their culture.)

Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle",[x][x] Harrison embraced Hinduism and helped broaden the horizons of his fellow Beatles as well as their Western audience by incorporating Indian instrumentation in their music.[x]

The impromptu musical education Harrison received while playing long hours with the Beatles, as well as the guitar lessons he took from Tony Sheridan while they briefly served as his backing group, laid the foundations of his sound and of his quiet, professional role within the group; he was later known as "the quiet Beatle".[x][x]

George Harrison is similar to Logan in being, “the quiet Beatle,” as Logan was called, “the least popular character,” by Virgil.

Though I do hope that we, as fanders, can grow to appreciate logic more, and I can already see that happening with posts like this going around and with it currently being Logic Appreciation Week.

Morality/Patton as John Lennon:

1. I am the Walrus

I’m sure many of you recall in the My Personality Q&A video, the sides were asked “How are you feeling right now?” and told to answer with only a song title. Patton answered with, “I am the Walrus,” a song by The Beatles, sung by John Lennon.

In a later Beatles song, “Glass Onion,” John Lennon sings, “Well here’s another clue for you all, the Walrus was Paul.”

Many believe this to be hinting to the famous, “Paul is Dead,” theory because Walruses are a symbol of death in some cultures, but it would take hours to cover the basic evidence for that theory so I will spare you from that rant.

This line is most likely referring to the cover of The Beatles Album; “Magical Mystery Tour,” and The Beatles’ movie of the same name, where The Beatles are dressed up in different animal costumes.

[image description: the cover of Magical Mystery Tour, showing the Beatles in different animal costumes.]

I realize the song lyrics said, “the Walrus was Paul,” and not John, but Paul was, in fact, not the true wearer of the Walrus Costume.

The Beatles Bible.com states that while it was claimed Paul wore the Walrus costume, John Lennon was the true wearer on both the cover of the album, “Magical Mystery Tour,” and in the movie of the same name.

It was later claimed that it was, in fact, McCartney in the walrus costume, and that this accounted for Lennon's line that "the walrus was Paul" in Glass Onion. However, the Magical Mystery Tour film clearly shows McCartney playing bass while wearing the hippo costume, and Lennon seated at the piano dressed as a walrus.

(Source)

2. Peace Activism

John Lennon is known for his work in bringing peace and love to this world. He was very anti-war and pro-peace. Which reminds me of how Patton always sees the good in people and always tries to do the right thing.

Lennon wrote and recorded "Give Peace a Chance". Released as a single, it was quickly taken up as an anti-war anthem and sung by a quarter of a million demonstrators against the Vietnam War in Washington, DC, on 15 November, the second Vietnam Moratorium Day.[x][x]

In 1973, Lennon contributed a limerick called "Why Make It Sad To Be Gay?" to Len Richmond's The Gay Liberation Book.[x]

3. A Role-Model Status and Quick Wit

Paul stated in an interview that John was the leader, and someone they looked up to. Patton is also the “dad figure” that people look up to.

John was described as having “quick wit,” a trait Patton also possess, in making puns (believe me, your wit has to be quick to make a pun about a situation before it passes, I know.)

In a 1987 interview, McCartney said that the other Beatles idolised John: "He was like our own little Elvis ... We all looked up to John. He was older and he was very much the leader; he was the quickest wit and the smartest."[x]

Princey/Roman as Paul McCartney:

1. The Cute One

Paul was often referred to as “the cute Beatle” and Roman is the most looks-obsessed Sanders Side.

Their fans' hysteria became known as "Beatlemania", and the press sometimes referred to McCartney as the "cute Beatle".[x][x[x]

Paul has taken a selfie, something Roman has also done.

(Source) [image description: Paul McCartney taking a picture of himself in a mirror]

2. Creative Motivation

When the Beatles found themselves in times of trouble, Paul McCartney came to them, speaking words of wisdom, “Be Creative!”

That was really cheesy I’m sorry but I had to.

In instances where the Beatles were feeling depressed or down, Paul would always encourage them to keep up their creativity to continue their productivity.

