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whenyouknowyouknow · 3 years

Note

The thing thats bothering me is they are making H into a boy Taylor Swift. He's so bland now that he can be anybody anyone wants but it means its so hard to root for him because he's just a blank slate??? Do you know what I'm saying?

I know what you mean entirely.

I’m going to preface this by saying that Harry was always my slight favourite in the band. He and Louis were my top two but Harry was always the one I loved the most. He was my member. So everything I’m saying is not out of hatred but more just...almost sadness.

Artists I tend to really love are people who are really vocal and particular and have a personality and own it. I love Rina Sawayama because she’s happy to call out racism and she’s very outspoken about her queerness, and it gives me a reason to identify with her and also want to see her succeed. Lady Gaga originally really gained traction and blew up BECAUSE she was outspoken and really tried to stand for something and spoke very plainly about who she was and what she cares about, and really didn’t give a fuck if she was offending people’s conservative sensibilities. Really her brand was built around pissing conservatives off and being unapologetic about it. Her interviews were always ‘this is what I think and fuck off’.

Harry/his team are definitely pulling a Taylor Swift. They want him to be whatever you want him to be, so that he’s just as marketable to queer men in San Fran as he is to conservative corn fed Iowa girl. The reason I, personally, find it hard to really get into Taylor as an artist is that I really don’t know who she is, and no matter how much of her content I consume, I’m not any more certain. I’ve watched her Netflix documentary and all I got from it was that her life seemed actually kind of depressing, and her team were nervous af about her ‘coming out’ as a democrat. And it’s fine if you like Taylor, that’s good for you and I don’t mind at all, but I personally just...don’t know who she is and find it hard to, therefore, invest or even trust.

Harry’s aesthetic is becoming quite particular, but its more his words and overall ‘branding’ which gives me Taylor vibes. Harry hasn’t really said an interesting thing in an interview for a while. As I’ve said before, everything he says is almost verbatim the same as it was the last time he said it, its very manicured, very media trained. He doesn’t offer strong perspectives on pretty much any topic and often comments on political issues in a way that depoliticises them or just downplays their importance. Even talking about eg how Zayn leaving made him feel, he is so careful to not offend anyone or come across as too angry or too nice or too anything, that he just...doesn’t really say anything.

On the one hand I appreciate him wanting to have his privacy, but on the other I think its mainly a branding choice. And its an odd one because it gives me fucking whiplash - he has BLM stickers on his guitar and waves pride flags and goes to protests but then never...speaks about any of it. And I know to some extent with the queer stuff that could be because of the closet, but lots of straight people (eg Daniel Radcliffe) are far more vocal about LGBT+ issues than Harry is.

I don’t know that I blame him as an individual for any of it, but I hate his branding right now because its getting harder to...as you said, root for him. I don’t wish him badly (at all) but his team aren’t giving me a person to grab onto and care about. They are giving me this white dude who barely speaks and never has an open opinion on literally anything. And when those opinions do pop out his team will use them as a merchandising/branding opportunity (eg the covid shirts) or will bland it out so that its as weak a statement as possible (eg endorsing Biden but not using the words and THEN linking it to his own branding 🙄).

It’s frustrating because I know Harry is charming and I fully suspect he is more politically astute than they allow him to show, but I wish his team would just...wake up and smell the boring. If you look at the white men the internet tends to ‘stan’, they are men who do at least speak and have some kind of semblance of opinion and quirk. Rpatz is weird as hell and people love it. All Chris Evans had to do to get people to love him was have some left wing opinions on twitter.

The Taylor Swift brand model clearly works but tbh I hate it and I am struggling to stay interested in ‘Harry Styles TM’. If I have to hear ‘I lived in Ben’s attic for a year...I did mushrooms and bit my tongue...this song is about whatever you want it to be about....’ one more time. LET HIM BE INTERESTING FOR THE LOVE OF GOD.

Jeff, Ryan was the most boring character on the OC. LEARN FROM IT.

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whenyouknowyouknow · 3 years

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it’s the 21st day of the 21st year of the 21st century.

you can only reblog this today.

