Hi Bea, hope it's okay to ask this, why do some people don't like Louis drinking too much? I mean he isn't that much of an alcoholic, is it because of the recent Jojo interview? I'm just really curious why people are angry at Louis on his vices, hope you dont see me as a rude anon, I'm just very curious and you have great commentary so 🥺💐 pleaseee.
Hi friend
This is a big question that I am going to try to summarise my thoughts on.
I think the first thing is that in part this is much broader than just Louis but how a lot of people within fandom see the world, the role Louis (& Harry/Zayn/Liam - I see it less with Niall, though it may just be I don't see it) plays in their life and their desire to exert control over behaviour. That doesn't just apply to alcohol, you see it with smoking, weed, drug use, their relationships, family and friendships.
Louis has spoken about drinking in a range of situations and he has talked that about that as something he enjoys socially, and that sometimes he has a drink before/during a show because the ritual of it calms his nerves. I think Louis (and the others) have had plenty of experience with alcohol and drug use, and they've probably all used alcohol and drugs at times when that maybe hasn't been helpful for them. But all of that, every single decision they make, every single drink they have or line they snort or joint they smoke is not for fans to pass judgement on.
The other thing fans need to understand is how accessible drugs and alcohol are. In the UK as an average person, weed, coke and ket in particular are as accessible as vodka red bull. They're a pretty big part of pub/club/festival culture and tbh life. I think you would struggle harder to find someone in the UK who hasn't tried, or had a period where they used one of those with some regularity, than someone who hasn't. Now if seventeen year old me, working part time in Tesco in 2011 could access those like I could find an irn bru in Glasgow, then you have to amplify that by one thousand for nineteen year old Louis in this massive boyband and in the music industry. that is as true today as it was then. Alcohol and drug use is such a part of touring and music industry that you cannot de-link those, it is an incredibly stressful industry. On top of that, alcohol and drug use is more likely to turn into addiction where they are already dealing with trauma or mental health or any other vulnerabilities.
What I also want to be clear about is that I don't think we have enough to know if he has personally experienced addiction (though Louis has undoubtedly had experience of addiction with those around him both personally and professionally). I've not seen enough to suggest either way and I think it is daft to think we know enough to make that call, or that we should.
My biggest issue is, and will always be, that the approach fandom takes to alcohol and drug use, helps no-one. All it does is pass judgement which adds to existing stigma and shame, this idea that drinking or drug use is some horrible harmful choice leads to people feeling isolated, and that isolation deprives people of access to resources - how do fans think that this approach would support anyone? As usual though, my biggest concern is the other people who absorb this from fans and then internalise it and/or send it back out into the world.
So why do I think fans react this way? I think fans are projecting, I think fans would like to be able to control Louis' life and when they disagree with the way in which Louis is navigating his own life they use this 'concern' over his health or choices in a manner that is manipulative and shaming.
37 notes
·
View notes
**I** would like to hear about ur steph curry librarian au 👀👀👀👀
i'm in love with u, thank u. also thank u to @kitebird-hockey for asking too, you're the best
important background: real life steph curry has a real life bookclub. it is a literati bookclub called "underrated" and unfortunately i am part of it and i am very satisfied to tell you that his picks are usually pretty good. love an erudite man with a bachelor of arts.
anyway my au is thus: steph curry is a librarian at a midsize library in [unspecified city in the bay area]. the library is, as most libraries are, underfunded, understaffed, overcommitted, and deeply unappreciated by city council. steph does programs! he does outreach! he is doing his best. he does storytime very well and all the little kids are like "mr. steph can you read the pete the cat book about white shoes again 🥺?" and he is like of course my babies, it is important to know the names of colors so you can make good sartorial choices. (does steph himself make good sartorial choices despite knowing his colors? unclear but all the little old ladies call him "that charming mr. curry" so he's doing fine, whatever.)
