Toning down the gay | Louis Tomlinson’s public image | Part 1: years 2010-2013

[@NunezSue]

Wish that he can fully be himself again

[@yeti6601]

this is so sad, the transition from louis' happy and bubbly personality to his miserable one (management sucks) was tragic. I hope he becomes happier

[@emmal2022]

Ever notice how at 4:21 The boys started laughing at him before he even said “who eat carrots” implying it was funny just for him to say “I like girls” 👀

[@seaweedbrain4127]

yeah especially Niall! He even looked at Harry lol

[@theok3646]

Yes! I noticed that too

[@conlon4332]

@@seaweedbrain4127 Yeah. And Harry had an amused smile by "girls" too. It was almost like he gave himself permission to laugh once Louis turned it into a joke.

[@selenasamuell]

It’s so apparent that he was forced into a ‘heterosexual’ narrative. It makes me so sad, they were so young and didn’t deserve whatever Modest/Syco put them through. Not just Louis, because although Harry was allowed to show off (sort of) their fem side, they were ofc also forced to hide their sexuality/relationship, as well as pretend to be an image of sex and a womanizer. Then, the other boys ended up so anxious/self-conscious with themselves, especially Zayn, I think had the worst time of them all. The company is honestly just utterly disgusting and as much as I wish for One Direction to reunite, its only under the circumstance of a new ownership/management (preferably James Corden😏) that it’d be acceptable anyway. I don’t want them to ever deal with that bullsh*t, never again. Louis was clearly flamboyant and feminine as well, and loved every second of the gay bar gig, he felt more comfortable than ever before. I love him so much and I hope he knows that we see him, we hear him, and we support him no matter what💙

[@sinaalia8619]

selly I agree with you. I don`t want to imagine how Harry and Louis felt inside, having to pretend to be someone else, possibly with fear of making mistakes like laughing at a wrong moment in interviews or just smiling at each other. There are moments when Harry and Louis suddenly looked so sad and helpless and that`s really heartbreaking. I think at a certain point it was excruciating for all of the boys especially for Zayn. To get an eating disorder the soul has to endure a lot of suffering and pain and that`s why i think it was the best decision for Zayn to leave the band. The best for his physical and mental health. Their management has done too much damage to all of them, let`s hope only the best for the future of these 5 angels. - James Corden would also be my first choice :) and i`m still struggeling with the english language, sorry

[@FearlessCreature]

Yeah, I agree that it hit Zayn the hardest, and he really had to leave for his own health, but I think the reasons behind his suffering were a bit different from Louis. It wasn’t only about their images, but they were very restricted in many other ways. They spent a lot of time more or less locked up in hotel rooms (mostly for their own safety, of course), and their work pace was insane. Different people handle things like that differently. I think it was really hard for Zayn to have every aspect of his life controlled like that. It was difficult for all of them, but especially for Zayn, and its very understandable. When it comes to Louis, I think he was in many situations punished for acting up or fighting back against their team. Many people in the industry hated him and weren’t even trying to hide it (I’ll talk more about this in the next part). I think he was also used for controlling Harry. It seems to me that Louis’ situation was a lot more complicated than the rest of the boys'.

[@hafsamoiz7014]

I feel so bad for him literally crying in bed😔😭 but i am happy we our louis is coming back❤

[@firzyyy]

that cheerful, carefree, charming, hilarious side of him with that pretty face and smile of his i really miss 🥺🫶🏼

[@juliemcneill8087]

Thank you for the concise, well researched, anaylitical, and thoughtful representation of Louis' heavily media trained, abusive, (not the only one, but we are discussing him here), constricting, shameful, mental & emotionaly damaging, soul crushing, treatment whilst in the brand. No typo, I concur with you from the start they were a brand. Like COACOAC, this has been pervasive in the entertainment industry. There are literally thousands of examples readily at ones fingertips. If you look at 1D myoptically, there are so many examples of how Lou, & the other boys exemplified reactions from the individual abuses whether phyically, emotionally, or behaviorlly. What infuriates me, these were just kids. Simon, Syco, Modest!, the whole lot of them knew exactly what they were doing, it is evident in the prolific amount of "product", i.e.,tours, albums, endorsements, signings, appearences, et al. The ludicrous contracts, both the recording, promotional, and managerial. I thank you for writing such a credible, supporting, non-sensationalist, article that obviously comes from a place of care & concern, that is both informative and heartfelt. You present your arguement for his mistreatment, with factual support and evidence, making it hard for the reader to not come to the same conclusion as you, or I, or many of his fans and several people in the industry. I am so very proud of him! Having come through this with strength, such confidence, and a compulsion to effect change in an industry that tried to break him, and so many untold others.... I for one, cannot wait! Thank you again, and keep up the great work! All the love...

[@barbaraef9675]

Julie McNeil - couldn't have said it better

[@juliemcneill8087]

@@barbaraef9675 Thank you so much Barbara! I appreciate your compliment!😊

[@annabethchase4582]

This is the best comment I’ve seen in my entire life.

[@juliemcneill8087]

@@annabethchase4582 Awww! I am so not worthy of such praise🙄 thank you so very much for your kind words!🤗💚💙

[@eerika_lths]

this comment is exactly how I feel but I am not that great with words

[@sinaalia8619]

Your vid makes a lot of sense to me and many of my assumptions have been confirmed. I´m grateful for your video, although it`s based on a very sad fact with all the burden Louis has to carry. I`ll def watch your next vid and i appreciate your work, thank you very much. (sorry for my english, i have to translate a lot) Have a nice day/night :)

[@anniemack6855]

Silke Adler...beautifully stated and summed up. Heartbreaking- i'd also add 😍💔. Bless their hearts 💙💚💞💌. Travesty to have to compromise/squelch even a fraction of one's personality- Any Time. But ESPECIALLY when YOUNG! And even MORE draconian and a TRAVESTY in conjunction with the prospect of a FEW extra bucks!!!!! As though a greedy gazillion AREN'T ENOUGH!! G'head- management...SELL UR SOULS TO THE DEVIL👿 And if i may a coupla things. 1. I happen 2 be a straight female- who believes in FREEDOM!!!!!. 2. If a leaked vid of management admitting that he encouraged Zayn to drop out because a. He didn't have as much energy as the rest. b. He was dragging the band down-- well I was horrified and disgusted. And happy that the crows came home 2 roost; and a nice slice a KARMA was served up to ya with the soon subsequent disbanding of the rest of the boys. Long LIVE 1D 🕺🕺🕺🕺🕺🤩😘🤙👍👌👏✌😎💙💚❤💌!

