Sunday, April 26, 2020

Liam Payne Can LockDown Only So Long: The Do-Gooder Strikes Again!


Good evening!




















Ha ha, from  "2010-2011", what a dodohead - he said that about himself in his own resume.  

But this would not be Mr. Liam Payne, oh no.   Liam has been "crushing it" recently and how, after being deservedly dormant over the holiday period.  He's been promoting his outstanding collaboration with Alesso, and then last Saturday of course, he made a couple of appearances on the #TogetherAtHome,


 

and he had made a generous donation to the Trussell Trust to help them help others through their network of food banks in his hometown area.  What a wonderful way to give back!   And this past week, Liam (unable to sit still for long) wanted to be hands on and here he was donating his time and using his high profile for the better good.  I'm glad that those of us in the States are able to donate as well and felt this was a great cause to donate to one of the 1D members' causes.  But here was Liam,










Let me tell you, Liam, food banks especially can use the strength of a young man in handling flats of cans and bottles.  As long as you have a good back, this was a tremendous help to the Food Bank.  Good on you.




Narnia loves that Liam was observing good safety practices by wearing a mask and gloves, which protects others as well as himself.  We are sure he likely tried to observe 6' social distancing, even though it looks like someone felt it was necessary to insert a young female helper (not seen) at his side in several of the pictures.  But here he is, and even the mask cannot hide his happy, crescent-eyed smile.


Way to go, Liam!  Yes, you are crushing it.  Giving back to his home community rewards not only others, but he will benefit from this as well by meeting others and hearing the stories of so many who fell upon rough times.  Liam's statement:


• And did everyone else except this author realize that Niall took so many elevator opening selfies?   These are great all compiled in a tweet by this fan:


Niall asking Alexa to play "the song of the day", lol.  Now how did he know that:


By the way, that's a great tune, "Nice to Meet Ya" from his new album, Heartbreak Weather.  


















yessir!!  #download

And here was Austin a couple of days ago, thinking about meeting some cows.  No telling when this video was taken or where [as even Kansas has a lot of these dairy and meat producers ;-)] , but here's Jake's better half showing how good 40 can look,











A post shared by Austin Nichols (@austinnichols) on
 

Btw, we couldn't help noticing how Austy still loves those plaid button-down's, doesn't he?  ;-)  Remember this throwback?
























*wink*

And finally, this particular author loves her some 90's country music (like crazy!), but can't particularly say who's in the Top Billboard Ten right now.  And when country singer Luke Bryan shot to the top of U.S. Twitter Trends yesterday, I was afraid maybe it was some sort of bad news.  Thank goodness it wasn't.

But the reason still wasn't good.  Luke Bryan was getting roasted, why?


After experiencing nearly a month of lockdown, safe social distancing, the interruption of MLB spring training and NBA season, postponement of major league baseball, and cancellation of the Masters and Summer Olympics, fans everywhere were looking forward more than ever to the NFL Draft.  One weekend where they could study prospects, look forward to possible trades and imagine the endless possibilities of the future of their favorite teams.  It's also a time for the college players, their career possibly taking a leap forward into the big time.  A huge moment for them and their families, complete with in-home video this time around and coaches, general managers and scouts  setting up command centrals in their basements and home dens.  

 But for a talent agency like WME/Endeavor who has had their clients' performance stage vastly limited and mostly cut off due to the COVID-19 virus (tours and festival appearances), the struggle to keep their stars visible to fans has been real, to say the least.  Just Jared is filled daily with photos of those who feel the need to be seen, shopping and walking, demonstrating their social distancing and mask/glove game.  

 Luke Bryan had a new album that was supposed to be released April 24, but it was postponed until August.  Yet, there was Luke Bryan, under the guise of Verizon's Pay It Forward virus fund raising campaign, interrupting the NFL Draft to play one of his past hits, Play It Again.  He has a new release called One Margarita from the upcoming album, Born Here Live Here Die Here, but he didn't sing that one.  And the interrupting performance dropped during a player's draft pick.

 Luke Bryan also appears on a high profile show - American Idol.  American Idol is not the ratings buster that it once was, but with judges like Katy Perry and Lionel Ritchie, Luke Bryan is hanging with some huge music success stories.

 It was in September 2017 that Luke Bryan was announced to be joining the show.


And he's good friends with guess who?  One of Narnia's OTP halves, Blake Shelton.  They've co-hosted the American Country Music Awards together for several years and apparently, there have been numerous "bromantic" hugs between the two.
 

Lots of smooches, lottsa hugs all around, that I know this author was totally oblivious to,











 


They even have a ship name - Bluke!
 
 

Interesting that they were given the platform of the American Country Awards to build their over-a-decade long friendship which started back in 2007.  Blake Shelton believes their meeting took place at an award show.