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whenyouknowyouknow · 3 years

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Qualitative Surveys on Fan Fiction

howdy, y’all. i’ve been thinking about expanding some of the research i did for a paper during undergrad for a while now, and i’ve finally worked up the energy to get the ball rolling on that with these surveys.

if you could all help me out by reblogging this post if you see it so my responses aren’t skewed to reflect one cluster of a single fandom, i would be forever indebted to you. thank you, and much, much, much, much love!

opinions on fan fiction for readers

opinions on fan fiction for writers

each one should take anywhere from 10-25 minutes to complete, depending on how much you have to say for the open-ended questions.

mwah x

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whenyouknowyouknow · 3 years

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Closeting - the label-media-public threeway

No really it’s actually a four-way bc the artist does also have a say in it. At least sometimes. Because please be aware that most queers do not want to be closeted. They are afraid to come out! Because the world tends to be VERY violent against us. So we stay closeted bc it’s easier and safer, but it takes a toll. A huge toll. Because we are pretty much lying all the time, sometimes even to people we like, and we are living in the knowledge that some people that are now nice to us would (sometimes quite literally) kick us to the ground or worse. This is not good for one's soul.

Now most of us deal with that with a limited range, maybe 100 people that actually know us.

And now imagine that being millions of people.

Even it being thousands of people is already scary af.

It’s hard to come out for artists!

Because the world in large has been trained to be against/hate otherness.

There is this circle of action and reaction

We have the artist who most likely is a creative soul and just wants their music to be heard. If that artist wants to make it big and is lucky enough to be noticed the label comes in.

The label wants to make money. They take a risk by putting money into an artist and they will make sure that the artist will succeed, because that’s where they get their money back and also earn more money.

How do they make sure that an artist succeeds? They work out an image and narrative that appeals to the general public (GP) and will get them noticed in the most effective way.

How do labels know what appeals to the GP

market research

basic human psychology

Humans tend to prefer the known patterns. There is safety in old patterns. (I’m not gonna dive into THAT topic bc that would go deep into psychology and evolutionary stuff. So you’ll just have to take my word for that.)

These patterns are attended to by media outlets.

These patterns are also generated by media outlets.

And this is where it gets tricky.

GP is used to a certain narrative by media outlets.

X and Y are good things.

Q and R are bad things.

Life is easier when you know where you stand and the media outlets are doing their best to make very clear what is good/acceptable and what is not (in their eyes).

That could be about which country is the bad one but also about what food is the correct one, which music is good or how women and men have to behave to be seen as such and therefore accepted into the flock.

Now it’s hard to see where and how queerness was perceived and established as otherness and therefore assigned as bad.

All we know is that media took that concept and rode it hard. They are still riding it. Even if voices against that approach are getting louder and louder. They have their world view and they stick to their narrative.

So labels not only need to take into account what kind of narrative will work with GP but also what kind of narrative will be accepted by the media and as they are part of media themselves they need to look where they fit in and what their bosses tell them. Because if the media heads do not approve they can boycott the whole thing.

Which pretty much gives them the most power in this situation.

That sounds a bit dystopian and honestly it kinda is.

Because media is controlled by only very few companies and their heads ...

Bertelsmann - CEO Thomas Rabe, male, white, 55yo

National Amusements, Inc. (ViacomCBS) - CEO Sumner Redstone, male, white, died at 97y in 2020

Sony Corporation - CEO Kenichiro Yoshida, male, asian, 61yo

News Corp - Executive Chairman Rupert Murdoch, male, white, 89yo

Comcast - CEO Brian L. Roberts, male, white, 61yo

Disney - Executive Chairman Robert Iger, male, white, 69yo

AT&T - CEO John T. Stankey, male, white, 59yo

are all male, most of them old and white.

Now this all sounds super bad and it is but it will change. Because queers are slowly, slowly getting louder, more vocal. More people come out, more people are vocal and give closeted queers a sense of visibility. More queer people are starting to demand representation.

AND (and this is the more powerful part) the more people are aware of their queerness and feel part of that group, the more the market value of queers in general will rise.

And these corporations will not ignore that for long.

If you’d like to read further about the world of media corperations: here is the wikepedia for concentration of media ownership and here you find an article (from 2017) with some nice info-graphics

#closeting #media #label #not really a masterpost #also not that much about closeting #but knowing the situation is important

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whenyouknowyouknow · 3 years

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To preface this story: Speculation, especially on someone’s body, is never good in excess. However, the people in this story were three very high trans people (including myself) and one very high and confused cis person, and I found it quite humorous in hindsight.

So my roommates and I decided to pull and all nighter on New Year’s eve. We watched WW84, Die Hard, and a couple other movies so we were still awake come 5 am, even with the influence of the pot (I’m proud of us lmaooo). I got the notif for two hours until the TPWK mv and I made them continue to stay up with me and wait because I was worried I’d fall asleep if there was no one there with me. And I was NOT going to miss the release of TPWK, as it’s my favorite song on Fine Line (judge me, it’s okay I’m used to it).