[@sinaalia8619]

@@anniemack6855 Thanks 🙂

[@turtle7039]

I absolutely hate their management for stopping them being themselves. Not even about relationships specifically, but just for not letting them have their own personalities and freedom in what the do, say, wear etc

[@thepricklehorses]

I think with harry being a wildcard part, he appeared as the guy who loved the girls and was flirty and the fan girls loved him so much, and being gay would be a massive turnoff for the fans. So management tried to shut harry down. Whereas now harry still has those fangirls and waves those flags around so proudly. Louis is quite the opposite and does subtle things but they are not really there at Harry’s standards.

[@ellamarit88]

i miss louis, i mean real louis. he and the boys didn’t deserve any of this shit. it makes me so angry to even think about it

[@jellybeanqueen343]

"pat the dog, screw the lightbulb. Then you just go crazy" * proceeds to aggressively pat the dog and screw the lightbulb* this is why we love him lol 💙

[@tiggytiggsboo]

Just getting around to watching these but I just wanted to say thanks for making them. I adore Louis, Harry and all the boys. I really wish things were different for them and I hope things get better in the future.

[@mcg6236]

Very well-presented and compelling! Thank you for all your time and effort in exploring this difficult topic.

[@eerika_lths]

you analyze this with good perspective and with proofs of the facts which makes this so great video. I wish one day I could be this good with words. You have a real talent

[@FearlessCreature]

That's such a lovely comment, thank you!

[@sandiewarren1292]

I'm newer to the whole Larry thing and I have to say that this was quite eye opening. It's so sad that in this day and age, management can still tell singers/actors how to act or feel. They are in the industry to entertain NOT to make money for the UPSTAIRS people. Louis and Harry, be yourselves and don't be bullied by the Big Shots! Love & find happiness with who your heart 💚💙leads you to. Not what your told to. 💙💚🏳️‍🌈💚💙🏳️‍🌈💙💚🏳️‍🌈

[@MegaPennyx]

I' m so glad that I recently watched this video and read all the comments, as it has explained a lot for me. Fearless Creature, your replies to some of the comments are excellent. Thank you for being prepared to provide us with such useful detail. Like many others, I am hoping that the time is approaching where both of them can be openly together.

[@samvxlentinee]

Also flamboyant actually means tending to attract attention because of their exuberant, confidence, and stylishness

[@kaylespompey]

Lovely video, thank you for posting and also the work you put into making it :)

[@bluegreenoceansunnn8366]

YOUR WRITING AND ANALYSIS AND VIDS ARE SO AMAZING THOUGHT AND FEELING PROVOKING THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS

[@shannonfox3351]

I've just looked at all these posts you've done on Louis and I found them really well done and respectfully. I'm a. Strong supporter of Louis and naturally of Harry as well as he is the love of Louis life. I will always be an avid fan of One Direction and I wish them there best. With people like you on their side I feel they will feel safe and supported in their future. So thank you for your hard work and keeping things honest for them. 🌹💙💚

[@evaserral369]

Just yeah, Shannon! Jo també penso que el treball de compilació de vídeos, i les corresponents explicacions del que estaven vivint els nois, i el perquè dels seus comportaments i les seves reaccions, són coses que haurien de saber tot el fandom (Louies i Larries sobretot). Qui té tota la informació (disponible) analitzada i raonada, i coneix què va passar, els estimarà més que sí només veuen que són guapos (que ho són), que tenen veus precioses i que són grans compositors. No sé si ho he dit aquí abans, però conec les cançons de 1D i d'ells en solitari des d'aquest any. Més tots els vídeos, concerts, entrevistes, timelines, etc que he vist, més l'empatia que han despertat en mi, més la meva visió de mare d'un noi un any més petit que Harry, més el que vist (i m'ha enfadat) de la indústria musical durant uns quants anys, tot això ha fet que m'encantin vídeos com els teus, @fearless_creature. Sé que ets una persona molt madura, i si no t'havia dit, t'estimo i et dono les gràcies pel que estàs fent. Naturalment, estimo els cinc nanos, però sí, la meva debilitat són Louis, perquè sé que ha patit molt sense mereix-ho, i Harry. Freedom and love. Love Is Love ♒💜 ❤️ 💙💚

[@shannonfox3351]

@@evaserral369 Im so sorry I only know English but the fact that you wrote yes to me makes me think this is all lovely words of encouragement for the boys🥰🥰🥰💙💚💙💚

[@evaserral369]

@@shannonfox3351 oh! so sorry Shannon and Fearless_creature! I wrote in Catalan because in other places, google translates it automatically, but now I see that it doesn't here. I'm sorry. Yes, of course: all I said, in summary, is that all these facts, perfectly explained and reasoned, should be known by the whole fandom, but louies and larries in particular. They would love them even more (besides knowing that they have beautiful voices or recognizing that they are great songwriters). Also that I've gotten to know their music this year, and I've read, listened and watched everything I could from them, in 1D and solo careers, and above all, that my weakness is Louis, and so is Harry. But more Louis 😉 I love their music, and I love them (I'm a mother, so I love them as I would most children, recognizing that they are adults now but they were very young back then). I also really appreciate what fearless_creature is doing, because he does an excellent job with these videos. I send you my love (I'll try to translate all the original text tomorrow, and I apologize again, because I didn't know there was no translator here)

[@shannonfox3351]

Thanks for reminding how good these post are I just spent the evening watching them again. 🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌💙💚💙💚

[@shannonfox3351]

@@evaserral369 thank you so much for your reply. You think very much like I do. I had a son that I lost through a car crash he was 26 he shares a birthday with Louis and he very much has Louis fighting spirit and fierce and gentle love. He was a musician like Louis and me. I watch Louis grow and it's like I can imagine my Pete growing I'm 73 now and I have a very heartfelt love for Louis because I feel I recognise things in him that I saw in Pete. I love the whole Larry thing because it's so fierce and soft. I am also a song writer so I am in awe of their songs it's like they are standing on two different mountains calling out and answering each other it's just magical. Well that's me a geriatric Larrie and loving it🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰💙💚

[@oneadditionisthebestband6267]

Yay! I’ve been waiting for a new video, yours are my favorite

[@christyk9271]

I've once seen a behind the scenes video of Louis from some interview I think, where he was sitting cross legged on the couch in a little bit of a flamboyant way but as soon as he sees the camera, he instantly splits his leg and sits like he usually does on camera

[@FearlessCreature]

Is it from the X Factor 2018? I've heard of it (I think it was from that), but I haven't seen it. If anyone has it or knows where to find it, please send it to me!

