On Oct. 21 at the We Can Survive benefit concert at the Hollywood Bowl, a fan assaulted Harry Styles while he was on stage singing his song, “Kiwi.” The video, depicting this event, shows Styles kneeling on the ground at the edge of the stage, letting fans touch his hands as he normally allows when he sings. One fan, however, took this as an opportunity to grab at his crotch, which disgusted many people online, including myself. The scene was so horrible and uncomfortable to watch, knowing his space was disrespected. In the video, Styles quickly gets up and swats the hand away, and moves away from the stage. Other fans who went to the concert claim he did not go close to that part of the stage again. Many fans online and other concertgoers commented that the overzealous fan committed sexual assault, and honestly, I have to agree.
Even men can be sexually assaulted, and it is time we start the conversation about this. With the recent Harvey Weinstein reports, sexual assault and harassment is a popular topic in Hollywood. Although this event was probably horrible for Styles, it raises the topic of sexually assaulted men in Hollywood, something that more men have stepped up and revealed in the last couple of weeks.
Since he was 16-years-old, Styles has constantly been seen as a sex symbol, despite his wishes. He has expertly deflected every personal question and accusation for years, and fans who have no respect for him continue to target him as a sex object, with acts such as grabbing his crotch, making crude signs, and throwing things at him for years. For almost seven years, Styles has been an object of affection to many, and not regarded as an actual human, and it is time we realize this.
Artists are people, not objects; they also don’t know us. To them, we are strangers and nothing more than a supporter. While many artists, like Styles, are too nice to reject hands and hugs, we should still ask and be respectful before we invade their personal space. From this event, fans should learn that artists aren’t objects, but people we should love, support, and respect.