And so we waited and then watched it. Afterward, the cis girl just looked at us and said “that was cute,” while the rest of us just kind of stared at the TV for a minute, trying to make sense of all the gender shit with our stoned brains.

Another roommate, an amab genderfluid person who has been microdosing estrogen for about nine months now, then decides we have to watch Golden because it’s their favorite song on the radio atm. I make the executive decision to put on the Golden behind the scenes because I find it more interesting.

We get to the scene with the extreme close up of Harry’s decolletage and they said “he’s got some good growth.” Which in hindsight is very humorous to me because it didn’t register the first time he said it and I just nodded and agreed. Our cis roommate just furrowed her brows and made a “hm” sound which is the same reaction she makes when we say a trans thing she doesn’t quite understand yet lmao!

And afterward they came up to me apologizing about assuming that kind of thing about someone I care about. I told them that it’s alright, Harry shouldn’t take offense to someone thinking he might be trans. They just saw themself in him and there’s nothing wrong with that, even if it was just the hitties. I’m not sure if this is as entertaining as I think it is though lmao.

This was incredibly chaotic and I kind of loved it.

Your cis roommates ‘hmm’ sound is kind of like the sound from some of this fandom when Harry does something the cis people can’t understand. Except from that part of the fandom the sound is less ‘hmm’ and more ‘WQEIGHPQORGQBQETUBRWGQ HES NOT A TRANS’.

The chest shot in Golden is such a fucking moment. Like I’ve never seen a man’s chest treated like that on film, with it peaking out of the top of a shirt like cleavage and lingered over.

I love it when Harry makes cis brains short circuit ❤️ Can I live in your house?

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whenyouknowyouknow · 3 years

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How we failed to notice that they were seeding this PR stunt from the start

Thanks @/LookatmeLou for pointing this out

The announcement for Harry being cast in Don’t Worry Darling - Sept 11th 2020

Filming/ Principal Photography begins for Don’t Worry Darling - Oct 20th 2020

Pap pics of Harry and Olivia on set - Nov 4th 2020

They made sure we saw 2 things:

Harry wearing this shirt:

Here he is making sure we see that tshirt:

And the second was Harry coming up to Olivia’s trailer:

youtube

They made sure to mention it on Just Jared:

Picture of Olivia wearing Harry’s ‘vote vote vote vote’ shirt - Nov 9th 2020

Olivia & Jason announce their split - Nov 13th 2020

Harry’s Vogue cover and issue drop online - Nov 13th 2020

Olivia is quoted in the article:

Olivia defends Harry wearing a dress - Nov 15th 2020

Harry hugs Olivia goodbye before leaving the set with his assistant, Luis - Nov 21st 2020

youtube

That is very obviously Luis. He drives Harry to/from set and helps H on set when needed. You know, like an assistant. Why y’all were clowning this was Louis I will never know.

Olivia and her daughter on set via her IG story - Nov 24th 2020

Harry and Olivia on set of Don’t Worry Darling in Palm Springs - Dec 1st 2020

Chris Pine says he is done filming and comments how ‘Harry is a love’ - Dec 7th 2020

Olivia comments on Harry’s 1 year of Fine Line IG post - Dec 13th 2020

Harry releases the music video for Treat People With Kindness - Jan 1st 2021

And it is the gayest thing he has ever done:

youtube

News breaks that Harry and Olivia are rumored to be dating - Jan 4th 2021

Pictures of them at Jeff’s wedding over the weekend are released:

Daily Mail releases pictures of Harry and Olivia allegedly at Harry’s house in LA - Jan 4th 2021

She can be seen wearing his signature glasses and possibly Eliou necklaces?

Olivia is papped outside Jason’s house - Jan 4th 2021

Daily Mail publishes pictures of Olivia allegedly driving Harry’s Range Rover around - Jan 5th 2021

However, as I point out in this post, IDK when they’re trying to imply these are from, but she is wearing the same thing as she did when arriving at Jeff’s wedding as per the same article:

She’s even holding the keys.

Harry is papped hiking with his manager - Jan 5th 2021

So yeah guys. This PR stunt was done brilliantly. It’s classic old school seeding of a PR relationship. We just failed to see any of it because we were focused on other things. They’ve been planning this for months. Probably since the summer, if not longer. I’d go as far as saying since Harry began his involvement in the film. So who knows when that was. Probably early summer, right after Olivia fired Shia from the franchise.

