I Feel Like It’s Time For Me To Share My Theory About 1D’s Formation (and Why It Had Been Planned

I feel like it’s time for me to share my theory about 1D’s formation (and why it had been planned well before this X-factor video was shot - though this video did very well at making it seem organic)

A lot of this theory comes from reading stuff from @verily-i-say who, if you weren’t around when she was, worked with reality television and talked about how casting for reality shows works (ie everyone is assigned a role before they are even cast and you just try to find someone who can fit the roles that you need)

Liam giving that talk a couple months back about how 1D was something he believed Simon made for him because of their talk only solidified this theory for me. So lets get into it.

Let’s start with what was going on in pop culture in the start of 2010, and what 1D was originally supposed to be. Because remember, 1D was never supposed to be as big as they ended up being! By 2010 boy bands still weren’t as big as they had been in the late 90s and early 00s. There were the Jonas Brothers who were starting to wind down their activities just by the nature of how long they had been. The producers of X-factor would have known this without any sort of inside knowledge it’s just how pop bands are. They have shelf lives. K-pop was trying hard to pierce the western market but so far nothing had stuck and there was a feeling at the time that kpop would never make it big in the west because of how their bands were crafted/promoted.

What that means is there was room for a boy band. I think Simon and the people in the X-factor knew it was a good time to make a boyband. There was a market for it, and something that needed filled. So they start crafting their story. No group had ever won the X-factor because pre-made groups kinda sucked/weren’t fully crafted the same way they used to be. Clearly this meant they would have more success making a group than anything else.

We know the producers knew of Liam and Louis. I think they started with Liam - and again this is all before we even got to the filmed auditions. I think they had the idea to make the band with these 5 boys from the original auditions and it was ALWAYS going to be them.

Niall filled the Irish niche. They had just opened auditions to Ireland. This was an easy way to gain success in Ireland.

Zayn filled the “ethnic” niche. How else is the group supposed to be “diverse” if they don’t have a POC?

Liam filled the group leader. The band was originally crafted around Liam and I will die by this.

Harry filled the “baby” role. He was the youngest. You think it was coincidence his age was brought up during his filmed audition? No it was meant to cast him as the “baby”. It’s not as intense a role as the “maknae” in kpop groups but it’s a role to fill. It also leads into him being marketed as “adorably slow”. He’s baby.

And Louis? Well Louis filled the “gay” role. Vee has talked about how obvious it is to anyone with eyes that 18 year old Louis was gay. I’ll get into why they needed a gay member in a moment.

So that was their initial set up: Irish, POC, Leader, Baby, Gay. Those are the roles the X-factor deemed they needed for a boyband in early 2010 and then they went about looking for people who fit those roles.

Now, like with any casting, it doesn’t always work out perfectly. You see it constantly in tv shows and reality shows. Audience reaction to people and also just general “character development” changes where people fall. Liam’s role of “leader” and “face” of the band swiftly fell apart because Harry is SO FUCKING CHARISMATIC. If you rewatch any X-factor stuff you can see it happen almost in real time. I could go on a whole tangent about how this affected Liam and Harry’s relationship but that’s not exactly the point of this post and it’s already way too long lol.

But what happened to Louis being “gay” and why did they need a “gay” member to begin with? It goes back to the idea 1D was never meant to be as successful as they are. In 2010 being gay and coming out/or being outted was like… pop culture candy. It was trendy. It got you promo. I’m not saying it’s right but that’s how it was. So I think they always wanted a gay member so that way they guaranteed a 3 album commitment from the boys. Album 1 rides off the back of X-factor. If Album 2 wasn’t as successful you pull out the gay card and BOOM instant interest in album 3. Enough to get Simon’s money worth from the band before they’re allowed to fade into obscurity.

Obviously that didn’t happen. Why? Well for starters the band was INSANELY popular. And secondly 🤷🏼‍♀️ Larry? They got put in a position with Larry where they couldn’t out Louis even if they needed to without outting Harry and ruining his “role” in the band.

And there’s my theory ✌🏻

More Posts from Tinetinetinetinetine and Others

tinetinetinetinetine

3 years ago

Louis!!!! 😭💕

IM ON FIRE I DONT KNOW WHT TO DO WITH MYSELF LISTEN

THE HEAD TILT

THE LIP BITE

THE LIL BLINK

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tinetinetinetinetine

3 years ago

You know what, if larry isn’t real, I Wanna ask louis why he got the dagger tattoo that is perfectly complementary with Harry’s rose. its so ?? and its not like were making things up that its a matching one. He deadass got one and hets are like ok but L got an E tattoo which points to elk and i’m like uhm u serious it can also stand for edward so 👀

I dig the Edward theory, anon!

The dagger tattoo is perhaps the most significant of them all. Not because he got it, after a year, but because of the timing that he got it. November 2014 was one hell of a fucking ride. Looking at all the facts, it was one loud scream for freedom and a big fuck you to everyone keeping them in the closet. It was as loud as he could get. And it was necessary.

A quick recap of the preceding events:

2012: Louis and Harry start getting complimentary tattoos - mostly nautical - here a (non exhaustive i think) overview

Source: 78.media.tumblr.com

September 2013: Harry gets the rose, fans start speculating that Louis might get a dagger, but they get the anatomical heart and arrow. No dagger for a year.