Upon the end of the Beatles' performing career, McCartney sensed unease in the band and wanted them to maintain creative productivity. He pressed them to start a new project, which became Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, widely regarded as rock's first concept album.[x]

Epstein's death in August 1967 created a void, which left the Beatles perplexed and concerned about their future.[x] McCartney, stepping in to fill that void, gradually became the de facto leader and business manager of the group Lennon had once led.[x]

His first creative suggestion after this change of leadership was to propose that the band move forward on their plans to produce a film for television, which was to become Magical Mystery Tour.

3. Being Savage

Some of you may know about John’s second wife, Yoko Ono, and those of you who don’t, I envy you. Yoko was not liked by any of the Beatles, and she is known for being the main factor in the Beatles eventual breakup.

One, very savage thing Paul did during the recording of the Beatles’ song, “Get Back,” reminds me a Lot of something Roman might do.

In 1980, Lennon stated that "there's some underlying thing about Yoko in there", saying that McCartney looked at Yoko Ono in the studio every time he sang "Get back to where you once belonged."[x]

And that concludes this post! I hope you all appreciate all the time and effort I put into research for this. Thanks for reading! :)

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taylorklaine · 7 years

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A Comprehensive List of the Symbolism and Details in “Look What You Made Me Do”

I’m including everything, from the obvious to the minor details and symbols that at this point are only speculation, to big and small things that made the video amazing. Here we go.

The video, of course, opens with an aerial pan of a graveyard. The specific site that Taylor is buried at, supposedly, the graves spell out “TS”.

“Here Lies Taylor Swift’s Reputation”

Other names on the surrounding gravestones include “Nils Sjoberg”, the pseudonym she used when she wrote “This is What You Came For”, and Joseph Kahn, the director of LWYMMD as well as Blank Space and Bad Blood

Zombie Taylor is wearing the same dress Taylor wore in the “Out of the Woods” music video, which was the final true music video released from 1989 (the New Romantics video was all tour footage). People have taken this to mean either she never truly made it out of the woods or one of the many allusions to the death of her old self.

All the gravestones are tilted during the “tilted stage” line

The outfit that Taylor is wearing when she is being buried into the ground is from the 2014 Met Gala, which was the last public event Taylor attended before the 1989 era began.

While a lot of the public has speculated that Taylor bathing in a tub of diamonds is a jab at KKW’s robbery, a lot of fans see the comparisons to a performance of Blank Space at the Grammy Museum, and I can’t remember the exact quote, but it’s about what people see her as.

There’s also a single dollar bill in the tub, referencing the symbolic $1 she won in her recent assault case.

People think her makeup in this scene is also really similar to how her makeup looked in the Blank Space video, which was another song in which she portrayed a character that the media believed her to be, even though it wasn’t true.

The camera looks like it’s out of focus for a second, but if you look closely, Taylor is clapping along to the beat of the song in the mirror.

When Taylor fires her finger gun, a real spark shoots out of her fingers as if she’s shooting a real gun.

She wears a ton of snake jewelry, and tons of snakes slither up to her throne, a direct reference to post-KKW drama where everyone left snake emojis on all her Instagram posts.

On a couple of the columns as well as the gold skull she rests her hand on, there is an engraving of “Et tu, Brute?” which is a quote from a Shakespeare play. In the scene, Caesar is being stabbed to death, betrayed by his friend, Brutus.

One of the snakes serves Taylor tea (serving or spilling tea is now slang for spilling dirt on someone, or exposing something bad about them).

The entire crashing a car followed by a paparazzi swarm of her posing, to me, is just a general analogy of causing drama to get attention

BUT some fans have noticed that the car she drives is a Maserati, and have made comparisons to the “driving a new Maserati down a dead end street” line from Red. In addition, in the next scene, she’s holding a Grammy, alluding to when Random Access Memories beat Red for AOTY, but the announcer drew out the “rrr” sound making her and her team thinking for a split second she won. I’m sure there’s video online of her reaction.

One more thing about this scene: She’s sporting a haircut very similar to the one Katy Perry has. Katy has never won a Grammy.

(Also the leopard in the passenger seat has a 13 necklace)

People have made the obvious metaphoric comparisons to her in an orange outfit in a cage to being a prisoner. This is further emphasized by the armed guards that surround the cage. People also consider being caged a metaphor for being in a zoo and locked up and watched like an animal.

There’s a rat on her plate during the “feast”. People have made jokes about this being symbolic of Calvin Harris. I’m not sure why.

Taylor & co. infiltrate a safe wearing cat masks, giving some fans hope that she has not shed everything about her formal self.