They even used their signature “sharing clothes and accessories” stunt move. Wow. A classic!

I’ll continue updating this timeline as we go and the stunt develops.

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whenyouknowyouknow · 3 years

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Dear Harry Styles ™

I just unfollowed you on twitter and IG.

Not because I don’t like you anymore. In fact I love you dearly. Love your music. Love your commitment to being kind to everyone. Love your real personality, the kind, funny, dorky guy that does want people to choose love and mask up.

I can however not stand for the image you portrait in the tabloids these days. You look like a white rich fuckboy. The pictures of you, your team and Olivia having a splendid time without masks are giving assholes like COVID denieres new amunition and will further fuel party goers. This will not help the current situation. It will make it worse.

I do not know why these pictures were necesarry. They would have carried the same promotional value with masks on. What I know is that I do not stand for this.

I know you are most likley not gonna see this and your social media is the only way to let at least your team know that this is not ok.

#Harry Styles #202-01-07 #I know these pics are staged and fake #but why tf stage irresponsible behaviour #not gonna stop stanning H #I'm just done with Harry Styles™

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whenyouknowyouknow · 3 years

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The ‘Am I being a transphobe in this fandom’ masterpost.

So, I don’t know about the other trans people here, but I am tired of getting the same questions over and over again. Partially because I’ve already answered them many times and it is very boring, and partially because its very typical for cis people to expect trans people to do emotional labor for them and tell them how gender works, instead of, you know, using google.

Here are the questions I tend to get every time Harry does anything that plays with gender, and here are the answers. I fully expect Harry is only going to get more confident and bold over time, so here are the answers for those who want them (even though I suspect those people who really need to read this, will not).

This post is going to be long, I apologise in advance.

1. You are forcing a gender identity onto Harry:

The ONLY people forcing a gender identity onto Harry are those who are insisting he is definitely cis.

I have never seen a trans person in this fandom say that he is definitely trans. We are simply saying he MIGHT be trans or MIGHT be questioning. I am perfectly happy for him to be cis. I am also perfectly happy for him to be trans.

What is actually problematic is saying Harry is 100 percent cis when he has never, ever said that, and when he is clearly playing with gender to some degree. Cis is not the default gender (just like ‘straight’ is not the default sexuality).

It is harmful to say that Harry must certainly be cis until proven otherwise. This view treats trans identities as ‘other’ and almost implies it is somehow deeply offensive to be viewed as potentially trans. It is not remotely harmful to say ‘we should leave room for the idea that Harry could be trans or questioning until proven otherwise.’

2. I am happy for him to be trans but I think he is definitely cis until he says he isn’t:

Once again, cis is not the default gender and to behave as if it is, is something we call ‘cissexist’.

To quote Healthline: ‘Cissexism operates as a subtle web of ideas that many people hold based on the assumption that all people are cisgender. Because this assumption is so deeply ingrained in our society, many people say and do things that are cissexist without realizing it.’

Trans people can be closeted. Trans people are still trans and still valid even if you don’t know they are trans. Further, people can go through extensive periods of questioning their gender, and being questioning is valid.

It may well be that Harry is cis, but to ASSUME he is when he is this blatantly experimenting in some way, is to be cissexist. He does not need to come out to you in order for you to be a decent person, and leave space for the idea that right now, we don’t truly know what his gender may be. You approaching human beings with the idea that they are cis until proven otherwise, is inherently transphobic.

3. Harry uses he/him pronouns and is sometimes referred to as a man, he is therefore cis:

Non-binary people use the pronouns that ‘match’ the gender they were assigned at birth, all of the time. A non-binary person who was born male may use he/him, they/them/, she/her etc in any combination. That does not make them not trans. Genderqueer people may have a day where they are feeling very much like a man and a day where they are feeling very much like a woman, or a day where they feel neither.

Also, once again, closeted people exist. I use the pronouns he/him and they/them, but I am not out to everyone I know. Those people use she/her for me, and just because I’m not out, it does not mean that is any less painful or their assumption that I am cis is any less damaging.

