Alone With My Thoughts: Harry Styles, "Pleasing", and Why He Needs to Do Better

I’m Shelby, I live on my own, and I am constantly walking around my apartment talking to myself. I’ve decided it’s time to talk to all of you. Welcome to Alone With My Thoughts, a series of my completely unsolicited opinions on pop culture, media, and life.

Alright you guys, I’ve been holding onto this one for a while. Let me preface this by saying that above all else, I am a One Direction super fan. I’m a One Direction fan before I am a Harry fan; before I am a Niall fan; and so on. This is important for me to point out as it absolutely makes me a little biased when it comes to the topic of Harry Styles. But not in the way you’re thinking. I am writing this as a fan who holds her favorites accountable.

Over the past few years, Harry Styles has become THE guy. The ultimate rock star. I’m proud of his success, but it has brought a lot to light for me recently. I think a part of me is resentful that Harry’s career has taken off more so than the rest of the One Direction guys’. Not that the others aren’t successful - but there is unfortunately a clear division between their careers and Harry’s. As a fan of the five of them as a group, it is difficult to see one have more success than the rest. And that’s on me, I know not everyone who is a fan of Harry was a fan of One Direction first. That just happened to be the tip of the iceberg, personally.

Something else that contributes to my recent criticisms of Harry is how he seems to have become very out of touch, both with reality and with his fans. I think his lack of communication and interaction with fans compared to some other celebrities has showed me how different he is from person he was in the early days of his career. He talks to the audience during his concerts, then he leaves the stage, and doesn't interact with fans again until the next show. In the world we live in now, lack of communication with supporters on social media can be detrimental to a brand.

While my opinions on the topic of fan interaction may be somewhat biased, it leads me into the issues that I know many fans take with Harry’s new business venture, Pleasing. It is described as a ‘life’ brand and according to Harper’s Bazaar, Pleasing’s first drop included nail polish, eye and lip serum, and face serum. The first thing I have seen a lot of fans - including myself - take issue with here, is the fact that Harry - to our knowledge - knows nothing about the skincare and beauty industries. What qualifies him to create and sell these products? Sure he’s known for having his nails painted, but it kind of seems like the team just took that and ran with it as a way to make a profit.

Harry is quoted in his Dazed article saying “I am blessed to have fans who are so supportive of me…Pleasing is really for them.” The fans that you don’t interact with? The fans who never asked for this?

A TikTok from @heather._.lupin says exactly what I’ve been thinking, that Harry does not understand his fans. She explains that the use of the Dazed photoshoot to promote Pleasing completely misses the mark on relating to fans. “The fact that he’s using this photoshoot to promote this product makes it feel high fashion and unattainable, and that, combined with the prices, makes his audience feel very alienated from him.” Heather continues on to compare the relationship between Harry and his fans to that of Taylor Swift and her fans. I love this comparison - not just because I love Taylor Swift - but because I think it shows the clear difference between Harry a celebrity who speaks to and listens to their fans, and knows what they want.

Another criticism of Pleasing that I have seen floating around online is the fact that the apparel the brand sells is not size inclusive. Obviously, many companies have an issue with making size inclusive ranges, however, when a brand literally prides itself on being a safe space and has a founder who celebrates diversity and inclusion, consumers and fans expect better.

TikTok creator @eveningcrickets is the reason I became aware of the inclusivity issue to begin with. Ruth has a number of videos detailing this topic. While discussing the lack of inclusive sizing when it comes to Pleasing’s crew neck sweatshirts, she notes that it is really important to make a change now, as the brand is still young. “We know that this is just the beginning…he is planning on making a lot of clothing with this company, so these sweatshirts are just the beginning. So before we get any farther with this company, I am going to do my best to make sure that they’re more inclusive.”

Ruth also points out the importance of the name of the brand, “Pleasing” and the amazing opportunity Harry could have taken advantage of. “Could you imagine the powerful moment that could have been had if he had offered the Pleasing sweatshirt in like, up to a five/six X? To see fat people with bodies that had never been considered aesthetically pleasing at all, to see them…having clothing items that said “Pleasing” on bodies that have constantly been regarded as displeasing?” This point perpetuates the idea of Harry not understanding what his fans want, need, and are asking for.

I really don’t mean to rip Harry apart in this article - or maybe I do, reality check? Just kidding. Kind of. But I do truly hope that changes can be made in order for his fans to feel heard and included. I’ve seen a little too much blind praise of Harry Styles, fans acting like he can do no wrong. Being a fan of someone does not negate you from holding them accountable, and encouraging them to do better.