"I first met Luke, I think, at an awards show.  I guess it was 2007.  That would've been the first year I met him." - source: rarecountry.com

















Looks like "Bluke" and "Cockles" (the Jensen Ackles/Misha Collins ship) share one thing in common - potty humor, which we can only assume is supposed to be some form of manly familiarity = intimacy.



And here was "Cockles" literally in the bathroom,


Over the Top in a way true OTP's don't overshare. Here is "Bluke" with enabler, Ellen DeGeneres helping out:


Hmmmm....

Very interesting to see Blake Shelton has been involved in two very obvious "bromances", with Shevine having been tapped down by Levine's "marriage" and Shelton being weighed down with Gwen Stefani.   "Bluke" looks more to be of a counteractive bromance,  having erupted after the explosion of the palpable Shevine.  Much like "Cockles" was pushed after Padackles' on and off screen chemistry was difficult to deny.

Of course, the NFL draft was not going to be hosting any bromantic hugs,



WME/Endeavor knows when and where to launch those bottle rockets, which are usually reserved for red carpets and scripted promotional videos.  But NFL fans weren't having it and Luke Bryan was roasted on Twitter like nobody's business, why?  Because a music performance isn't what fans are tuning into the draft for.






So, here's to Jake's namesake agency for choosing to shoehorn their client Luke Bryan into the NFL Draft.  The ruckus helped to raise Narnia's awareness and we delved just a little further into an artist who hadn't even passed by our radar!  ;-)

Let's end this brief post with one of our couples, Austin P. McKenzie and Kevin McHale.  Austin seems to love to cook as he's been seen in quite a few photos and videos busying himself in the kitchen.  Here they are visiting Kevin's former cast mate Matthew Morrison and his family, bearing tartlets which look quite delicious.  




Now this video was quite cute (coming via Matt Morrison's Instagram Stories), but it doesn't mean that Austin and Kevin couldn't be helping out friend Matt Morrison during the lockdown, if you know what we mean.  






















Everyone have a good Monday as some (many?) of us return to work tomorrow.  Warmer weather is gradually coming upon us and the daylight is getting longer, so this is nice!!  Cookout and picnic weather.   When my siblings and I were little, our family had an old fashioned picnic table and we used to picnic in the backyard all the time.  So don't let a crowded or closed park stop you from having some casual al fresco dining fun!  Nothing says you can't take a blanket, spread it out on the grass and have a little picnic.  :-)



pic sources:  makeagif, gfycat, giphy, gifer
our playlist:  Nice to Meet Ya - Niall Horan (live on James Corden)
                     Midnight - Liam Payne (live on Together At Home)
                     Welcome to the Boomtown - David & David




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Wednesday, April 22, 2020

A Man of 40 Different Looks - Happy Birthday, Austin Nichols!


Well, look who wants to welcome all to his All-Day Birthday Open House!



And while we're on the subject of equine, let's enjoy another Austin social media post.


 

Blue, huh?  We have to wonder if those stunning eyes had something to do with the name?  Or, perhaps the moniker might have been inspired by the signature blue eyes of someone else Austin knows? Ayyyyye...

 Regardless of the origin, this is a very important day for Mr. Austin Nichols, a special birthday because today is a milestone.  In celebration, and with a tip of the hat, Narnia just wanted to look back at some of our favorite pictures of this remarkable guy throughout the years.



Fetus Austie
(He cute!)



Engaged Austin, Big Blue


 Wild Austin 
(We'll let you guess whose legs those are!)



 Austin OTH Utah Slopes, 2010


 Nothing better than Austin in motion


The man behind the man

 Camera Shy, Austin 
(Side benefit, Jakey in his twirly coat!)

Fashionable Austin (Italian Vogue)


Monochromatic Austin 
(There's Big Blue again!)


 Just chillin' with the boyfriend, Austin



















Studious Austin



















Surfin' Austin

                          Strong, standing-by-his-man Austin

                                                           Tree-climbin' Austin















Quiet, in-his-own-world Austin (while wearing Big Blue)

                                               Cuddle-bug Austin
















Truck Tough Austin so he can haul stuff
























Directing Austin


Aaaah yes, so many Austin's.   Someone that his real life partner Jake has known for very close to 18 years, and who knows other sides that we never see.  They have shared many life-changing events together and raising their offspring together has formed a tie and bond that will remain for the duration of their lives.  

As Austin said at the 2018 Return to Tree Hill convention, the lesson he took away from his years as Julian Baker was "when you find that special someone, you hang onto them."  

As Austin looks back at his life as he celebrates his 40th birthday, he should see himself as a blessed man.  It's not everyone who is both a gifted athlete and intellectual, meets the love of their life by chance at an audition, surviving the kind of outside challenges that he and his partner have faced, while managing to raise a large family.

