One simply cannot talk about fandoms without mentioning Directioners, the massive fanbase of the band One Direction. The One Direction fandom was (and still is for those of us, myself included, who refuse to accept that it is now day 1043 of what was meant to be a short hiatus before they returned) arguably the largest and most influential fandom to exist. Now that the band is on hiatus though, much of the fandom has carried over to the boys solo careers– particularly that of Harry Styles. It is not difficult to understand what would lead one to become a Harrie, as the fans refer to themselves, considering the extent of not just his talent, but also his character. Harry is known to be one of the kindest and most genuine people in Hollywood. Below are just ten instances of him being kind, supportive, funny, and unabashedly Harry.
Photo from Billboard
1. When he launched Treat People With Kindness merchandise at his concerts and used the money to donate to charities based near each concert.
Photo from hstyles.co.uk
Harry Styles turned his concerts into a place for social and political advocacy and inclusion by promoting issues such as LGBT rights, feminism, gun control, and Black Lives Matter. He used the profits from his Treat People With Kindness merchandise to donate to charities, and he was able to give over 1.2 million dollars to a number of different charities and organizations including Times Up, March for Our Lives, Donors Choose, and World Relief. Through outreach and other opportunities on tour, he also worked with Headcount to register hundreds of fans to vote, connected over 5,000 fans with local charities that they became involved with, and worked to conserve water and encourage recycling from everyone involved in the tour.
2. When he stopped mid-concert to help a fan come out to her parents.
Photo from @takehismedicine on Twitter
For years now, Harry Styles has been a strong supporter of the LGBT+ community, and he has been known to vocalize his beliefs that love is love, or run across a stage waving a rainbow flag. His love and inclusivity for everybody is evident in a statement he made during a concert in London this past year, “If you are black, if you are white, if you are gay, if you are straight, if you are transgender – whoever you are, whoever you want to be, I support you.”. The message was one shared by Harry and his fans, with fan created projects to turn the arena into a pride flag, through the use of colored tape and phone flashlights during his performances of the song “Sign of the Times” or, bisexual anthem, “Medicine”. However, on one stop of the tour he took his support a bit further, helping a fan to come out to her mother mid concert.
3. When he made the dad joke to end all dad jokes.
Photo from @1D_Swiss_Team on Twitter
Harry Styles is known for his charming wit and his tendency to make puns in any situation. Generally, his puns are met with a polite laugh from the audience, and hysterical laughter from Harry himself, but this joke was quite possibly the best one he has ever made. It occurred in the final seconds of the One Direction documentary, This Is Us, when a younger Harry was out on a fishing boat with bandmate Liam Payne. Perhaps the best part of any of the jokes he has made is his own reaction– just look at the smug grin on his face in this photo.He truly could not have been more proud of himself, and that absolutely melts my heart.
4. When he caught a young fan falling asleep in the middle of his show, and called her out in the cutest way possible.
Photo from Pinterest
Harry has always had a clear love for babies, it is not out of the ordinary for him to stop mid-concert to say hi to a particularly young fan or to interact with a pregnant woman in the crowd. This time though, Harry caught sight of a toddler dozing off in the front section during his performance and he decided to call her out for it. After a quick exchange with the mother, he announced, “She’s half asleep..which normally I’d be offended by…but she’s almost two..so it’s fine.”. He then proceeded to shush the crowd and remind them that there was a baby trying to sleep. Harry’s love for babies is just another reason why we love him.
5. When a drunk Harry Styles tripped over a dog in the street, then bent down to apologize and make sure it was okay.
Photo from @HS_Worldwide on Twitter
I can remember being on Twitter the morning after this happened. Harry had been out at a pub with friends and had gotten a bit tipsy, and while leaving he stumbled across (quite literally) a small puppy. The way that he immediately stopped and got down to apologize symbolized to many fans what a kind person he was, and it led to a number of funny tweets and memes about Harry’s compassion. In particular, I recall one tweet showing Harry leaning against a tree with a comment about how he probably apologized for leaning on it.
6. When he kept falling and being clumsy onstage, giving the internet the compilation videos and memes we didn’t know we needed.
Photo from Pinterest
I have never seen any celebrity have as many falls or clumsy moments as Harry has. Sometimes when I’m having a rough day I will look up a compilation video just to have a quick laugh. The best part of the falls was probably the way he would react afterwards, sometimes after clearly having slipped onstage in front of thousands of people he will try to pass it off as if nothing happened, others he will make it into a joke. On one occasion, he uttered a phrase that has come to be my life motto, “physically I’m fine, emotionally I’m bruised”. It is, quite possibly, the most relatable sentence I have ever heard.
Fun fact: On his tour this past year, a lot of fans would throw kiwis on stage (a reference to his song “Kiwi”), and they would leave the stage sticky and wet which caused him to fall a few different times. Leading up to his show, one major UK grocery store began requiring people to show an ID and prove they were over 21 in order to buy kiwis. This was in an attempt to protect ‘a national treasure’.
7. When he spotted a fan holding a sign with bad grammar, and he decided to become the worlds cutest English teacher.
Photo from Daily Mail
Imagine being at a concert and having Harry Styles notice your sign and bring it up on stage, only to have him pull out a sharpie and correct your grammar. I don’t know if I would die of excitement over having been noticed by him or of embarrassment because of the grammar mistake, but either way it would be a life-altering experience. I guarantee the girl who wrote this sign will never make the mistake of using ‘your’ instead of ‘you’re’ again, and you can’t tell me you wouldn’t love to be in an English class taught by Harry Styles himself.
8. When he had a day off while working in LA, and decided to spend that time driving around and feeding the homeless.
Photo from Just Jared
Back in 2012, two years after One Direction had gotten their start on the X-Factor, and when Harry was just 18 years old, he went to Dominos on his day off and bought about $3,000 worth of pizzas. He spent the rest of the day driving around offering the food to the homeless people that he came across. This was not something he did for publicity, in fact the story didn’t get any press coverage until Ed Sheeran talked about it in an interview a few months later. This was just one of the earliest examples of Harry doing selfless acts and using his money and influence for the better.
9. When Louis and Zayn pranked Harry, and the rest of the band, making them believe that a Nickelodeon producer was in labor.
Photo from Inpaynrforstyles on Tumblr
Poor Harry had no idea that it was a prank, and he was genuinely concerned about the woman and trying to help her. He repeatedly yelled for help, and was helping her off the couch and onto the ground where he did breathing exercises with her. He had no idea what was happening or how to help her, but I have no doubt that if it had come to it he would have been on the ground helping her to deliver the baby. The prank was hilarious on its own, but the way Harry reacted made it even better.
10. When he, and the rest of the band, partnered with Comic Relief and went to Ghana to get involved directly.
Photo from Pinterest
For Red Nose Day 2013, One Direction went to Ghana to help with relief efforts. While they were there, Harry formed a close bond with several of the children and was something of a friend to them. They also recorded a video to raise awareness and ask fans to help donate. In the video, Harry goes to a hospital full of children who are extremely sick and dying, and he meets a grandmother who is watching over her sick granddaughter. He learns that the girl does not have much time left and is clearly very effected by what he is seeing and hearing. At one point in the video, there is a heartbreaking moment where Harry breaks down into tears because of how upsetting the situation. After the trip the band released a cover of “One Way or Another,” and donated the proceeds to Comic Relief. In total, they raised a little over two million dollars.