[@christyk9271]

@@FearlessCreature I'm not sure if I remember it well but what I remember is that it's after 1D hiatus, during his solo career

[@inmarcesible_sonrisa]

@@christyk9271 What? Aren't they all free? Why is he still self-conscious? 💔💔

[@christyk9271]

@@inmarcesible_sonrisa they may all be on their own doing solo music, but there are a lot of things we don't know. Artists may be bound to certain contracts even after they left the label and Harry is still under a management which may not allow them to be open about it. Also coming out is not easy and they have a lot to worry about like how people are gonna treat them. It is true that us fans are gonna support them no matter what but there still are people who are going to be negative about it. Harry has a huge fandom, therefore he may have toxic fans who are in it for his good looks. So they may not be as accepting when they actually need the support. Coming out in general is a scary thing and when there is the whole world watching you it gets harder. Louis was told to hide his flamboyant nature for years so it must be difficult. As fans we should be trying to be understanding and supporting them no matter what

[@carolefletcher]

Thank you for the clarification on Derek - this character's well-known to us Brits but not so much elsewhere.

[@Livinrem]

That’s so sad! I hope Louis gets his confidence back

[@samlong8220]

I completely agree with your interpretation great job. Thanks for including the Derek thing also it’s rare to see that included in videos of this type and lots of people don’t get the reference :)

[@chokokrispies]

I loved it!!!! I like so much the way you explain everything and also the clips that you add to understand it better. I'm new in the Fandom, specially in Louis' one and this helped me a lot. THANK YOU 💙💙💙 Btw. I'm crying 😭

[@ItIsWhatItIs28]

I'm happy you made this video so that more people will understand what Louis had to go through. People should watch the 1 Day with 1D interview by this reporter in Canada (I think it was in 2012). In there she tries to explain to the boys what the fascination with Larry Stylinson is and that some girls actually kind of like seeing guys be affectionate with each other. You can see that L & H seem genuinely surprised at this, and I think it's because it had been constantly drilled into their heads that their actions towards each other were going to severely damage the band.

[@yeti6601]

link pls

[@yeti6601]

'when they said a love like this would never last'

[@ItIsWhatItIs28]

@@yeti6601 Here you go kzbin.info/www/bejne/e4HPZqx4rc1-qrs

[@yeti6601]

@@ItIsWhatItIs28 tyy

[@FearlessCreature]

It’s true that they seem genuinely surprised. They also seem confused and not quite sure how to answer, and I think there may be multiple reasons for that (one being the obvious: not to say something they are not supposed to). They were aware of the Larry fandom at that point already, but they probably thought it’s a marginal phenomenon. At the same time, the whole Larry fandom thing (and also the whole straight fandom, really) must have felt strange to them in the beginning. The interviewer specifically said that girls like to see guys they are attracted to making out with each other, and the way she says it makes it quite clear that she assumes the boys to be straight. At least I hope she wouldn’t talk to queer guys like that, if she knew they were queer. If you think of it the other way round: if a lesbian couple is told that straight men like to look at them together, I think many lesbians/wlw would feel weird and uncomfortable about it. While it’s not exactly the same for gay men (because of the long history of misogyny, sexism, objectification of women, the male gaze, and so on), it can still feel weird and uncomfortable. At the beginning, I don’t know how much H & L could see the support from the fandom, or if they could mainly just see the “fetishisation” side of it (I wouldn’t really like to use that word, but I can’t figure out a better one). Personally, I don’t think that that’s majorly what the Larry fandom is or was about, but if I think of myself in their place, it might have felt like that. Also, I don’t find fanfiction inherently problematic, not even the most explicit ones (I find certain aspects of some of them problematic, but that’s another issue), as long as they stay in platforms such as AO3 and Wattpad, where you can’t run into them without searching for them. Nevertheless, H & L must have felt weird about reading those. I know there are multiple other reasons for women to write gay fanfiction other than fetishisation, but I’m trying to look at it from the point of view of its subjects at that time (in 2012). Also, I know Larry fanfics are not all written by women, but because what they discussed in that interview was why girls like to look at men being affectionate with each other (and to write fanfiction about it), I only talked about that side here. So, I think they were partly surprised because of being told by their management that their fanbase wouldn’t want them to be together, but partly just genuinely confused and uncomfortable about the whole thing. If I was in their place, I would probably just want to get out of the topic as fast as possible. Even watching the interview makes me a bit uncomfortable.

[@Snaperific28]

I appreciate your channel more and more every day. We share a lot of the same mindset.

[@kellyova9253]

I truly hope that he is his flamboyant fabulous perfect self to this day and that all that mess did not dim the beautiful light he has within ❤️

[@Anonymous-wi6ig]

Funny how now Harry is even more flamboyant than him 😭☠️

[@thepricklehorses]

I love how you explain this and I agree with all that you said, I just wish Louis was himself again because personally I like Fetus Louis the best, I fangirl over flamboyant louis. So management got that wrong clearly

[@gunjariedasgupta4515]

Harry and Louis were such stereotypical gays in the early days I miss it.

[@jellybeanqueen343]

I absolutely love that moment from 7:22 he looks so happy and it shows

[@shiromalicooray5048]

I really love this video. As a conclusion : Larry is sooo real and I want Louis to be a fearless creature like you.