Good health. An abundance of friends throughout his life and career.  A mother so well spoken of and obviously a big influence on his life.  World travels - Austin has been fortunate to visit places all over the globe, stayed in a treehouse, enjoyed the lake life, dined in Paris, walked the streets of Israel and London, bunked with the love of his life for months in the beauty of Canada while they worked together on a film.  He's swam in the oceans of France and been privileged to live on the oceans of California.

But best of all?  He has his family and Lord willing, down the road 🠆 many grandchildren.  Austin, you are a blessed, blessed man.  What lies ahead for you?

Narnia wishes you continued good health and enriched self-love, the kind that hits us all in our 40's as we learn what's important, how we want to spend our time, and are there any changes we wish to make before the sun begins to set. Enjoy this day and Narnia wishes you nothing but forever happiness.

So don't fret over a number, on April 25, you'll forget allllll about it.




















Everyone, wish Austin a very Happy Birthday!!  It's a Big One.



collaboration:  PG and M and M
pic sources:  giphy, tenor,  tvline
our playlist:  Edge of the Ocean - Ivy
                     Birds - Imagine Dragons
                     Denme Un Ride - Juan Gabriel
                     Surfin' in the USA - The Beach Boys
                     I Love Your Smile - Shanice

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Sunday, April 19, 2020

Narnia Says Save the Date for This One


First of all, M&M and I wanted to wish OMG/Narnia veteran "m" a belated Happy Birthday!  Hope you had a pleasant, albeit a different kind of day.  None of our birthdays is the same this year, is it?  But I just had mine a few days ago and I have to say, it was one of the most wonderful ones in a long time.  I heard from so many folks, an old college mate, my dog & cat people, lots of friends and family.  All via phone.  It was awesome and just kind of a Snap-Out -Of-It reminder how special our birthdays are. 



And so where are we today?  Well, since Jake's team wanted to start the ball rolling with a Countdown towards Austin's birthday, let's not shy away ourselves, right?  Because our Big Guy has a Big One coming this year. Ohhhhhhh yes.  So, shhhhh, this is just between all of us.  Keep this on the down low!

Now, shhhhhh.  Nothing big, nothing fancy. Drop in anytime for a little happy toast,




We can easily social distance and salute one of our faves on one of those milestone birthdays.

And as we were mentioning, one way we know this Big One is coming is because his better half's PR team has already begun their countdown.  Ten (10) days prior. Perhaps one day per head at their Gyllynichols dinner table?  ;D




*smirk*  Even after being a no-show attendee during Jake's Broadway performance of Seawall/A Life, despite a two month opportunity window of August and September last year,  now ten days before Austin's birthday, here comes Holland to trot out his I-miss-my-husband chatter??  Naw, I don't think that quite works...















lol.  Yes, pretty much.   And because the orders from the social media team to the interns were to deliver an even "bigger" blow, well, they added this little bit of "rapid-fire".



And it looks like maybe the hope was the "rapid-fire" would be a direct fire, causing Jaustinites to pack up our toys,








 


and go home or something?  LOL!  They don't know us very well to this day even, do they?   smh.

 ANYwayyyyy, that was entertaining.  

 And at the other end of the Gyllynichols "dinner table",  you've got the Birthday Boy to-be using his bro-in-law's (or ex-bro-in-law???) dog as a deard and place him in Austin, TX.   But it is a cute video and big dogs are fun to love on. Even IF the intern should've paid attention and used a video which showed "Willie" as he looks NOW and not several weeks ago because there's a bit of calendar inconsistency here.


 

VIEWER ADVISORY

On a more serious, but brief note, Narnia wants to issue a Viewer Warning for the following video, but feel it's important to note what Social Media teams stoop to or is it strictly the influence of a creepy ex-brother-in-law?  One has to wonder where Austin's sister is who allows their young daughter to be in a video where she is in a playacting of being kidnapped by an older man.  Or is it yet another sadistic maneuver by Jake's team of perpetrating that age-old projected and false image of Austin being a perv?

The manipulative video involves the youngest sibling. This is a trend noticed with both Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles, who along with their beards, utilize the youngest and most innocent of their children to pose with in the non-manip'ed photos.  As the children get older, they do not seem to be brought into a situation where their self-awareness is compromised.  Children get wise pretty quick and there is an age where Dad and Papa cannot pull the wool over their eyes any longer.  It's a dangerous position they risk putting their children in, although with so much evidence now preserved on tumblrs, twitters and Instagrams, the children are all going to know the truth someday anyway, if they don't already and if they do, well....those will be some scars that will likely need some therapy.  
• Boy, this is all shaping up predictably, isn't it?  Of course a reunited One Direction 10th anniversary project is only going to benefit the very ones who have imprisoned or played along with forced narratives on these men:


I think Narnia feels quite comfortable in saying that Simon Cowell and James Corden are the unwanted dust specks on the pristine car windows of life after an unexpected rainfall.



