Just Hold On

maybe that's the plan all along, to completely destroy Louis' fandom. And it's working. We are decimated. I see it on my gifs and edits, I'm not even very popular blog but they used to get hundreds of notes in 2014/2015. Now I get 50 at most. It doesn't matter, I like to make them for my personal joy, but it makes me sad for Louis. He IS losing fans and I think he knows it :(

To be fair, the numbers for their individual fandoms can’t be compared to when the band was at its peak - which is natural. But it is a consistent pattern, sadly, that Louis’ numbers, be it on Tumblr posts, Spotify and You Tube streams, etc., have been decreasing - unnaturally. It seems clear that the decimation of Louis’ fandom has been deliberate, the efforts to get rid of his fans calculated and relentless - while not being given a real chance to gain new fans either: denied opportunities and constantly undermined when he gets the slightest opening to reach an audience. He has been belittled and unsparingly erased as an artist; made into tabloid fodder, promoting his ‘personal life’ over and at the expense of him and his music; and continually reduced to the past, even as far as X Factor, and to the hypothetical future of the band. Louis the individual person and artist is never allowed to just be, and never promoted.

I don’t think there is any doubt that it is part of the plan. It’s been a continuous onslaught to chip - or blast, at times - away at every bit of support for him, to wear him down and out, and leave him with nothing. Professionally and personally. The stunts are so awfully isolating, demanding and restrictive, and are present in his life every day and everywhere he goes. His image and reputation in relation to the general public are not under his control, and what he can do to counter the perception of him they choose to push is very limited to say the least. They have tried to turn his own community against him, making repeated attempts to present him as homophobic. They have shut him out of the industry and the media, not just in terms of public detachment, but through the deep impact in his life and work and person of everything done to him.

And they know the devotion and dedication of his fans is an asset for him - and also that his fans matter to him, that there is a ‘real connection’ in Louis’ own words, between him and his fans, and that he cares to share himself with them. Driving away his fans is not only a way to sabotage his career, but a way to hurt him personally as well. Leaving him at most with fans who support a version of him dependent on stunts or a ship leaves him in an even more precarious and unsustainable situation which they can use against him, as well as probably placing unfair pressure and expectations on him, and mining at his sense of worth. It’s cruel.

I tend to think Louis is all too aware of what goes on in his fandom too. And it does hurt to think of him seeing support dwindling, when none of this is his fault, and he can’t do more than he has done - always, even from 1D days - to show his appreciation and how much he cares about his fans. He has given so much of himself again and again, through his music and outside of it. And he shouldn’t feel undue pressure or sense of indebtedness to deliver and make up for things that he is suffering acutely, and which aren’t his doing.

I always remember his ‘loyalty number one’ comment - he deserves that for himself. Loyalty, love and support for him, just him, as an artist and a person. He is worth it. He is more than enough.

Thank you very much for still creating louie content, by the way, anon. Whatever the number of notes, I think it’s safe to say every reblog or like is full of appreciation.

the YT cards yes. H,TS and Zayn are recommending the ToU mv they say, is it true they choose that?

Hi anon :) 

So the thing is that noone really knows how YouTube for Artists takes care of cards. Especially because VEVO/YouTube definitely also influence what you get recommended next. 

For example, it doesn’t make sense from a business point of view for Taylor Swift to refer to Louis’ new video. They’re not on the same label, and it would make much more sense if she’d suggest for her fans to watch A) her other videos, B) interviews she’s done for this song, C) other content that focuses on her, or artists like her. 

While you can make a case that Taylor and Louis have the same potential audience (pop, anywhere between 15-34, probably predominantly women, love to figure out clues and easter eggs, subliminal messaging) - there are a bunch of other artists that she’d have more in common with. Other women artists, people she’s actually worked with, and most likely - people that share the same label/mgmt etc. 

For Harry and Zayn, the YouTube algorithm has them all always suggesting each other’s stuff because they were all in One Direction and as such share a large base group of fans that will probably be interested in the other boys’ material, because well - we loved them when they were together so why not love them apart? 

Cards are a form of promotion, however, so that means there’s value in it. Value means that people have to pay for it. In that sense this is a new development that they’d make sure Louis’ video is being recommended on other videos - particularly the Taylor Swift one, because that’s a big potential audience that can click through to Louis’ video :) 

As for Harry having it on the Sweet Creature video in particular - I haven’t checked myself, so I don’t know if that’s true. If it is, I think people have to realize that A) obviously it’s not Harry behind his laptop messing with YouTube, and B) there’s value in throwing larries a bone once in a while. Regardless of the veracity of larry currently, in the future, or in the past - it’s a thing, it will most likely always be a cultural, significant thing in fandom, and as such there is value in retaining that because it encourages fan engagement and that equals money.