[@m_k8298]

Another well done and very informative video...I"ll be waiting for the next one...thank you.

[@katles9773]

In interviews when he says to a fan who asked him to sign a cut out of his 19 year old face “he was a much sweeter lad” I died because this is what is the result of shitty shitty treatment of people in the music industry and I’m so sad he regards his pre-intense closeting times as the years when he was sweeter and everything ugh sorry this is long but your videos make such a good point and it’s just brutal

[@Lilly_watermelonsugar]

The "Harry's getting head" one had a different camera angle directly facing Louis, and then he looks straight into the cam after saying it, with a very smug look, even smugger than what he did in this clip. But i've only seen that angle once, they always show this one

[@gnappedusforever]

It's important to mention also that on parallel the management work on Harry's image as womanizer and sex symbol, for all the 5 years. Starting from "I like girls" statement and Caroline Flack thing. A 16yold have a natural sex confusion, quite obvious at that age, they tried to manipulate him too, but harry became the Golden Chick so they left him a little bit of space rigjt to became the frontman of the band, while Louis was obviously threatend to be out of the band.

[@jamillikan]

Whether either man is gay or not is of no moment whatsoever. Let the men be. Nobody cares. It doesn't affect their music. It's a non-issue really. Love is love for those lurking in our studio audience.

[@அப்துல்ஜப்பார்மும்தாஜ்]

I love it, I hate it and i can't wait for part 2 of this

[@miafaithalagu]

love this!!

[@helenaneprasova653]

Thank you so much for this.

[@nataly3201]

Ok I did NOT need to be crying that early in the morning.

[@barbaraef9675]

An amazing video as always But it just makes me so sad

[@nicoledavis2018]

Ya know, it genuinely pisses me off that they had to change.. They were forced to pretend to be something they're not.. and when you really think about it, Maybe Louis is bi or something, Because he did have a child with a woman But the fact that he was forced to pretend for years about being straight and not being with Harry in 1D is horrible and he definitely acts different know, acts a lot less happy, less confident, but I'm sure he's happy about Freddie, his kid, but it's obvious that he misses the life he had before going solo. He used the old method of backwards-rock-songs to put Harry's name into 'Kill My Mind' and there's several more songs that are very obviously about Harry or have mentions of Harry and his relationship in them. I just wish they could clear it all up by just talking about it, because I seriously cannot see 1D getting back together if there's gonna be tension between them. They're gonna have to work something out.. bc we all know that if the band does get back together, The 'Larry' signs are gonna come back and it's gonna be quite awkward for them if they still haven't fixed whatever needs to be fixed or, at the least, talked about it. One, or both, may even get slightly mad bc the Larry signs or upset and say something or they're mood will change the concert or something like that. It just needs to be worked out.. honestly.

[@K.w.17463]

Thank you for this video, I agree with almost everything, except for the financial gain of Harry. Harry was always supposed to be the front man for the group, him and Liam, from when they were formed by Nicole. For the change of Louis, his big change in personality, I believe, was due to the fact they got into the American market. There is a video called, “One Direction, the inside story” (idk how to post the link) that goes into detail about the band. In this video, Louis and Zayn’s name only comes up once each, and not in a creative way at all. The blond female producer, actually covers a lot of details about how they had to clean up the image of the boys. It is really insightful about there marketing techniques. Even though Louis and Liam were the primary writers when they started, this talks about how it was Harry. It also talks about how Niall became one of their target band members, due to him being so big in America.

[@FearlessCreature]

Thank you. Harry was branded as “the flirt” already on the X Factor, and his image was heavily built on sex appeal, so I’m not sure what exactly you disagree on. That they didn’t do it for financial gain? I’m pretty sure they did everything for financial gain. However, I agree that when they tried to break in the American market, they wanted to tone down the sexual banter between the boys and to go for a more strictly heterosexual image. I suppose you’re a new fan because the documentary you talked about got a lot of things wrong, including some basic facts that are easy to check and that most fans would know anyway. It was released in 2014, when Midnight Memories was 1D’s newest album. They say, for example, that Harry, Niall, and Liam contributed the most to the songwriting. Now, this is objectively incorrect and easy to check just by going through the songwriting credits on the album. Louis has written on 9 out of 14 tracks on the album, Liam on 8, Harry 4, Niall 2, and Zayn 1. They also say that Little Things (which they called “Littlest Things” in the documentary) is from that album, although it is in fact from Take Me Home. They also say that Niall (whom the narrator calls “Niall Haron”…) was “by far” the most popular member in the US, but they don’t really back this up in any way, apart from the interviewees’ personal opinions. I think there was a time when Niall got a lot of fan support in general because fans felt that he was underrated, but I don’t think he ever really was a “target band member”. All the interviewees in that documentary are showbiz/celebrity gossip reporters, and one of them, Dan Wootton, I have mentioned multiple times in this video series, especially the fifth part, because of how many nasty articles he has written about Louis and 1D. So, if they can’t even get some basic facts right, such as songwriting credits, song titles, which album a song is from, or Niall’s last name, and if you do a little background check on the interviewees, that should tell you how reliable that documentary is.

[@m.k.9572]

This video is so well done (like always) it's so detailed, like you did a really good job! ❤️ It makes me so sad to see Louis' transition from being happy and "out" to being closeted, abused, and miserable... 1DHQ literally took his happiness (not to mention the other boys) and it is fcking disgusting. You can see that he's scared by this to this day and I hope karma got those bitches who were responsible for this...

[@evaserral369]

El karma no és 'instantani', i molts no veiem els seus efectes (de fet, no ens cal) però també crec que els arribarà. Hi ha molts refranys que ho afirmen, a totes les cultures; l'important és que si dónes amor, et torna amor.

[@stdward]

In first İstanbul concert of Louis, you should have seen his face when people bring out their lgbt flags! his face literally lightened up he was so happy and so jumpy. And the second Istanbul concert the crowd were full of Larries and he was the happiest I have ever seen him. I think his personality changed due to abusive things happened at band and as he got older he no longer expresses himself as he used to do but i think he is healed a little bit and much more happy now because he doesn't need to explain himself or his experiences... we know all that. And it helps him. He feels so comfortable with us because he doesnt need to tell us anything, we understand each other real quick.