We here at Narnia are unsure where this talk of a One Direction anniversary is going, but given that Sony/Syco have plotted out this Hiatus from Hell to primarily consolidate their power and control over the group (yes, plotted), as well as to frustrate and sandbag the Larrie fandom in the process, there is little likelihood that Reunion talk will lead to anything more than a similar demoralizing outcome. Here's a more than plausible theory of what's really going on behind the scenes. Let's have poor Liam begin spreading the idea (because officially anyway, he is the one member who is not tied to Sony/Syco at all).  As a result, fans naturally believe that the Reunion idea must be organic and pure, coming from the members of the group themselves. Conveniently that makes Sony/Syco appear to be innocent bystanders, passively sitting by. We feel your pain, Louis:




Fans naturally become excited to see their boys working together again and then suddenly something happens at the last minute that tanks everything or makes someone look like a hero. Pay attention to where this narrative might be going, given the previous four years of power, corruption, lies, and deception on the part of Sony/Syco. On April 13, 2020, James Corden interviews Liam Payne and here's the story that's presented:
Corden:  Liam I want to talk to you about this.   This July will be the 10th anniversary of One Direction. You’ve been speaking about this a little bit. Are there plans afoot for you guys to do anything special to celebrate this milestone?

Liam:  Uhm, well I’m not allowed to say too much obviously ‘cause I’d be giving it away. But we’ve been, we’ve been speaking a lot more at the moment. I think we're all feeling that, that the 10-year is a very special moment. Especially, at the age we are. I’m only 26 and we’re 10 years into this, which is amazing. Had a beautiful Facetime with Niall who I hadn’t spoken to in a long time and speaking with Louis. Uhm, yeah, it’s been really nice. It’s a nice moment.

Corden:  See, that’s really not, that's not the answer I, or any other Directioner wanted.  But I know it’s the only one you can give.  

Okay, what have we just been told? 

1)  Liam is the ringleader of this Reunion idea.
2)  James Corden knows nothing about the Reunion so he hopes, Liam will spill the beans.
3)  Liam reveals that he's speaking with members of the group a lot lately.
4)  Yet Liam only mentions Niall and Louis by name. No Harry once again. [Is this to plant the seed that if the 'reunion' falls through that Harry will be to blame, which will cause Larries to be bullied further in the fandom? One of Sony's favorite past times.]

 Then on April 18th (only five days later) here comes the Daily Fail with this "bombshell":

One Direction's rumoured comeback 'sparks battle between Simon Cowell and James Corden over who will host their return to TV screens'

By Jack Newman For Mailonline
Published: | Updated:

Really? Just five days ago, Corden knew nothing about this Reunion and wanted Liam to dish. Since Simon Cowell only owns 25% of Syco (that's right) this means that Sony now owns the controlling interest in the company, Narnia is not buying this friendly competition. We all know that Corden and Ben Winston have had a "special" public relationship (i.e., access) to Harry Styles since his 2017 one week residency. We also know that Corden and Winston have been consistently involved in selling Sony narratives about Harry like this nonsense:  Hmm

“Happy Together,” which has One Direction star Harry Styles as an executive producer and stars Daman Wayans, Jr., is also for E4. ... It is loosely based on the time when, at the height of One Direction's fame, Styles was living in the attic of Ben Winston, partner at James Corden's shingle Fulwell 73.Sep 27, 2018

Or, Harry and Ken-dull Jenner with this EW headline:

Harry Styles plays juicy rounds of Spill Your Guts with ex Kendall Jenner on The Late Late Show

"Which songs on your last album were about me?" Jenner asked Styles.
By Nick Romano
December 11, 2019 at 09:42 AM EST
 

Or Harry, the jet-setting 'vroom, vroom' international playboy,



Of course, we will have to wait to see where all this talk is going. But, Sony is most definitely behind this "rumor" about a One Direction reunion in July. Not Liam Payne. Not the guys. Not James Corden or Ben Winston. Sony Music Group are experts at wiping their fingerprints clean from the scene of the crime. And like always, we will be waiting and watching to see just how this narrative will evolve.  Although one thing is for certain-Sony will be the primary beneficiary, one way or another. If the reunion goes through, Sony makes tons of money. If it doesn't, someone will be blamed and why do we think it will be one, or more of the boys?

 • One thing Sony can't touch and that is the integrity and talent of these five men.  Here was Liam Payne yesterday performing on the 
One World:  Together at Home concert, hosted by Lady Gaga and telecast globally.  



  That was a fine performance of his latest single, Midnight which is written and produced by Alesso.   And there was another 1D'er.  Yes, Niall Horan performed Slow Hand.


The fund raising concert provided some very good performances and we're going to close the post with this one, The Prayer, sung by Celine Dion, Andrea Bocelli, