#I'm actually rather scared

[my5hiningstars]

"I'll be honest with you, I really didn't realise CDs were poppin still...I haven't used a CD in about, it has to be ten years!" - Ashton Irwin, June 8th 2024

[statementlou]

https://www.tumblr.com/louisupdates/754934426217152513/goodbye-faith-in-the-future-world-tour-272024?source=share

did he or did he not lose fans then?

I will answer this because this anon actually brings a concrete question to the table rather than just "hurhur but you're a larrie??" (tell me you can't actually refute any of our points…). Anyway this post shows the decrease in Louis instagram followers between the screenshots taken directly after the release of Faith in the Future in Nov '22, when he changed his bio to promote that album and the tour tickets, and now, when he changed it again to mention the current release. But I'm putting that response under a cut because I'm tired of the actual POINT of all this nonsense getting lost in a sea of made up things people insist are important:

There is no rational argument you can make to say that Louis has less fans now than he did 2, 4, or 6 years ago. You don't need a spreadsheet of details you need to USE YOUR EYES! He has gone from filling theaters to filling arenas and stadiums. His second album made a higher chart position than his first album. His festival has doubled in size EVERY year of its existence. And for that matter: his insta post engagement numbers remain about the same (despite the fact that older posts should have way MORE likes due to having been there longer, even aside from follower counts.) SO WHO FUCKING CARES ABOUT HIS INSTA FOLLOWER NUMBER???? Serious question: what does the word "fans" mean if these things aren't what matters? ALL of this quibbling about what he should do to make things better and people can't even see that THINGS AREN'T BAD.

Anyway to address the specific question- (con't......)

NO- HE DID NOT LOSE FANS. HE LOST SOME INSTA FOLLOWERS. THESE ARE NOT THE SAME THING. As I said above, literally what does it mean to lose fans if that number change coincides with him having higher sales, more audience members, and higher engagement than ever before? Whatever he lost ISN'T FANS. I wouldn't be surprised if a significant factor was something like a bot purge, but also yes: I'm sure a lot of casuals followed him around the time of his big album release and later unfollowed him. That's extremely normal because that's how casual engagement works, and why the definition of fan really matters. Louis and his team understand this and have referenced it repeatedly, talking about how lucky he is to have *us* specifically, to have the kind of dedicated fanbase he has, to have the KIND of fans he does who will allow him to do what HE wants. @dogsliampaynedoesntinstagram named the issue of depth vs breadth with regard to fans a long time ago, and pointed out why having DEPTH is so much more important. It's like this- artists who are on top 40 radio have more numbers on things like insta follows, and for a time on sales and tickets. But those aren't FANS- they're people with a casual interest. And as soon as that person isn't being forced in their ears 10x a day, those people lose interest and stop supporting them, stop buying stuff and unfollow, and those artists end up doing the 'opener on the jingle ball' circuit rather than their own tours. One Direction as a whole, and Louis maybe most of all or near to at this point, have something MUCH MORE VALUABLE than that- DEPTH FANS. Louis has fans who will support him even if he takes years to release music, or stops parading around with a pretend girlfriend to stay in the headlines at least once a month, or completely changes his image and genre, and that is UNHEARD OF. It's ASTONISHING and worth SO MUCH MORE. And they get that! THAT is why he always bragging about us, why industry people he works with are always so agog about us, why he will do anything for US- not for randos. He is also growing his breadth- and it's OBVIOUSLY WORKING whatever his follower counts are, but that is always going to be secondary to doing things for THE FANDOM because that is his sustainable business model. That is what keeps him onstage and reaching number one. And not coincidentally, the things they do are also working to grow that- much more valuable- commodity. So the fact that that's exactly what these chuckleheads complain about- that he does things that are just fandom facing or serving rather than everything being aimed at recruiting casual fans- does nothing but betray how completely they, unlike Louis and his team, misunderstand the actual drivers of his (actual, existing, happening) success. Luckily for Louis, he and his team rely on their own data harvesting (they do a LOT of it) and growth metrics (they're off the charts) rather than the smug assumptions of random (mostly quite new to this) fans and the few bitter people leading the complaining about everything Louis does.

[gaymothman]

and y'all think it's the southern voters' fault right? y'all think it's cuz we are all maga crazy right? y'all think we like living like this right?

