One Direction Fans’ Generosity Shines, But So Does Their Anger
One Direction fans should not be taken for granted. Fans of One Direction are renowned as some of the most dedicated, loyal, and generous around. The Inquisitr has reported on a number of occasions that fans follow One Direction’s lead in raising funds for charities supported by the various members of One Direction. In the normal run of events, fund-raising activities have centered around a One Direction member’s birthday. Two recent fundraising campaigns by One Direction fan group 1D Fans Give have shown the unbelievable generosity of fans.
A campaign to raise money for One of Harry Styles’ favorite charities in honor of his 22nd birthday has seen One Direction fans raise $23,000 for Switchboard a London based LGBTQ helpline. The previous effort in honor of louis Tomlinson’s birthday saw One Direction fans donate $29,000 to the Eden Dora Trust, a charity that Tomlinson is a patron of.
Last month, the Inquisitr reported that another fan group, One Direction NDA (No Drama Allowed) had been awarded an Extra Smile award for their efforts in combating cyber-bullying. The same fans are also raising money for charities supported by One Direction. One Direction NDA has broken slightly with tradition by targeting their efforts in honor of Johannah Deakin’s birthday in March. Johannah is Louis Tomlinson’s mother and is a massive supporter of charities Louis is involved with.
The Inquisitr recently reported on the massive impact Deakin and Tomlinson had on the lives of Harvey Hext and his family. Little Harvey’s story was taken to heart by One Direction fans after he passed away from childhood cancer neuroblastoma. As a result, One Direction NDA have asked fans to donate to Niamh’s Next Step, a charity combating neuroblastoma that is supported by Louis and Johannah. Fans wishing to support this charitable effort can do so on the Just Giving page.
One Direction NDA says that honoring Johannah’s birthday in this way is a fitting tribute to a woman who works tirelessly and selflessly to support the families of sick children.
“Over the last, 5 years Johannah has generously helped organize countless special events for charities which benefit seriously ill young children; both she and Louis have donated much of their time touching many lives.
“Jay’s generosity also extends to helping countless fans of One Direction, many with serious illnesses to meet the boys! She has always been described as kind and warm by fans who have had the pleasure of meeting her. She and Louis together have selflessly done a great deal of things to make others happy.”
The charitable efforts of One Direction fans are praiseworthy indeed, their generosity is amazing when you consider that fans have donated hundreds of thousands in recent years in honor of the various One Direction members birthdays.
While the fans’ loyalty to One Direction cannot be questioned, the same can’t be said about their attitude to the band’s management and some sections of the media. One Direction fans are angered by the way both fans and the band are treated by management and media alike.
Many One Direction fans believe that both management and media treat them like they are all 12-year-old girls. There is a total failure to recognize that both One Direction and their fans have matured since 2010. One Direction’s recent music releases show a band who have moved on from sugar-sweet pop music and are now attracting fans from across the whole demographic range.
Fans are angered at the way One Direction are treated by the media. The press narrative changes on a daily basis. Just yesterday, the Sun claimed that Louis Tomlinson was to be hit with a $12.5 million child support bill. Today, the same outlet reports that the figure is around $3 million.
great project! ? #BLACKOUT pic.twitter.com/EIXfqbBD3w
— lisa ? (@takemyhandIwt) January 25, 2016
Other outlets are similar, and many One Direction fans are angered that One Direction’s management and PR teams either collude in or fail to respond to the negative reporting. Fans also believe that One Direction’s management set up “PR stunts” that are so obviously untrue, and as a result, they are being disrespectful of the fans.
As a result, a group of One Direction fans is mounting an internet campaign to engineer a “blackout.” They are asking One Direction fans to change their social media avatars to black and to refuse to share news items or PR stunts that show One Direction in a bad light.
A spokesperson for the group said that they will “always support One Direction” but “we 100% refuse to buy things we believe is made up by management for dirty promo. We are not children anymore and we are tired.”
[Photo by KGC-03/STAR MAX/IPx/AP]