4. It is regressive to say that Harry may be trans because he is wearing a dress/feminine clothing:

Keep reading

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whenyouknowyouknow · 3 years

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Harry and Gender: An Ongoing Masterpost

FEMALE INSPIRATION & IDENTIFICATION Stevie Nicks 2 Lizzo Joan of Arc Susan Sarandon Rachel McAdams Lara Croft Lisa Simpson General 2 3

FEMININE ACTION & EXPRESSION Posing 2 3 4 5 6 Stage antics 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Photoshoots 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Dancing 2 Being a ballerina 2 The hair flip 2 Putting on perfume

VOCABULARY & PRONOUNS Acknowledgement of other genders 2 3 FRIENDS’ VOCABULARY, PRONOUNS, & NICKNAMES Harry Lambert 2 3 4 5 Marc Jacobs Harris Reed Bowen Yang Alessandro Michele Nick Grimshaw Matt Bellassai Gemma “Sue” 2 General stuff 2

FASHION CHOICES Mary Janes 2 Bags/purses 2 3 4 Pearl necklaces 2 3 4 5 6 7 Nail polish 2 3 4 5 The tutu 2 Dresses 2 3 4 5 6 7 Skirts Gloves 2 3 Blouses 2 3 4 5 Makeup Shoelaces 2 Rings Lace The French braids The kilt 2 3 Lingerie/underwear 2 3 Other accessories 2 3 4 5 6 Cinched waist silhouette 2 General fluidity 2 3 4 5 6 7

PREGNANCY, CHILDBIRTH, & MOTHERHOOD Pregnancy 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Childbirth 2 Motherhood 2 3

SONG LYRICS She 2 3 4 5 6 7 Only Angel Fine Line Lights Up 2 Falling Perfect Now 2 Girl Crush Madame George General 2

MISC Trans flags 2 3 4 5 6 7 Fine Line art 2 3 Lights Up video Just Like You video Kiwi video Adore You poster Another Man Gucci’s genderfluid fragrance campaign 2 3 4 5 Gucci’s Chime for Change Mermaids and Fish 2 3

OTHER SUMMARIES & MASTERPOSTS 1 2 3 4

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whenyouknowyouknow · 3 years

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GOLDEN music video analysis

First of all, DISCLAIMER: These are merely the things that I noticed and what I think they could mean. I do not claim that these are H’s brain childs.

Second of all I might have written some stuff double, but I really wanted to publish this before TPWK drops. So YAY to that.

Third of all. Sorry this is really long ^^* Now lets start.

The two main parts that I noticed about the MV:

there is a shit ton of cuts

there are 7 different characters

Let’s have a look at the later first

THE CHARACTERS

In order of appearance

1. The Runner

1.1. clothes

white oversized shirt

half unbuttoned

shorts in soft sand and red colours, one of a kind feedsack shorts (hybrid seeds)

white (but dirty) canvas shoes with soft pink and white laces

gold cross necklace

1.2. symbolism

lots of skin visible through shorts, half-open shirt and shirt being half see-through = openness

canvas shoes are well worn and dirty = steadiness/consistency and loyalty/devotion

shorts: genuine hybrid seeds (Hybrid seeds are bred for higher yield and better resistance against pests and disease. Their seeds will not produce the same plant as the parent)

colours:

white - associated with light, goodness, innocence, purity, virginity, perfection

beige - neutral, calm, relaxing

pale pink - soothing

1.3. behaviour

main protagonist

runs after the camera

looks at the camera nearly all the time

Smiles/sings along/runs hard

chases camera, sometimes under strain but most often running with it

He is the thread that leads through the MV (appears a lot in the beginning, gets strewn in until the end, is the first and the last)

only one not wearing pearls

1.4. special moments

“I know you were way too (camera changes from full-frontal to frog perspective to show the bright sky) bright for me”

“loving you’s the antidote, golden” (greets away from camera)

2:35 not running (during the 28 goldens) ruffling hair and looking around as if uncertain how to proceed, “Because I’m so golden” turns and runs away from the camera, “You’re so golden” camera switches back to frontal

Gonna put the rest under the break because this thing got massive and long

2. Suited Up

2.1. clothes

light blue/turquoise blazer

shirt striped white and soft blue

tartan flares

white lace gloves (not always)

white (but dirty) canvas shoes with soft pink and white laces

gold cross necklace, light blue&white bead necklace (Millefiori+Freshwater pearls)

2.2. symbolism

patterned trousers - giving balance to the monochrome jacket, the pattern is very small, you have to look close to see it properly

striped shirt - two contrasting colours, stripes were historically used for outcasts and people that needed to be contained (servants, jesters, prostitutes, ...) in this case the contrast is low (white and light blue) and not always right away visible

non-formal suit, no tie, top buttons are open to reveal jewelry, sometimes with lace gloves - hides most of himself but not in an uptied way. There is a playfulness about it with the top buttons undone and the lace gloves that do cover his hands but also not. He plays peek-a-boo with how much he reveals

canvas shoes are well worn and dirty = steadiness/consistency and loyalty/devotion