Her sweater also reads “Blind for Love”, making comparisons to her long-standing reputation as a serial dater.

People believe Taylor and a crew of girls riding motor cycles is an allusion to the Bad Blood music video.

When Taylor burns the stack of money, and when she comes in with a baseball back, the banner in the background reads “stream.co”, a direct allusion to her letter to Apple Music and pulling her catalog from the Spotify music streaming surface, leading people to believe she did this to make more of a profit and that she’s money hungry.

The next scene is the media portrayal of her squad. She is an evil dictator who recruits beautiful, plastic models for her cult. You can see the banner flashes “Squad U”, pictures, of cats, and Taylor’s lucky number 13.

Everyone also wears black leather, which people think is another allusion to Bad Blood.

And people think all of the bodies piled next to each other might be a reference to Kanye’s “Famous” video.

All of the men at Taylor’s beck and call is another reference to her being called a diva and “kidnapping men and holding them hostage in her house”, which is another paraphrased quote from the Grammy Museum performances.

The African-American back-up dancer who hold the pen during this scene is actually Todrick Hall, one of Taylor’s real life friends.

Taylor sawing the wings of the plane is believed to be a metaphor for her taking back the narrative.

All the male backup dancers are wearing “I <3 TS” crop tops, which her ex Tom Hiddleston was seen wearing while they were together.

There are also 8 backup dancers, and Taylor reportedly has 8 famous ex-boyfriends.

And now for everyone’s favorite part of the video: Taylor stands in front of a neon letter T in a jumpsuit that reads “rep”, short for reputation. This is the new Taylor, and she is standing on top of a mountain of people who are trying to save themselves from some kind of doom. But these people are actually older versions of Taylor from through the years. Some major ones include the ballerina outfit from Shake It Off, the ringleader outfit from WANEGBT on the Red tour, her nerdy Junior Jewels shirt from the YBWM video, and the sparkly dress, guitar, and 13 on her hand from the Fearless tour. Other ones that are not as visible are the iHeartRadio Awards, the 2015 VMAs, a polka dot shirt from WANEGBT, her 22/Everything Has Changed outfit from the Red tour, her Style outfit from the 1989 tour, WANEGBT pajamas, and several other looks from music videos and appearances she’s made over the years

Taylor’s Junior Jewels shirt has the names of her real life friends written on it, including Ed Sheeran, Selena Gomez, Gigi Hadid, Todrick Hall, Alana, Danielle, & Este Haim, Lena Dunham, etc.

When Reputation Taylor kicks YBWM Taylor in the face, the shoes she is wearing are very similar to the ones she wore in her most recent Vogue cover, which was one of her first interviews post-1989 era.

Then Taylor blasts her former selves off the mountain and they fall to their death. This is what I think is the general theme going into the Reputation era. In order to save herself, Taylor has to kill off her older selves and become someone new, someone the media already thinks she is, in order to keep any respect. Even before, when the song first came out, many people considered the message of the song very similar to Blank Space. Taylor is playing a character, someone who she most certainly is not but the media certainly believes her to be. She’s taking on this persona as a tongue-in-cheek clapback to how the media portrays her. And as she said with Blank Space, “If you don’t get the joke you don’t deserve to get the joke” (again I’m paraphrasing).

Towards the end of the song, the Maserati explodes and kills the paparazzi, but Taylor walks away unscathed.

She spray paints “reputation” onto the plane with no wings, more analogies to her taking back control of her own narrative.

When the songs ends, one of the backup dancers grabs her butt, which people think is another reference to her assault case.

And now the other fan favorite part: 15 different versions of Taylor stand in front of the plane and argue. iTunes lists 15 total tracks for reputation.

Shake It Off Taylor falls onto the floor in the same way she did at the end of the video. KKW Taylor is shaking her ass.

YBWM Taylor pulls a surprised face, and both Zombie and SIO Taylor call her annoying and that “she can’t be that surprised all the time”. People have been making fun of her since the very beginning for constantly being surprised whenever she wins awards.