[@conlon4332]

6:24 I love Harry's reaction. "Paha!! He said something rude!

[@ariella2828]

what is louis say

[@conlon4332]

@@ariella2828 "Harry's getting head."

[@unirarhissa7697]

@@ariella2828 @tpwk Interviewer: So who gets the head? N: I want the head Liam: (?????) L: Harry's getting head H: Pfthahaha

[@susanborgman2710]

You could understand it completely especially at exfactor auditions, when Harry walked on stage the girls went nuts before he said a word, Simon turned around to look at the girl's going crazy over him and his eyes where spinning dollar signs.from then on, Harry was the youngest but got shoved to the forefront...camera guys where always on him more than the others, even though LIAM singing wise at the time was the one with the most talente. Don't come at me please all the guy's grew big time all are huge talents now, Im just saying they really focused on Harry. All by design

[@yeti6601]

3:09 (comically genius)

[@samvxlentinee]

I don’t think that Louis was acting “stereotypical gay” I just believe that they management knew he was gay but want he to stop acting how he was himself. The reason I think he isn’t acting the stereotype of being gay is because gay was and is still seemed as a man being feminine and that wasn’t Louis was just more open to things like he like being free and in early years he was free but as soon as they started making music he had to change all of them really except for Niall not that much but Niall was except to just sing and play guitar even thought all of them were amazing. But what I’m trying to say is that they want Louis to be more grown up like act you age so he did so even that’s not what he wanted

[@sophiem.39]

This is so sad. He seems like a whole other person.

[@phoebe_buffeeyy]

4:56 he doesn't look drunk for me, he's just carefree, and happy

[@yeti6601]

7:34 (tryna walk)

[@gwensunflower9476]

Guys, I see so many comments telling that’s it’s not our business and “let the man be”. No, that’s not the right attitude here. Screaming gay to his face and forcing him to come out, and spreading awareness about the situation are two different things. These are not beliefs, these are facts. 1D’s management was horrible and all of the boys were harmed because of it, but Louis especially. He was forced to do so many things he didn’t want or have to do. Simon and his team ruined his potential future and buried him in lies that he can’t get out of now because it’s gonna ruin his reputation forever. It’s very important for people to understand and always remember how bad Simon Cowell and his team is, and we should support the boys’ careers now. This video series is very informative, I’m glad it spreads awareness by how horribly poor teenager Louis was treated 😢

[@jenniferwarren6104]

Poor Lou. We love him for who he is. He should have been allowed to be himself all those years.

[@Terra-cw9zs]

I love Louis he is so funny but so sweet and kind ❤❤😊

[@danni8360]

I would like to that FEARLESS CREATURE for nor being Jerusalem about explain things to me. Swear to God I appreciate. Like I said I just started following 1D and their solo careers. This is why I have so many question and I appreciate you talking the time to answer. I thank you also for your patience when answering things I'm not sure of.

[@lesalmiller9515]

Come on out boys… we’re all waiting for you 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@EmilyJBunny]

Hm. You’ve got some really good points here 🤔👍

[@amberrodriguez9063]

Imagine how it would have played out if the fanbase wouldn't have psycho analyzed the hell out of every "gay" behavior and just let them work out their sexuality on their own like normal teenagers

[@tracysanders8113]

It's an amazing love story still strong in 2022. Bi gay so many labels why can't it just be love.

[@P_Elli09]

Why haven’t I ever heard of that lyric change in One Thing?😥

[@username_773]

tahvk you loved the vid ❤❤❤

[@littlebean1556]

He didn’t just tweet it voluntarily he gave interviews in Argentina expressing his anger and frustration about “gay rumors” and blamed the fans. In his own words and no one forced him. He could have given a passive response like thank you it is a compliment without having to go mad on interview. Also Harry needs to just quit baiting both Larry and Zarry fans to get traction because it’s clear H/L have receipts of history and he’s openly created situations to make it look like there is something going on between him and Zayn - videos, pics, songs (going as far as using identical titles as Zayn’s prev released song titles like Golden and She - not the whole list), he just needs to get on with it. Louis has made choices, not forced because there are mega artists who risked their entire career and came out and they are living their best life. Louis can’t get a free pass blaming someone else for his own decisions. He chose what he is living now

[@ns1208]

Well I don't know Harry's fem side is his true side..His sexual fluidity image was born after jeff came in the picture.That's why Louis had to stepped down.If there was nothing between H& L I think Harry shoud've said it clearly.cz if larry wasn't true,his silence hurt louis much more..

[@FearlessCreature]

Are you seriously suggesting that Harry’s femininity is something Jeff forced on him and not something that is an important part of who he is? Oh my goodness. That’s so offensive to Harry. It has been a part of Harry since the X Factor. If you haven't noticed, maybe you're just willingly ignoring it. It's not something Jeff created.

[@ns1208]

@@FearlessCreature Like I said.I don't know.I don't get Harry so I stopped following him.Regardless what I feel abt him it's very clear Louis loves & cares for him.So I don't wanna offend Harry.But sometimes I feel if it was someone else other than harry louis would have been more open.I know it was mostly management but I don't think Harry had the strength to take stand for louis anyway.

[@FearlessCreature]

​@@ns1208 They are closeted, that's why they can't be open. I don't know from where some of you got the idea that Louis' closeting is Harry's fault. It was pretty clear in the beginning that they both wanted to be out and open about their relationship, but for a long time they both were just pieces of a product that 1D was. I don't know why you think that Harry had the power to change things but Louis didn't. I don't think either of them had that power. At the moment, I'm not sure if either one of them is in a place in their careers where they would be ready to come out, but both of them are so stuck in stunts that they can't come out at the moment, anyway. Neither one of them can. But invalidating somebody's gender identity/expression and sexuality like that is really such an awful and offensive thing to say.