Colours:

light blue - serenity, stability, inspiration, wisdom, calming, reliability but also sadness

white - associated with light, goodness, innocence, purity, virginity, perfection

brown - reliability, elegance, security, healing, home, grounding, foundations, stability, warmth, honesty

2.3. behaviour

goofy and expressive

lots of dad dancing and acting out musical parts

very flirty

2.4. special moments

gloves: in the beginning and the gesturing along with the chimes

no gloves: dorky dancing and car hood flirting

“Of who I am and all I’ve ever known” dorky dancing

hides his hands when he flirts with the camera while singing “I don’t want to be alone”

grinning dancing, camera twirls around him, he twirls and lands on a car hood, flirting with both people inside (they are not distinguishable), his foot is raised up coquettishly, pan around to his face, he smiles broadly

3. Car Driver

3.1. clothes

shirt striped white and light blue

lace gloves

light blue&white bead necklace (Millefiori+Freshwater pearls)

3.2. symbolism

the jacket is gone, leaving the striped shirt in full view

shirt not buttoned up

lace gloves - protection vs being open, purity vs debauchery

separated from camera through windshield - distancing himself from the onlooker

Colours:

light blue - serenity, stability, inspiration, wisdom, calming, reliability but also sadness

white - associated with light, goodness, innocence, purity, virginity, perfection

3.3. behaviour

does not smile

sings and seems mostly neutral and concentrated on driving

3.4. special moments

“take me back to the light” in tunnel, hard cut to outside tunnel, hard cut to inside tunnel emerging from tunnel

last line: “I don’t want to be alone”

4. Waterboy

4.1. clothes

swim shorts striped blue/off-white

gold cross necklace, blue beads necklace (Millefiori necklace+Freshwater pearls)

4.2. symbolism

lots of skin, open hands stretched out towards camera - very open

barefoot - innocence/childhood, freedom from real-life requirements

switch from light blue to a stronger blue (necklace and shorts) - emphasize on that colour

Colours:

blue - serenity, stability, inspiration, wisdom, calming, reliability but also sadness

white - associated with light, goodness, innocence, purity, virginity, perfection

4.3. behaviour

only one depicted in 3 different ways (1. outside of water filmed from inside water, 2. inside water filmed from inside the water, 3. inside water filmed from outside the water)

outside of water: squatting, facing the camera, strong gestures and mimic, slightly crazy

inside the water: diving, sinking, floating, often with eyes shut

Water is used as something to either hide in (camera) or be surrounded with (H)

4.4. special moments

first appearance: “I don’t want to be alone” reaches for and sings to the camera (which is under water and peaking out) “I don’t want to be alone” dives into the water

“I can feel it take a hold” under water, only eyes above waterline and out of view from the camera

“out of my head” starts shaking his head crazily “and I know that you’re scared because hearts get broken” camera sinks deeper under water, when it’s under, H hits the water

“I know that you’re scared because I’m so OPEN” hits the water

5. Fishermans Hat

5.1. clothes

yellow fisherman’s hat

Cross necklace, white bead necklace (Millefiori+Freshwater pearls)

long flared trousers beige with blue flower print

brown belt

white (but dirty) canvas shoes with soft pink and white laces

5.2. symbolism

first appearance of yellow, only hints of blue in the fine flower print

upper body naked, lower body completely covered - ambivalence between showing and not showing but very clearly divided. Covered parts are not guessable bc even the form is hidden

Colours:

yellow - most luminous colour, stands for happiness, optimism, enlightenment, creativity, sunshine but also betrayal and cowardice

blue - serenity, stability, inspiration, wisdom, calming, reliability but also sadness

5.3. behaviour

either pressing his lips together or mouthing along to the instrumentals

swaying to the music

stands on various places on the shore rocks in different distances

lots of cuts

5.4. special moments

only appears during the 28 goldens and the following “Because I’m so open”

only once turned away from the camera 2:38 (extremely short cut, only visible if slowed down to the max)

6. Crystal ball

6.1. clothes

nail polish gold/silver

white beret with black bow/trim

Cross necklace, white bead necklace (Millefiori+Freshwater pearls)

6.2. symbolism

only clothing is the hat, crystal ball is center - technically very open but what you see is upside down and distorted

he holds the crystal ball himself - the distortion and turning upside down of what we see is in his hands