….

30 October 2014: Apple CEO Tim Cook comes out as gay at which occasion the rainbow apple logo is revived by the papers. Interestingly the “not that important” and “don’t knock it til you try it” interviews are taped that same day. The fandom is still blissfully unaware though.

3 November: The “not that important” interview comes out - in short, asked which traits they find important in a girl, Liam says “female”, and Harry replies “not that important”.

4 November: Harry’s statement is all over the papers and speculations become loud, everyone is asking: did he just come out as bisexual? Harry instagrams an armchair captioning “seated”. Might as well have said “where is the popcorn?”

5 November: Rainbow Direction launches the rainbow heart badges to show support to Harry’s “coming out” of sorts and create safe spaces for fans to discuss LGBTQ+issues - 22.000 people download them to their profiles that week - rainbow hearts are everywhere.

Later that same day, the live FOUR hangout is announced for Sunday Nov 9th and fans can send in their questions.

7 November: Louis shows up at the X factor rehearsal wearing a rainbow apple shirt. Considering context of the past week’s events, a LOT of people see that as support to Harry, and Tim Cook

9 November: The Independent’s Jenn Selby ’s article is published saying “Louis Tomlinson supports gay Apple CEO Tim Cook - days after Harry Styles’ comments on gender and sexuality” also referring to the fandom’s support for Harry with the rainbow hearts. This is how it’s featured on the front page:

That evening the FOUR hangout is broadcast and it’s the most akward interview ever. Rather than coming from fans, several of the questions seem to be set up to give Louis and Harry the opportunity to deny their rumoured sexuality/relationship . Except they don’t. (if you’re brave, watch 12 cringy long minutes from 8 to 20). Also, it’s November and it’s cold, but they are in their T shirts, matching tattoos out, and Louis keeps adjusting his boatneck “It is what it is”. Also Liam asks “Have you read the article in the Independent?” Louis “No, is it good?” Liam “Yeah"

10 November: We get papshots of Louis at the lawyer’s near Harry’s public house and he’s looking cheerful and therefore so are we, but that doesn’t last long. Late that afternoon shady agenda anons start imbuing the fandom with “it’s just the vintage apple logo” but we’re not having it. That evening, @Louis_Tomlinson tweets Jen Selby the same shit, but worse,it gets personal, it’s homophobic, it’s vicious and I’m not in a mood to recap or link it, may it disappear from the face of the earth. Interestingly a few minutes later followed by the more vague “Ridiculous I even have to tweet that shit” - some people think this is real Louis shading 1DHQ - we’ll never know - but I like to think so.

11 November: Louis’ tweets to Selby get noticed and suddenly the story about that Independent article and @LT’s homophobic reaction is all over the place. Harry captions the following pic on his IG with “funny money”

???: Lottie :( on Twitter

14 November: Harry instagrams twice, one picture of a cracked wall saying “lovely view”, and another “no such green” which we think links to the funny money.

15 November: The interview in which Harry says to Niall - “Don’t knock it til you try it” about sex with a man (also filmed 30 Oct) is aired. TMHFN/Rainbow Direction ask for an apology.

17 November: on Elounor’s anniversary, this appears on Jay’s Instagram

It’s is deleted minutes later and her twitter says it was a hack.

Also, interestingly, Lottie tweets “no point in sorry when the damage is already done. some things can’t be forgiven”

It’s a hectic few days, as while they are in Orlando, Zayn doesn’t show up for a gig, Harry serenades Louis, oh and news comes out that our beloved security guy/tour manager Paul quits. Supposedly something to do with Zayn. November 2014 was so wild on all levels.

23 November: At the AMA’s Harry serenades Louis *again* and he also sits next to Louis’ parents.

26 November: we see that Louis got the long anticipated dagger tattoo, a quote (given a chance), and a second smiley xx) this time on his wrist

And in case we missed it, next shoot, he’s pointing right at it:

I call that LOUD, LOUD, and LOUD.

They were trying to break out of the closet in November 2014. Their family were trying to help them break them out of the closet in November 2014. Everyone wanted to help them break out of the closet in November 2014. 1DHQ pushed back. And Louis responded in the only way he could. I don’t see how you could interpret all of this any differently.

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tinetinetinetinetine

2 years ago

Had a dream about louis on the first day of 2023.

So it started like I am going to come and pick him up at the airport. And H was w/ me. So i picked him up and H was gone. It’s just me and louis. So weird to hear him talk in my language. He was very shy and asked me to go somewhere ( we were at a mall and he seems very shy ) he just looked for a music store and we saw Faith in the future was number 1 there and he smiled at me then we went to walk again. Then we arrived at what it seems like to be his apartment where there were people whose waiting for him there. We talked for a while and he noticed my scar at my wrist and he just touched it gently. Then we talked again bout his upcoming concert here and then my mom suddenly was in the picture and asking where I put the stuff we bought 😂 then I said goodbye to louis then we hugged and said “til next time”

I forgot what the conversations were all about. I wrote this after I woke up. I just want to remember this dream. Since it was my second time dreaming bout him. Nothing to analyze or what here.

Welcome 2023. FAITH IN THE FUTURE.