Zombie Taylor gets very angry when Reputation Taylor calls her a bitch, which a lot of people think is another reference to “Famous”. After KKW leaked footage of Taylor approving some of the lyrics, Taylor defended herself by saying she never approved the “I made that bitch famous” line

Fearless Taylor simply says “y’all”, a reference to her country roots, and Red Taylor accuses her of being too nice and very fake. Another criticism she’s faced over the years,

Fearless Taylor starts to cry at this, and another Reputation Taylor rolls her eyes at her “playing the victim”. We all know this is something Taylor’s been called a lot over the years, but especially more recently after the Katy/KKW feuds.

Another new version of Taylor simply holds a snake and hisses at everyone, again referencing everyone calling her a snake after the KKW incident.

Met Gala Taylor observes another new Taylor in surprise. Since MG Taylor is pre-1989, some people think her attitude is more innocent and pure here, how she was before the 1989 era began and her reputation began to falter

This new Taylor is “getting receipts” of Fearless Taylor and is “going to edit this later”, direct references to Katy, Swish Swish, and KKW on Snapchat.

We round this out with one more Taylor--VMA Taylor, complete with silver dress, Moonman, and mic, exactly how she appears in the infamous photo of her and Kanye in 2009. She says she “would like to be excluded from this narrative”, a direct quote from Taylor’s statement after KKW’s snapchat leak.

Finally, one more detail that fans have picked up on is the last frame, in which all the Taylors are in the shot and yell at VMA Taylor to shut up. However, the 15th Taylor stands on the plane wing and doesn’t seem to be participating. People believe this is another symbol of how the reputation era is going to go, and Taylor’s mental state at this point. On the wing, she is alone, separated from everyone else, separated from all of her older selves. As she says in the song, “I don’t trust nobody and nobody trusts me.” After everything that’s happened, she can only rely on herself. She is the only one who is going to have any say from here on out. She destroyed the wings so no one else could fly it for her, but she’ll be damned if she flies that plane on anything but her own terms.

This bitch did not miss a single thing and I’m not exaggerating when I say this is the best video of her career so far. I love her so much, and I’ve never been more proud. Brava, @taylorswift. Brava.

(please feel free to add to this if you think i missed anything)

#taylor swift #lwymmd #look what you made me do #lwymdvideo #taylor swift music #taylor swift video #taylor swift music video #taylor swift mv

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higlosss · 5 years

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HARRIET (2019) MOVIE REVIEW

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆

OVERALL SCORE ★★★☆☆

GENERAL ENJOYMENT ★★★☆☆

EMOTIONAL ★★★☆☆

MUSIC ★★★★☆

CINEMATOGRAPHY ★★★☆☆

SET PIECES/STYLING ★★★★☆

Today I travelled 32 minutes by bus to see the movie Harriet in theatres, by myself because it was a Friday night and all of my friends and roommates were either going home or busy. I had to travel so far because only one theatre in my general area was showing it. Still, I really wanted to watch it, so I made the journey. I’m not even sure why - I really like watching movies in theatres and was in the mood for one, since I haven’t seen one in so long, but I hadn’t even heard about the movie until maybe last week when I saw it show up on listings. But something drew me to it. I never learned much about Harriet Tubman other than she was a runaway slave who was part of the Underground railroad. I learned a lot about slavery and how it was wrong, of course - but it was still very dry, very quick, and not very sympathetic. I wanted to know more (and enjoy a movie) so I went.

Now, onto the actual movie. Harriet is directed by Kasi Lemmons and stars Cynthia Erivo as Harriet Tubman, or Araminta Ross. It begins first with her life as a slave, but almost immediately she escapes after the death of her slave owner. She manages to make it to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and we see how she is integrated into this new life. She’s struggling, mainly with the guilt and loneliness of leaving her friends, family, and the only life she’s ever known, so she goes back to her plantation and ends up helping more slaves escape. She realises she not only is quite gifted at rescuing these people, but begins to understand that it’s something she wants - was almost born - to do. But as we know, especially with this topic, free is never truly free, because it always comes with a price.

This movie is not amazing, or the best movie I’ve ever seen, but it had quite a lot to offer in inspiration and helping to show a part of history that, at least in my experience of a white American who was taught in majority white schools, is regarded as acknowledged but never really understood. Within the movie, I never felt truly in the moment or incredibly engaged with what was going on - but this is an autobiography covering a very large portion of Harriet Tubman’s life. I was still invested in the characters, their fates and their actions, and there was always a good amount of suspension and drama, but there was a lot that was left up to the audience to decide - time gaps, character’s emotions, developing relationships. It’s not a movie that will spoon feed you, which is good, but there is once or twice where something happens that makes you feel weird and removed you from the story- why is she saying that, what’s so important about this? As stated, I knew almost nothing about Harriet before watching the movie, so I was quite surprised about a couple of things as well. The movie was quite religion-focused, which I had not been expecting, but it is true to Harriet Tubman’s life, as she was very religious and it impacted her life as an abolitionist.