Colours:

white - associated with light, goodness, innocence, purity, virginity, perfection

6.3. behaviour

being upside down

sings along

only fast cuts to him

6.4. special moments

first appearance after “Because hearts get broken”

last appearance “I know that you’re scared because I’m so open” (analysis of that part in the extras)

7. Reflection

7.1. clothes

swim shorts

7.2. symbolism

the person itself is only seen in contour and upside down - no real information and lots of distortion and distraction (upside down, reflection on the water, tinted red and yellow, clouds and stones mix into the picture)

Colours:

yellow - most luminous colour, stands for happiness, optimism, enlightenment, creativity, sunshine but also betrayal and cowardice

blue - serenity, stability, inspiration, wisdom, calming, reliability but also sadness

red - love, lust, sexuality, sensitivity, romance, joy, strength, leadership, courage, anger, danger, malice, wrath, determination

7.3. behaviour

this could be the 4th version of the Water Boy but as there are so many differences I put him extra

we only ever see the dark reflection of him

always upside down

dances in swaying motions

7.4. special moments

the whole composition looks a bit like an eye

appears 3 times during the 28 goldens

Constants in all roles are:

silver and golden nail polish

Both stand for wealth

silver additionally stands for kindness, psychic abilities and is believed to be the mirror to the soul, helping us to see ourselves as others see us

gold associated with illumination, love, compassion, courage, magic and wisdom but also sparkle and glamour

golden cross necklace

pearls (and Millefiori beads in light blue or blue)

only the Runner doesn’t wear them (it’s not clear for the Reflection but based on the shorts I’d say the styling is the same as for the Waterboy)we all know how H is wearing pearls now basically everywhere so him wearing them in the MV is no surprise

Pearls are said to attract wealth and luck, offer protection, balance karma, strengthen relationships, symbolize purity, generosity, integrity, loyalty, used for purifying wate

The millefioriare glas beads that depict flowers. Flowers symbolize fertility, health, flourishing

these necklaces are pretty and colour coordinated to the outfits but they also seem to be a blessing

when there are shoes it’s white (but dirty) canvas shoes with soft pink and white laces

which can stand for steadiness/consistency and loyalty/devotion

Main themes

a journey that starts in a tunnel and ends on a open road, both (beginning and ending) are unprovoked

conflict between openness and secrecy, how much is shown and how much of that is the reality?

Now to the cuts

The editing of the video is brilliant and hides so many little tidbits that I fear that I have seen only half of them (I meantioned the most noticable ones in the Roles), so here goes nothing

There are 156 cuts

The highest concentration of cuts is during the 28 goldens until “Because I’m so open.”

The biggest cluster of cuts is at 2:43 (7 cuts) and 2:44 (6 cuts) “Because I’m so open”

All cuts visualized

Runner - skin tone

Suited Up - royal blue

Car Driver: Tunnel - dark red, Outside - sky blue

Waterboy: Outside - pale green, Under Water - dark green, In Water - bluish green

Crystal Ball - brown

Fishermans Hat - yellow

Reflection - purple

The last dark red cut should be morphing into a sky blue (just couldn’t figure out how to do that)

The lead up to the climax starts shortly after the first appearence of the crystal ball (5th row from the bottom)

the 28 Goldens start with the Suited Up blue in the same row

All appearences of the Fichermans Hat are only during the 28 Goldens and in the climax

Now let’s talk about the climax

the 28 Goldens end with the last appearence of the Reflection (purple)

The following 5 seconds are the climax

Cristal ball “I know” Suited up (full body, looking to the right, lips pressed together, steps forward)

“That you’re scared” Runner (stands,looks at camera, hands on hips)

“Be” Suited Up (portrait, looks at camera, slightly upwards)

“cause” Suited Up (portrait, looks at camera, slightly downward)

“I” Crystal ball

“‘m”

Suited Up (portrait, looks at camera slightly downwards)

Waterboy (in water, head above, hands strechted out to a V)

Fishermans Hat (half body, raising arms, head tilted to the right)

“so” Crystal ball (lowering the Crystal ball)

“o”

Waterboy (in water, head above, hands slowly sinking, moving head backwards as if cheering)

Crystal ball (without Crystal ball, comes into focus)

Waterboy (in water, head above, moving head backwards as if cheering, wave rolls into the focus, Waterboy not visible)

Crystal ball (without Crystal ball)

Crystal ball (super short flicker, with Crystal ball again)

“pen” Waterboy (outside water, hits the water)

Runner (turnes away from camera and runs away)

So what is the story? At first it might look as if all the different characters are random and the MV only being about a nice summer day, singing about a love and not having an underlying story but when we look deeper there is a lot to unpack.

