#it is normal

A lot of that will just be math. Even as your work garners a wider audience, your first episode will be the one most people start with. A lot of that is later entries wont work as well or have as much impact without context of the earlier bits. And yes, some of that is people will lose interest or decide your work isnt for them. But that's normal. There isn't an artform on the planet with guaranteed 100% audience retention. Doubly so if they have to check back every week.

It is infuriating to have someone claim that I'm saying addiction isn't an issue. I have been discussing the possibility of 1D members and addiction for as long as I've been writing this tumblr. I've mostly talked about the risks of people in their position, but I've also talked when I thought what we saw went beyond that. I've always got hugely reactionary and hostile responses for what I've said.

I do think there's a risk Louis is an addict. I've always said there's a risk. But there's a different between risk and certainty. All we know is that Louis drinks when he performs, and drinks socially.

The reason I think it's important to distinguish between risk and certainty has nothing to do with Louis - and everything to do with not presenting misinformation about addiction.

Addiction is about compulsion to drink. Alcoholics are not necessarily drinking more than the people around them. And the reverse is also true not everyone who drinks in a way that creates harm to themselves and others are alcoholics. Equating the two stops people getting the help they need when there's a problem. Saying that you know someone is addicted, when all you know is that they drink a lot in a certain context - is spreading misinformation about what alcoholism is and also the nature of alcohol harm.

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I want to add something about the way you frame this ask. Sending an ask is sharing your views with someone specific and asking for their opinion. I don't have much to say in response to 'Alcohol shouldn’t even be normalized to the extent that it is in our society.' (I don't agree, but understand that it's something people do have different views on). But if I had been replied - that wouldn't have been 'coming at you'.

It's impossible for someone to 'come at you' in response to an ask. When you send an ask you are sharing your thoughts with a particular person and asking for their comment. You have initiated the encounter - they are not coming at you.

I really disagree with the way you characterise the way I respond to anons. I'm doing so in good faith and sharing my opinions. I do sometimes disagree - although I would never have enough information to judge anons as people. But I understand that written media is complex - and once I write something people will respond in different ways.