[@ns1208]

@@FearlessCreature I didn't say it was Harry's fault.But it is very clear if it wasn't harry,louis wouldn't have to face such hostile situations to this extent.They not only sabotaged louis' image but also his career.Even to this date solo harries try to demean louis just bcz he is associated with harry.Harry never really did stand up for louis.About his feminine side what puzzles me why harry doesn't dress up like that normally.Harry is too complicated to figure out.When he used to be with louis it seemed like louis was his world.But then it seemed like he doesn't even know louis.I have my doubts abt harry.Ig time will tell. but i can say he liked louis.May be more than he intented to.

[@FearlessCreature]

@@ns1208 People can have feminine AND masculine gender expression. People can want to dress more feminine in some situations and more masculine in others. People can want to dress more casually in some situations (for example, a lot of women wear more or less gender-neutral casual cloths even if they identify as feminine, you know). Maybe Harry is not too complicated to figure out, maybe it’s just too complicated for you to figure him out. I do agree that Louis’ career has been sabotaged, but I think the situation is complex, and not Harry’s fault. Some solo harries (or quite many of them, to be honest) are just dumb, so there is no point in listening what they say. They hate Larry mostly because they have their het fantasies. But don’t Harry and Louis both act like they don’t know each other, not just Harry? Of course, Harry has a lot bigger career and in that way he could have more power, but I don’t think it’s that simple. I believe Louis and Harry are still together, and I believe they make decisions together as a couple. I don’t think the situation is easy for either one of them.

[@phoebe_buffeeyy]

he was completely different in 2010 and 2011

[@yeti6601]

9:25 (you got that big)

[@cora2854]

I have only one question.. at this moment they are free and independent, so why is he still hiding?

[@FearlessCreature]

They are not entirely free. Their old contracts still bind them, and it's complicated. If you want a proper answer, watch this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e4mmmH-NfN6dm5o

[@cora2854]

@@FearlessCreature I think in spite of this situation, Harry is really ready of coming out, but Louis can’t dare this.. his mind is still in control and i hope one day he will become free and independent 🥀

[@m_aguilar8317]

first? thanksss for postinggg!!

[@headlxne_]

side note for 4:25 he had like 4 younger sisters as well like im pretty sure hed know what they r

[@yeti6601]

6:51 (german larry interview)

[@strawbeare]

This is so well done. Also, I believe another reason why Harry might have thought Zayn was going to out Louis is because of how Louis touches Liam after Liam’s comment towards Louis. Also, why do you think Harry was a wild card? I’d think otherwise

[@s.w.1326]

I just can't hear what joke he made at around 6:30 ☹️ can someone tell me plsss

[@hann.oat17]

I miss this Lou

[@anshitagadkari4474]

Off topic but only spaces music is effing fire

[@OneBigVoice_com_au]

i don't think either of them were gay

[@davidannaking7829]

Lou is fine. He’s happy and loving his husband.

[@FearlessCreature]

So, are you saying that the past abuse was also fine and should just be ignored, or what? He may be fine now (although I think certain things clearly indicate that his past still affects him), but it took him years to get to this point. And being happy in his relationship doesn't have much to do with it. Love alone won't save anyone, and even though being in a supportive, healthy relationship helps, everyone has their own baggage to deal with.

[@irisheyes1607]

Gay or straight he’s a wee hunny.

[@Smiley-ew1dh]

No matter what your beliefs, writing girlfriends in quotations, calling them uninteresting then stating ‘but I guess her existence is worth mentioning’ is disturbingly disrespectful. Even if any of this bs was true, you could have left all of that out.

[@stephanielucia821]

Aww

[@marziamarini8904]

Have you ever taken into consideration the idea that maybe Louis stopped doing certain things or talking in a certain way because people were calling him out to be gay or "stereotypically gay"? Larry or not larry, I genuinely believe that Louis' change is, at least in part, because he was perceived as a gay guy, and everything that he did or said was proof of his homosexuality. I think he was tired of people constantly talking about his sexuality, so he tried to be more "heterosexual". Calling a person gay, just because of his attitude or some dick jokes can be very harmful and... okay, imagine that you are an 18-19 years old guy. You are flamboyant, very extroverted, funny, and sweet. You like entertaining people by inventing stupid games, dressing up, making jokes, etc. And due to your personality and behaviour, people in your school start to call you gay. How would it affect you? How would your friends react? Would they still want to go out with the "gay" kid? Would they start making fun of you? What about all the people asking you every day if it is true or not? would that bother you? and if you are gay but not ready to come out, should you try to stop the rumours or let me outing you? or if you are straight, should you let people think you are something that you are not or try to change and "be" more "heterosexual"? or would you start questioning your sexuality by asking yourself questions like "hey if everyone sees me as gay, maybe it's in part true?" or "I am straight, but everyone thinks that I am gay, maybe I am doing something wrong?" Regardless of your sexual identity, being called gay or straight or pansexual just because of how we act significantly impacts how we perceive ourselves. As a lesbian, I have suffered throughout my coming out because people said (and still say) that "I don't look stereotypically lesbian". Daniel Howell made a fantastic video about the huge power of the word gay and the impact that the world has, especially on a young guy. This is the link if you are interested: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqPafp2XlLuig5I (I want to clarify that I am a Larry shipper. However, I hate that no one talks about how all the gay rumours (gay, not larry) may have impacted him.)

[@FearlessCreature]