When we look at the distribution of how much time each character got and when which character was the focus it becomes clear that the Runner is the main protagonist. He is the one that starts us off, carries us through and brings it to the end. He quite literally runs us through the MV. He is the red thread tying it all together. He is also the only one not wearing pearls, which sets him apart from all the characters but also from H himself.

Looking at the other characters he is one of only two that actually smile. But while the Suited up character is, well... suited up, literally hiding most parts of himself from the viewer, even going as far as wearing gloves, the Runner is wearing loose clothes, short or see through and not buttoned up. He is showing quite a lot of himself and he is not self conscious about it or coquettish or anything really because he is focusing on running. Pulling us through the music video by running towards us(?), the camera, really. He is also not chasing. There are parts where he pushes himself to run faster but it’s never a chase. Always running with the camera.

The only time he breaks the pattern is during the instrumental part, the 28 Goldens, where he stops running, looking around as if questioning where to go. He picks back up running directly after the climax “I know that you’re scared because I’m so open” but this time he runs away from the camera as if choosing a different path. Because maybe he doesn’t want the other to be scared and choses to go back or maybe he wasn’t actually open and wants to change that by retracing his steps. But with the next cut to him he is again running towards the camera. It’s not clear if anything changed and then he just stops running. The camera getting further away from him. He looks on, there are no sad feelings.

Of all the other characters only one shows no signs of hiding anything.

Suited up is dorky, expressive and flirty while also playing with the contrasts of a full suit but a not fully buttoned shirt, with lace gloves that hide him but also give peeks of him, with hiding his hands behind his back while flashing his dimpled smile. He looks genuine, he probably is ... to some extent. There are parts of himself that he doesn’t show but he is charming about it. Playing with it.

The Driver hides behind his windshield, also wearing the lace gloves but he is not charming or even smiling. He drives. Somewhere. He definitely drives from the dark tunnel into the light while singing “take me back to the light” and he ends his appearances with the words “I don’t want to be alone”. He shows us his vulnerable side by telling us his hopes but there is no deep connection, he keeps a distance.

The Fishermans hat seems open and for a certain part he is, a bare chest with all his history etched into his skin is quite clearly open. But his lower body is so effectively covered, we can’t even see the exact shape of his legs due to the trousers cut, or if he is even wearing any shoes. that it feels like a statement of “yes you can see part of me but the other part I keep absolutely hidden.” He keeps his lips well pressed together. Jumping closer and further back again with each cut. Making it hard to place him or foresee what to expect next.

The Crystal ball is a study in hiding. Yes the part of the body we see is naked and seems very open, but it’s also upside down and distorted by the ball that he holds himself. And even the part of the climax where he lowers the ball to reveal himself ends in a short flicker of the ball being back, distortion in place. That is the last appearance of this character.

The Reflection is by far the most mysterious. We don’t see anything of him except for his outline. He is a reflection in a pond, distorted and tinted by the other reflections and the stones under water as well as the whole scene being tinted by red and orange. There is no way to get any real information from that one.

And then there is the Waterboy. The one in just swim shorts. The one pulling faces at something, someone, in the water. The one talking directly to the camera “and I know that you’re scared because hearts get broken” while the camera sinks lower. The one jumping into the water “I don’t want to be alone” and “I can feel it take a hold” while being under water. There is no clarification who he is talking too/about but it is clear that he wants to be close and closer. Wants to surround himself with it. This openness is especially stark as every other side character is a version of hiding in some way or the other.

The clash of all those characters hiding, distorting, playing peek-a-boo with how much they reveal and how much of their personality is reality and that one honest open character that wants someone so much that he is diving for them. Disregarding all the other characters because he is the one that scares the other by being open.

And still the last side character making an appearance is the one suited up, he smiles and is charming, flirting with people that can’t be seen, we can see them waving and really they could be anyone that wants his attention. He twirls, drapes himself over the hood of their car, letting his dimples pop, delicately placing his chin in his hand and raising his foot. It’s the longest continuous scene in the music video and is followed only by the Runner stopping to run, ending his part of escorting us through the story.

#Harry Styles #analysis #musicvideo #Harry Styles Golden #holy shit that got long #also known as H playing peek-a-boo with us

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