Justin Bieber And Harry Styles — The Sensitive Hunks With A Lot In Common

Harry Styles and Justin Bieber both began as pop singers with a largely teen, female following, and both guys had their privacy snatched away from them when paparazzi and reporters started hounding them for photographs and digging into their private lives. The One Direction star and the “Baby” singer became tabloid staples, with their rapidly-maturing faces splashed across tabloid covers across the world.

You could chart both Harry and Justin’s journeys to manhood by creating a time-lapse video composed of Tiger Beat and Teen Vogue magazine covers. In the background, beside the hunk’s faces, the trends of feminism and women’s fashion could be seen evolving, with colors and shapes and themes morphing and dissolving. Headlines became more sex-positive and LGBT-conscious as the 2000s and 2010s progressed. As the baby fat came off Harry and Justin’s faces, articles about body-image proliferated, non cis-gender features appeared, 90s fashion returned with a vengeance, and oral sex articles aimed at pre-teens popped up in pastel-colored capital letters under the Teen Vogue banner. Beyonce stood Amazon-like in front of the word “Feminist” at a concert, a member of the Kardashian family had a sex change, and Zayn Malik left One Direction to feature on an outrageous Chris Brown song.

Harry Styles actually found himself caught up in the LGBT monomania in a way no one could have predicted. Some One Direction fans decided that Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson were in a secret gay relationship, and “Larry” was born. “Shippers” of Larry began peddling homemade pornography featuring Styles and Tomlinson in a variety of super-nasty situations and declared the boys gay against their will. If anyone tried to criticize Larries for their actions, the LGBT-porn peddlers would cry “homophobia!” and ask what the hell is not beautiful about two men making love? People trying to defend Harry and Louis (who have actually declared that they are not gay) felt like their hands were tied.

Anonymity in public spaces has all but vanished — even non-celebrities are wary of having a lens on them at all times, whether it’s the buzzing camera moving to grab a picture of you as you walk out of a department store or the iPhones wielded by grinning youths hoping to grab an incriminating video of you shrieking at a barista. Celebrities feel this even more acutely — fans now demand selfies from their idols and shame them with cries of “but I bought your album!” if they fail to oblige. The smallest grimace on the face of Harry Styles is reported as evidence of “trouble with Kendall,” and when Justin Bieber knocked a chair over in a cafe after hearing some bad news, it became an international scandal.

It’s been a hell of a few years — is it any wonder that sensitive hunks Harry and Justin are turning inward to find peace and answers to life’s big questions?

Justin Bieber has announced that he is “done with photos” and will no longer be taking pictures with fans, according to News.com.au.

“It has gotten to the point that people won’t even recognise me as a human, I feel like a zoo animal, and I wanna be able to keep my sanity. I realise people will be disappointed but I don’t owe anybody a picture. and people who say “but I bought ur album” know that you got my album and you got what you paid for AN ALBUM! It doesn’t say in fine print whenever you see me you also get a photo.”

The Purpose heartthrob reflected that “years ago it was impossible to even take a picture at anytime not everyone was accessible to a camera now everyone has a camera phone and Now it’s just a different thing.”

Justin declared that he would not yield to the world’s demands and that he will do what is “fit for my growth.”

“If you think setting boundaries is being a douche I’m the biggest douche around but I think it’s smart and will be the only way I last. I wanna enjoy life and not be a slave to the world and their demands of what they think I need to do!! I love the fact that I am able to make people happy but cmon if you truly were in my position you would understand how tiring it is (boo hoo Justin get over it) I’m going to keep making decisions I feel are fit for my growth and no human being will make me feel bad for it.”

In the following days, images of Bieber barefoot, listening to music, and climbing trees in parks hit social media. Some people whispered about the hunk’s “bizarre behavior” and commented, “I feel a breakdown coming…”

But one Daily Mail commenter was much more understanding, writing “Leave him alone! He’s finding himself and his spirituality.”

As for Harry Styles, the One Direction hunk is possibly the only person in the world who is as scrutinized as Justin Bieber. Harry has revealed that he stays grounded through meditation, Pilates, painting, and spiritual seeking; the heartthrob is rumored to be interested in Jewish mysticism.

The One Direction hunk exercises dietary self-restraint, often cutting out alcohol and junk food for periods of several weeks, and has said that he is thinking about becoming a vegan. Sensitive Harry is always calm and polite, even in the most stressful situations, but the other day fans reported that Harry refused to take photographs as he was leaving the gym — is the One Direction star also keen to start setting some boundaries?

Harry Styles has hinted that he wants a more low-key solo career — the star will model his next phase on Justin Timberlake’s career, and he is reportedly hoping that his short hair makes him less recognizable, according to Hollywood Life.

Will Harry Styles and Justin Bieber find peace?

. (AP Photo / Abraham Caro Marin)