I’ve made a whole video about Dan Howell’s coming out video and what I think larries should learn from it. You can watch it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eqiWaZSKmcaii6c In Louis’ case, I don’t think you can really separate the gay rumours from the Larry rumours. The Larry rumours started so early on that it’s hard to say how much speculation there would have been about his sexuality if there hadn’t been rumours about his relationship with Harry. If the rumours had been mainly based on stereotypes, and not on everything people saw between H & L, it would have been a lot easier to shut the rumours down, for example, by having a girlfriend, but because of Larry, the speculation continued regardless. Larry was the main reason why people tried to find proof of Louis’ sexuality. 18-19-year-old young adults are not exactly school kids, and extroverted, funny, and sweet are not characteristics that are specifically seen as stereotypically gay, so I don’t quite understand your analogy. The way one acts with their peers, with whom they spend several hours each day at school, is not really comparable with the way one acts in front of TV cameras, in interviews, or on stage in front of thousands of people. Louis was 18-21 at the time, and a person at that age is old enough to understand causality. If you repeatedly make gay sex jokes deliberately in front of cameras and a huge audience, you can’t be very surprised if people start to speculate about your sexuality. Being perceived as flamboyant and describing oneself as flamboyant are also two separate things. I’d say that most, if not all, straight men who would publicly describe themselves as flamboyant are very comfortable and confident with their sexuality, and not afraid of being perceived as gay, since most people understand the connotations of that word. When it comes to Louis, the gay rumours were never just about the way he acted, but majorly about the things he said and did deliberately in public, and about his relationship with Harry. I don’t think it’s ok to make assumptions of a person’s sexuality based on stereotypes, and I’ve said that multiple times on this channel. However, that doesn’t mean that we can’t recognise that those stereotypes exist, or that a person can’t be aware of how other people perceive them. I think it’s highly unlikely that Louis would have only found out at the age of 20-21 that some people perceive some of his mannerism etc. as stereotypically gay, which is why I think that being openly flamboyant and describing himself as such, openly flirting and being very affectionate with another boy, and making gay sex jokes multiple times very publicly are things he wouldn’t do if he wasn’t comfortable with the likely assumptions people would make based on it. And during that time, he seemed happy and confident, and it seemed that he lost his confidence with his flamboyance. I don’t know why you think it’s bad for a straight person to question their sexuality. Introspection is usually good for people. Being heterosexual is very easy in our society, so if someone is straight, they can be straight. They can experiment to find out what they like. There’s nothing wrong with figuring yourself out even if you're straight. It seems that you come from a homophobic environment and have a lot of internalised homophobia, and I’m sorry about that. Dan also talked about internalised homophobia and about growing up in an environment where “gay” was used as an insult, which is why he had negative associations with that word and that’s why it was hard for him to identify with it. However, gay is not a slur. It’s not a bad word and being associated with it isn’t inherently bad. I don’t share your experience that being called straight or gay would significantly impact how we perceive ourselves. I’ve been assumed to be straight, gay, and bi/pansexual, and although I’ve struggled quite a lot with my identity, other people’s assumptions of me haven’t really affected it. I’ve never felt offended or bothered when people have asked me about it because I have always felt that those people have had good intentions, even when I haven’t been ready to give them an answer. I’ve always felt uncomfortable about having to come out, and it has always been a relief to me if people can recognise my queerness without me having to make a statement about it. Your experience is completely valid, but it isn’t universal to all LGBTQ people.

[@marziamarini8904]

@@FearlessCreature I've just watched your video about the comparison between Dan and Philip, and I agree with 95% of the things you said (At one point, it was like listing to my mind). However, I didn't mention Dan's video to reference toxic fans' behaviour. And, if you felt like I was calling you a toxic fan or anything like that, I am sorry. I swear it wasn't my intention. I did it because I like how Dan perfectly described the heteronormativity, the homophobia and the toxic masculinity people born in the early 90s grew up in. Do I believe that being associated with being gay is wrong? No. Do I believe Louis thinks that? No. But we grew up in a society where kids used the word gay as an insult. And, as Dan said, before knowing the meaning of the world, we were taught it meant something bad. Obviously, it wasn't the same in every part of the world. I got it much better than Dan, and maybe the situation in South Yorkshire was even better than mine (my English relatives say no, but I've never been there, so I can't make an assumption), but that was the situation. Things, fortunately, got much better, but we are still far from an equal society. So, for this reason, I can easily imagine people back at the begging of the 2010s ridiculing and scolding Louis because many Directioners thought he was gay and wrote gay ff about him. Now, obviously, in this scenario, the people in the wrong are the ones making fun of someone because he is perceived as gay, but we can all recognise that the person being ridiculed is not having the best time of their life. You said that Louis must have been aware of how acting in a certain way would have delivered a sexual ambiguous image, and I agree with you. He knew that acting and saying certain things would have caused people to question his sexual identity and possibly attack him for that, but he did it anyway... at the beginning. And this is my point. I believe Louis was conscious and okay with the entire situation at the beginning. But, at one point, it became too big. With the growing number of larry fans and speculation about his sexuality, the number of people calling him gay with a negative connotation also grew. Add to the mix the toxic fans you talked about and the media that only talked about him as the untalented or the gay one, and you will understand why he felt he had to shift the attention to something else. To clarify, I am saying that he felt he needed to change not because he was perceived as gay but because that's the ONLY thing people (by people obv I don't mean Louis fan, or Larry/Directioners that are also Louis fan) were saying/care about him. So, in order to try to be seen as something more than his sexuality, he had to comply with the heterosexual normative. Moreover, working and living in a society poisoned by toxic masculinity and homophobia, you know that being labelled and ONLY remembered for being "the gay member of the band" can reduce your job opportunities. Add the fuc*** management, label (and the entertainment industry) he had which encouraged/strongly push forward/forced (choose the one you find more fitting) and built the new image, and that's it. Obviously, this is just my unsubstantiated interpretation. ((The way my belief that it is wrong to label a person's sexuality based on their fashion choices or to perpetuate any other lgbtq+ stereotypes is an indication of my internalised homophobia is something you have to explain to me.))

[@FearlessCreature]