Something I didn’t like, however, was that there was a strange focus on her relationship with Gideon, the son of her original slave owner. He acted as the antagonist of the movie - the bad guy who was trying to capture her, but also a sort of one sided (on his part) love interest? I felt like he and his role in general was very unnecessary. It was what made the movie good, not great. It made it seem as though they were trying to push drama and intrigue, that it couldn’t be only about Harriet vs Slavery (which I think is a mistake, as doing so would have led it down a very interesting path) but there had to be a villain, they had to make this guy be interested in her and chase her down specifically. It devalued it, and made it seem formulaic and hallmark rather than truly arthouse or thought-provoking.

These flaws were all mostly overshadowed by what I did like about the movie, which boils down to my own personal connection and take away from it. It Impacted me, made me read the Wikipedia article about Harriet Tubman and reevaluate my life. There were a lot of great and emotional scenes that made you truly understand the struggle the slaves went through, opened your eyes to the injustice and cruelty and this absolute horrible scourge in American history. It made you think about the true meaning of freedom, what it means to be human and a woman and an African American (and for those things that you are not, you sympathized with their struggle and understood their thoughts and actions though of course you could never truly know what it was like). For me personally, it was very inspiring. It didn’t drag on and on about how amazing Harriet was (although it’s a movie about someone quite amazing, so of course there’s going to be a bit of that) but seeing her struggle and determination, you couldn’t help but be in awe. It pushed a message of pushing boundaries and not letting anyone stop you - and while some of it was attributed to the idea of “God showed me the way”, it wasn’t shoved down your throat or pushed as the only reason Harriet Tubman could do the things she did.

Over all, I thought this movie was generally entertaining and a good watch. I would definitely recommend this movie because of its importance in spreading understanding about this topic and Harriet Tubman specifically. If you want to learn more about this topic, it’s a good starting point, and if you want to watch something inspiring or that will change the way you think, I would recommend it even if you don’t care about history or the topic. I think this movie was just that- a good introduction, but I think Harriet Tubman and other African-American men and women deserve better for the incredible weight of their accomplishments.

SPOILERS AHEAD!! ------------------------------------------------------------------------

As I stated, I knew nothing about Harriet Tubman before watching this other than the basics. So, at first, I was really put off by the whole “premonition” aspect, especially later on in the movie where it becomes specific enough that she would be “told” to go left instead of straight. I thought it was kind of outrageous, that they thought audiences couldn’t possibly enjoy a movie about history without there being some “science fiction”, “magical abilities” aspect. After reading about Harriet Tubman, I realize that this is actually something she did or that happened to her in life, so it doesn’t bother me as much as it did as I was watching.It seemed very over the top because it was also marked by this cadence of piano and magical like jingle, but I did enjoy the way it sounded in a weird way. It also was vague enough that when you saw these flashes, you as the audience didn’t immediately know “x was going to happen”, and you only really started to understand as it was happening. It did well to keep the tension up for the watcher.

We are introduced to Harriet’s life very abruptly, dropped into the world to figure out for ourselves what is going on, and I think that approach was best for a movie where so many of its audience already know the basics. Of course, it did come with a few flaws - I didn’t realize who her family actually was except for her mother and the sister who was sold further down south until the end of the movie/I read more about her. I wasn’t sure, at first, how to feel about her wanting to run away so suddenly - I think it might have been more impactful to have shown what escaping meant both for her, personally, as well as the repercussions. It seemed so easy for her to just up and leave - and while I realize the movie wasn’t focused so much on that aspect, I think it missed a big chance in really giving this idea of slaves escaping more weight. Slaves running away was a very big thing, a very dangerous thing to do, and a lot of slaves, sadly, did not make it. It seemed such an easy thing when what Harriet Tubman and all fugitive slaves did was extraordinary.

