When Louis goes on tour, he likes to move around in his tour bus as much as possible. It’s not unusual to see him taking a peak on the window after the show, and greeting fans with a kind smile. Something very interesting related to this tour bus that, at first glance, can seem superficial or anecdotal is the sequence of stuffed toys we’ve spotted behind the front glass since his first world tour.
Of course, some of them are likely to lack a meaningful connection, and not everything Louis does is meant to hide a secret message. Nevertheless, there are some very specific references that we ought to highlight. Besides, Louis does have a history with communicating through stuffed animals, if you know what I mean.
The first one, seen in April 2022, was a small teddy bear dressed in a policeman uniform while holding a small pride flag with Louis’ smiley sign on it. Next to it, there was a random, rubber duck in a Norwegian flag, but let’s assume that’s the anecdotal part.
The reason why this is so significant is that, after two years since they began filming, My Policeman – starring Harry Styles playing a gay, closeted policeman in the 1950s – would be released that same year, in October. Obviously, the pride flag is so much more than just a reference to Louis’ partner’s queer film: there is of course an element of self-pride, and it is a very loud statement as well if we revisit the crowd lifting those same flags over their heads every time Only The Brave came in. Still, it is too much of a coincidence, don’t you think? Even more so with these two, who have been known for referencing each other’s professional accomplishments (for example, when Louis showed up in a shirt with the word “house” in French the same day Harry released Harry’s House; or when Harry dressed in Faith In The Future colours for the release).
Going farther into the Larry rabbit hole, a more recent small reference to Harry Louis did with this method (it can also be a common interest but, in any case, I thought it was a funny coincidence) was using a baby Yoda, seen in his wind shield for the first time last 29th of August. Why? You may wonder. Well, Harry celebrated Fine Line’s third anniversary last December with a bunch of Instagram photos, the last one being a baby Yoda holding the album.
The baby Yoda is accompanied by a Sith and, while acknowledging the possibility of this being a bit of a reach, I am unable not bat an eye at the couple’s Star Wars references. After all, everybody knows this franchise, one of the most successful of the cinematographic industry, is all about the fight between the light and the dark.
Two days later, a stuffed kitten and a stuffed owl were spotted in the same place. Curiously, kittens tend to represent gentleness, but also growth, change and progress; while owls symbolise wisdom and courage. One thing we all can probably agree on is that those qualities are very fitting for Louis.
No matter if you take this seriously or if you just find it funny, Louis has, somehow, managed to momentarily guide our interest and natural curiosity away from inside the vehicles, and closer to the tour buses’ wind shields, which—and I think I can speak for all of us in this—is a pretty remarkable accomplishment.
Game on! We will be watching, Louis, we will be watching…
