#interestingtimes

I think there are a lot of changes in fandom, and I'm trying to get my head around them. I think there are two main drivers.

The first is that there's been a growth of new fans since the pandemic based in viral media. That's changed the balance of cultures within fandom and made some of the tumblr norms that I think of as being standard, much less prevalent. In general, I think this is probably pretty good for Louis, because I think in some ways the tumblr culture of collecting lots of information and being quite careful about information and certainty makes for a difficult fanbase. A viral fan base is more volatile, but also forgets more easily.

The second is that Louis has got older - and that's changed a lot of the dynamics about how he relates to a younger fandom, and also how they relate to him. The most obvious example is the growth of expression of thirst.

I've talked a lot about how society tells women that they must be desired in order for their desire to be legitimate. And I think the lack of thirst around Louis was about the fact that most fans (whatever they thought was true) couldn't imagine him desiring them. But that's clearly moved. I'd love it to be because norms of female sexuality have changed. But I think as Louis gets older he can occupy a different category where his aloofness is part of the appeal. I think it also gives him some freedom about how he's read - his sexuality isn't a matter of urgency as it was when he was younger.