THE REAL STORY BEGINS WITH KLAY THOMPSON, THE STONER PATRON WHO BRINGS HIS DOG TO THE LIBRARY ALL THE TIME. klay worked in tech, sold his start up to google for millions, and immediately quit his job so he could spend his days doing two things: 1. sit on his boat in the ocean; 2. get high and befriend the cute librarian at his local library. klay is NOT ALLOWED to bring his dog into the library, even tho rocco is very polite and good-mannered. but steph goes outside and pets him as stress relief when he has to throw out too many loud drunk patrons in a row. klay and rocco very happy about that.
anyway one day steph is running his "read to guide dog puppies" program for elementary students and NONE OF THE GUIDE DOG PUPPIES SHOW UP OH NO. and steph's like, oh my god, what do i do, these three second graders are going to be so disappointed that they can't read to a guide dog puppy. and klay walks in with rocco and steph is like MR. THOMPSON YOU CANNOT BRING YOUR DOG INTO THE LIBRARY--actually wait hold on how good is rocco with kids. and klay is like, oh he loves to be read to (klay does not read.) so rocco saves the day! him and klay spend three hours listening to magic treehouse books. rocco and klay are transfixed. (in my head klay is not a literary man, he is a man of the sea, he reads the waves and the stars idk.)
steph is like, so grateful. he's like, i have no money to give you but this lady gave us tomatoes today, would you like some tomatoes? and klay is like steph what the fuck would i do with a tomato??? come drink beer on my boat with me. and steph does and it's very romantic and they get together idk i didn't think this part through super clearly bc i always get distracted thinking abt steph making this face while he's watching klay and rocco get read to by a second grader who is still struggling with long words. and klay and rocco are so gentle and nonjudgmental.
(note to any aspiring librarians reading thing: don't date a patron. don't do it. this is fiction DO NOT DATE A PATRON.)
MY OTHER IMPORTANT IMAGINE IN THIS AU: buster posey is the library director. (buster is here bc i read tim kawakami's article abt buster and steph and it changed me on a molecular level. but this is a klay/steph au, not a buster/steph au.) anyway city council is breathing down his neck abt election year programming and he is So Done. he just wants to run his library in peace and instead he's gotta deal with politicking for money to help his unhoused patrons jfc. he's like steph i'm so sorry but do you have any ideas of election programming to get these fuckers off my back. and steph is like, well. it has always been my dream to book local news blogger draymond green and local news podcaster steve kerr for a panel discussion. buster's like, but they hate each other? and steph's like, yes exactly. buster's like, love the way you think, go for it. pls make sure they talk shit about city council.
so steph books steve kerr and dray and they both say yes because they have always wanted to debate each other in a public forum. and it's a wildly popular program attended by politics nerds and high schoolers. steve and dray spend like the entire time arguing in that way where they basically agree but they're hung up on nuances. but they're also very funny abt it and it goes viral bc a high schooler films them making acab jokes and puts it on tiktok and buster and steph get in so much trouble, but it's worth it.
also klay asks them a question about funding local governance and he's like high as shit and also a millionaire so he dgaf about the way he words it so it's incredibly incendiary phrasing. steve and dray go off on like anarcho-communism and spend 15 minutes arguing about that and buster and steph get in trouble for that too, but it's still worth it.
(dray and steve ARE paid for their services. klay gets some zucchini for being a bro.)
that is my steph curry librarian au. thank you for asking i love you. if you have any further questions feel free to ask. the other warriors are there i just haven't put as much thought into it bc i always think abt steph being kind to little old ladies who can barely carry all the michael connolly books they checked out and they're like in love with him. mood
55 notes
·
View notes
"I know stories often take on lives of their own. I already feel as if the horror I went through is turning into a fairytale, but I am nothing special and this is not a fairytale."
x. "Once Upon a Broken Heart", Stephanie Garber
"Happy endings can be caught, but they are difficult to hold on to. They are dreams that want to escape the night. They are treasure with wings. They are wild, feral, reckless things that need to be constantly chased, or they will certainly run away."
x. "The Ballad of Never After", Stephanie Garber
7 notes
·
View notes