[caterjunes]

reeeaaally really empathizing hard w/ rots anakin right now. like. oh yeah ok i get it. he's been sleep-deprived & running w/ a high level of stress hormones nonstop for months. he keeps asking for advice and help and the jedi just say "what does yr heart tell you?" and "try not worrying about it. 🧘‍♂️" and the only person who actually seems to care about him is.... evil? but. that can't be right... what?

but there's no time to think about it because he did what he were supposed to do and told the jedi and now events are moving very fast and oops he got in the way and did something very impulsive and now mace windu is dead and it's anakin's fault, actually. and he still hasn't processed anything that's happened in the last... week? two months? ever in his life? but his friend palpatine is there and telling him that it's okay. that he did the right thing, that he did good. and guess what anakin? you don't have to worry about making any more hard decisions, because palpatine is gonna make them for you and you just have to do them. isn't that better? isn't that easier? isn't it?

[daz4i]

i feel kinda bad for shirase for being like the villain of so many fics. poor guy didn't do anything wrong other than being 15

[origami-butterfly]

I don't typically post about this, because I like to leave talking about serious topics to those more eloquent than I, but it's really scary being a trans teen in the uk. They're trying to permanently ban puberty blockers. And if that happens, I feel like restrictions on gender affirming care will only get tighter and tighter, until they decide to make trans people entirely illegal. I wish I could grow up safe, but I'm scared I won't be allowed to grow up at all.

[scoriarose]

Hi!! I’ve never had a pet snake so this might be a dumb question but is it harder for snakes to see when they’re in blue?

It's not dumb, snake eyesight is different from our own so we can't assume they see exactly how or what we do. For the longest time people believed they couldn't see red, and used red lights to light their enclosures at night- that's bad for them. Please do not light your snake like a rotisserie chicken, they can see it.  Red light can be detrimental to reptiles because it can make it difficult for them to perceive depth, which can lead to mental distress. Red light bulbs can mess with your pet's ability to tell if it is day or night, since a light is always on, and that can cause stress and health and long term sight issues too.

But back to your original question, yes, snakes have difficulty seeing when they are in blue. Many will stay buried and hidden, not even eating until they've completely shed. That is the norm, and if a snake wants to be left alone, they should be. Sakura will hide most of the time, but I'll sometimes see the tip of her nose near a burrow hole, and I'll dangle something tasty in front of it and she'll eat it- but I won't dig her up if she's having alone time. Scoria will hide unless I'm around- they both know my voice and scent, and Scoria has complete trust in me so much that even when blind she knows I'll keep her safe.

She allowed me to take her out and feed her today, and then asked for pets. This behavior is unique to her, and if she were not specifically asking to be pet I would not do it after feeding (any other snake might throw up). I'd stop petting her and she'd ask again and again like, "Nope! Need more, come back and pet me." I really don't mind, she's found a way to tell me she enjoys being pet, and that's amazing- and also makes me happy. After many many pets (I guess we had a few days to make up for, I've been leaving her alone for the most part, only saw she was in blue, and then it was food day and saw her looking at me from her mossy hide) she buried herself underground in her bioactive area.

Perhaps some day Sakura will trust me to touch her while she's in blue too- but if not that's just fine. Sometimes we all need a few days to ourselves.

Oh, and don't feel bad asking snake blogs questions. It makes us happy when we get nonbot or spam asks! I imagine most of us love sharing about our snakes! And if sharing what I've learned helps lead a snake and their caretaker to a better life or bond then they would have had before, that's such a win for everyone!

[bubbeebear]

Baby duck guy, again.

[batsplat]

marc meeting valentino when valentino was on a three race win streak and immediately having to watch his hero fail to win again for four races in a row

[silent-scribbs]

I finally finished an unfinished sketch and watercolored the Doe 💜

I just love the uwu blushing looking away Doe, okay?

I ALSO GOT MY CHARGER FOR MY LAPTOP SO I'M WORKING ON A LITTLE ANIMATION SORTA BASED ON A LITTLE STORYBOARD (?) I MADE ON PAPER

Plus there's an animation in progress in flipaclip using pics of traditional art 👉👈

I promise to finish them 🥺

[shalom-iamcominghome]

I think I'm "used" to antisemitism until I watch a sermon which enthusiastically says that jews will be sacrificed for the rapture and then I'm baring my teeth

[roomthirtythree]

Tldr: treatment not working, got rare dangerous skin condition, dermatologist and gastroenterologist finally found an agreement, new treatment expensive and scary 😌

But I lived bitches

[eebie]

my bro gave me his old drawing stylus after he heard i lost mine i gotta start animating again i have no more excuses!!

[reginrokkr]

It is time to get to business and play the HSR update now.

[selfinflictedgunshotwound]

oh boy... i'm never gonna be able to trust anybody because if i start wanting things from someone and putting faith in them i will literally kill myself if they leave... the only thing i can do is try to make myself as independent as possible and never rely on anything so i never feel like i will crumble into dust if someone i love and rely on disappears from my life

[scorndotexe]

not that my relationship with my mother has ever been particularly good and simple but i do think it's going to get worse soon