Gideon’s involvement in the whole movie is, as far as I know (which, as stated, is not much) very dramatized for Hollywood’s benefit, I think. This idea that he’s obsessed with her, almost in love with her as he says later in the movie, is so absolutely cringey. It could have just been left as her former owner attempting to get her back for not only running away but taking so many of his slaves with her, but it was made to be some sort of love dynamic? I just thought it could have easily been left out. Slavery, and the ignorance and hatred that came with it, was so prevalent in this time that it almost diminishes it’s importance to have this one person be the “worst of it all”, and especially for him to have a special interest and reason to be chasing after Harriet. Almost everyone, at this time, was out to get them, everyone was against them; but in the movie it seemed only like this one specific group.

I was actually very surprised to see Janelle Monae in this film, although it was a welcome sight. I think the dichotomy and relationship between them worked very well - Marie, born free, and Harriet, only recently become free. Scenes like Marie seeing Harriet’s scars, and Harriet questioning Marie about what it’s like to be free and how she can’t know what Harriet’s been through, really resonated with me. How it must feel for Harriet to know there are people like Marie that are free, when her and her family are treated so horribly. How, then, could Harriet sit idly by? How could she see that freedom and happiness is possible, and not follow the urge to help those she cares about most?

Harriet going back for her husband, only to find he had married another woman, actually came as quite a shock to me. Cynthia Ervo’s acting in this scene, and throughout the movie, was incredible. In the lack of the story’s own indication as to what Harriet was feeling, Cynthia Ervo was still somehow able to show between the lines, express such subtle emotions and thoughts that you knew how Harriet felt and sympathized with her. It was a joy to watch, as well as to hear when she sang. The subtle weaving of music into the movie, from the historically-accurate idea that slaves sang to communicate messages as well as the way it was used to connect scenes and heighten emotional moments, was used quite well.

Another thing I wish to mention was that the styling for this movie was amazing. I don’t know how historically accurate it was or anything like that, but the outfits that Harriet and others (Marie, Gideon, Still) had were so beautiful. I think it added a small but memorable touch to the movie - she was usually dressed in darks and neutrals, but in the final scenes, where she faces Gideon, she is dressed in an emboldened red.

I think this movie could have been a lot more, and I had been hoping for it to be a lot more, but it wasn’t bad. It was rather bland, melodramatic at times, and very “Hollywood”, but I think it is an important movie for representation and educating people on these topics. It changes the way you think, and I think it was worth the watch.

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biofunmy · 5 years

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What to Know About Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Stepping Back

On Wednesday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex made a big announcement. We are still figuring out exactly what it means.

What exactly are Prince Harry and Meghan doing?

It’s not fully clear and it depends whom you ask.

In a message posted to both the couple’s Instagram page and their new stand-alone website (one of two websites they have introduced in the last few months), the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their intentions to “carve out a progressive new role within” the “institution” of the British monarchy; to “step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family”; to “work to become financially independent while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen”; to “balance” their time “between the United Kingdom and North America”; to “honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages”; to launch a “new charitable entity”; and “to collaborate with Her Majesty The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge, and all relevant parties.”

The message seemed to suggest a desire to relinquish some (public) lifestyle funding in order to be less beholden to the strict protocol and de facto traditions of the royal family without sacrificing titles, influence or access.

According to a frosty statement from Buckingham Palace, this is all still being negotiated:

“Discussions with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are at an early stage. We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through.”

No bad ideas in a brainstorm.

Is “senior” royal a job?

No. It’s a designation applied to those adult members of the royal family closest to the throne in the line of succession, and their spouses, who tend to carry out the majority of public engagements alongside and/or on behalf of the queen. It currently refers to Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip; Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla; and Prince William and his wife, Kate. One could argue that, since Prince Harry has neither removed himself from the line of succession nor given up his title, he and Meghan remain senior royals.

Announcing a plan to “step back” from being a senior royal is sort of like declaring an intention to recuse oneself from being famous.

Why are they stepping back?

Specific reasons mentioned on their website include enabling themselves “to earn a professional income, which in the current structure they are prohibited from doing,” and handling their own media relations. On that second point, they particularly emphasized their decision to operate independent of the so-called Royal Rota — a key feature of royal family press relations that grants perpetual special access to journalists from seven British publications, including some tabloids.