@@marziamarini8904 I understand your point and agree that we shouldn’t label people based on stereotypes. However, I don’t think that was what happened with Louis. I think you put way too much emphasis on how people outside of the Larry fandom (and a lot of larries are predominantly Louis’ fans) and Directioners perceived Louis’ sexuality, and I really don’t think that many people outside the fandom even cared about who Louis was, let alone his sexuality. The thing is, like I said in my previous comment, that his sexuality wasn’t labelled primarily based on his mannerism (or on his fashion choices, which weren’t even mentioned before you brought it up now), because the Larry rumours were there from the start. If it wasn’t for Larry, the gay rumours would probably have been much easier to shut down, or at least we don’t know how it would have been, because there never was a situation where there would have been gay rumours of him without them involving Harry. So, even though your speculation could potentially be true, it’s based on circular reasoning and on assumptions that were never true. You claim that his sexuality was the only thing about him people cared for, but that was never the case. And the media never talked about him as the gay one. That was never a thing. So, your interpretation is mostly a guess because the things you base it on are not facts. It was mainly his fans and larries (who were also his fans) who cared about his sexuality, and to other people he was mostly invisible - even more so after he lost his confidence and basically faded in the background. I’m slightly older than Louis and Dan, so I grew up at the same time as them, in a society where kids used the word gay as an insult, and in which LGBTQ people lacked many basic rights, but I grew up in a supportive family, and I was always taught that being gay is normal and valid, whereas Dan grew up in a family where gay was used as an insult, and the trauma he went through was quite extreme. Dan’s story is very important, and I hope as many people as possible watch his video, and I really admire Dan as a person and a content creator. However, luckily, many queer kids of our generation, at least in the West, had a better experience growing up than Dan did. That doesn’t mean that I haven’t faced homophobia, or that I haven’t struggled with my identity; I sure have, but it hasn’t majorly affected how I feel about the word gay, for example, or how I feel about being perceived as queer, apart from some specific situations. From what we know, Louis’ family was very supportive of Larry right from the beginning, so I would assume that his family was supportive of him already before that. Two people can grow up in the same country, or even the same town and be the same age and still have very different experiences. Your family and the friends you end up having, and all that, affect your experience. For example, Phil is a couple of years older than Dan, and based on what he has told, even though he hasn’t talked about his experiences in such depth as Dan has, he didn’t have such negative experiences as Dan did (and Phil’s experiences seem in many ways similar to mine), and he didn’t seem to struggle with the speculation the same way Dan did. Based on what we have seen, I don’t think that Louis had that kind of trauma that Dan had, although we obviously can’t know it for sure. But based on what we know, it seems more likely that his trauma is mainly caused by the homophobic music industry, rather than a homophobic background, peer pressure, or the public speculation. If Louis was confident in his identity and supported in his private life, as he seemed to be, I think it’s more likely that his experiences were more similar to those of Colton Haynes, who would have been ready to be out more or less from the start of his career if it wasn’t for his management that told him that he can’t come out, rather than to those of Dan. The closeting from the industry can easily lead to self-censorship even when it’s not necessary, and Colton has talked about how he had to “fix” his mannerisms, lower his voice, and things like that, to appear straight. It caused him severe mental health problems to the point that he couldn’t work anymore, but it wasn’t because of him not being comfortable with his sexuality or with being perceived as gay, but because of how he was treated in the entertainment industry. Of course, these are multifaceted issues, and the closeting from the industry also leads to the fear of being outed. However, based on the things we know, it seems that the cause and effect in your interpretation are probably incorrect. If the word gay has a powerful negative impact on you, and if assumptions of your sexuality significantly impact your perception of yourself, those are signs of internalised homophobia. Most of us (members of marginalised groups) suffer from some level of internalised oppression and it affects how we perceive ourselves, among other things (I may not have much internalised homophobia, but I sure have struggled with internalised transphobia).

[@Anonymous-wi6ig]

@@FearlessCreature Good to mention that for a DECADE people speculated about Dan and Phil in much the same way as they speculate about Larry. I was in that fandom. And Dan denied it so many times and even got angry at fans. So it isn't hard to believe that Larry could be real too. I truly never thought Dan and Phil would ever actually come out simply because they had denied it for SO LONG and shippers would always say "oh they're just afraid to come out" while antis would say "but it's 20xx, there's no reason for them to be afraid to come out in this day and age, therefore it's not real" and eventually even I started to agree. I'm still shocked they ever came out, so I still hold out hope for Larry despite most former Larries now being anti.

[@fasolanta]

Hi. Could someone please explain to me the whole thing with the head during awards ceremony? I've seen once vogue explanation but still don't get it :(

[@FearlessCreature]

If you don't know what getting head means, Google helps :)

[@fasolanta]

@@FearlessCreature I've tried and found nothing. That's why I've asked here. You don't have problem to make video about it but can't explain.

[@FearlessCreature]

​@@fasolanta I tried to explain it, but youtube didn't allow me to post the comment, which I kind of expected, so what should I say? Try Urban dictionary? I don't mind talking about things like that, but youtube does, so...

[@fasolanta]

@@FearlessCreature thank you for that explanation. I didn't know that about YT. Because English isn't my first language I don't always know how to look or write certain things. I've written it exactly using your words and dictionary and I've got it. Thank you I really appreciate that.

[@cz-27love44]

🙏💚💙🏳️‍🌈

[@rosekory9752]

😭😭😭

[@averagehooligan620]

What is the joke at 6:25? I can't understand what Louis said.

[@cautioninchaos]

“Harry’s getting head”

[@annjohns350]

They weren't gay

[@sondrabrownfield5773]

You're the you👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨👦👧

[@samvxlentinee]

That actually not true I believe people Niall was the gay one considered that gay stereotype that gay people have dyed hair like “only men that are gay dye their hair”

[@carlosalenduran4630]

Im gay who cares

[@nathandennis8078]

Louis isn't gay why do people keep thinking that

[@rsfff]

5:39 flying a kid who you are responsible and had become a second parent to to get them in line of not only millions of dollars to hundreds of people's jobs and lives at risk.. but making sure he doesn't become a druggie dead in the streets somewhere.. is GOOD behavior. Tired of zoomers calling anything good toxic. This was amazing for him to do

[@charmedones1746]

this is ridiculous Louis is straight hufff my Gosh whats wrong with you people🙄🙄🙄

[@shanalanna8580]

Both Harry and Louis are very grown men now and doing their own things without any interference from their original management team so the fact they have neither come out as gay and have both continued heterosexual relationships is telling to normal people. Harry is flamboyant as it comes now and continues to be with women & Louis had a very very long term partnership with Eleanor and has a son with another lady. At this time in their lives there would absolutely have no blow back if either came out as gay or BI but they done, maybe that’s more telling than anything? Sexuality isn’t wrapped up in a big bow & what you are given is what you are for the rest of your life, it can be fluid and who you are attracted to can change. This crazy fascination with the two of them from what I can see has ruined their friendship. But you guys make videos like this & it’s like you are forcing sexuality on 2 men who don’t want that.

[@Anonymous-wi6ig]

Yeah but there is no way that man isn't gay ☠️