Harry has long been critical of the British press. In October, he and Meghan initiated legal proceedings against the publishers of multiple British newspapers. He explained their decision in a statement posted on one of the Sussex websites, in which he excoriated the media and drew a connection between the royals’ treatment at the hands of the press and his mother Princess Diana’s death.

And let’s not forget the 2017 interview with Newsweek in which Prince Harry mused, “Is there any one of the royal family who wants to be king or queen? I don’t think so, but we will carry out our duties at the right time.” Not a glowing endorsement of the enterprise.

Has anyone in the royal family ever done this?

Not exactly. The last couple to reject senior royal life was Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, the original divorced American duchess for whom he relinquished the throne in 1936. But he was, you know, the actual head of state, so the decision prompted a full-blown constitutional crisis.

Other family members have also scaled back their public duties for a variety of reasons. Prince Philip retired from public life in 2017, at the perfectly reasonable-to-retire age of 96. After her divorce from Prince Charles, Princess Diana gave back her HRH title and quit her role with 93 charities. And this January, Prince Andrew stepped back from public duties after an interview with the BBC about his friendship with the convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

What does the British public think?

More Britons currently appear to have a view on Megxit than they did on the royal wedding itself.

At first, there were clear and loud rumblings of support. Then a few questions arose about cash, given that quite a lot of it had been thrown about in the last few years. The wedding. The house. The bodyguards.

What really roused Brits was the statement from the palace, which implied that couple had not fully discussed their retreat from royal life with the queen, whom we love. How dare they?

The tabloids, however, had a field day. “They didn’t even tell the Queen!” fumed the Thursday front page of the Daily Mirror. “Queen’s fury as Harry and Meghan say: we quit!” read the lead headline of the Daily Mail. (Other institutions got in on the drama, too: Madame Tussauds in London separated its wax figures of Harry and Meghan from those of the rest of the royal family.)

The term “Megxit” got a lot of airtime. “Harryverderci” has yet to catch on.

What was public sentiment toward the Sussexes like before “Megxit”?

Mixed? Very positive around the birth of baby Archie. Less positive around all the private jet hopping last summer. But most Brits haven’t been paying much attention. Between the recent general election, Australia being on fire and Brexit, the prospect of Megxit had not crossed many people’s minds.

Please tell me no one’s birthday was ruined because of this.

Harry and Meghan made their bombshell announcement on Jan. 8. Seeing as Jan. 9 is Kate Middleton’s birthday, and multiple members of the royal family were photographed arriving at Kensington Palace, for what multiple British websites described as a planned birthday celebration (in the middle of the day, on a Thursday), we cannot state with full confidence that no one’s birthday was ruined.

How many royals does one royal family really need?

Some say: not so many. Last year, the Swedish royal family streamlined its ranks; the king announced that five of his grandchildren would no longer bear titles or be expected to carry out royal duties. They would also no longer be paid the sum royal family members receive each year.

Being royal is expensive, and income inequality is a hot topic. The idea of trimming the royal fat, if you will, is to keep the focus on those in the direct line of succession and minimize the degree to which the family can be criticized for using public funds.

How much does the British royal family cost taxpayers?

Members of the British royal family are fond of sharing the following statistic: The contribution from U.K. taxpayers toward the full overhead of the British monarchy is equivalent to approximately £1 per British person per year.

For argument’s sake, one could note that the French royal family costs French taxpayers nothing, because it was abolished. One former royal palace became the Louvre.

Will Harry and Meghan keep their titles?

They have expressed no intentions to relinquish their titles. Their new website consistently refers to them as “Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.”

Where will they live?

According to their statement, Harry and Meghan will split their time “between the United Kingdom and North America.”

Earlier this week, the couple visited an official Canadian residence in London “to thank the High Commissioner Janice Charette and staff for the warm hospitality” they enjoyed on a private vacation over Christmas, according to their Instagram page. The caption of the post included multiple neutral statements about Canada seemingly intended as compliments: “The Duke and Duchess have a strong connection to Canada. It’s a country The Duke of Sussex has visited many times over the years and it was also home to The Duchess for seven years before she became a member of The Royal Family.”

For those reasons, and because it’s part of the British Commonwealth, Canada seems like a safe bet for a North American base. There is also speculation that the family could spend more time in Meghan’s home state of California, where her mother resides.

This story will be updated.

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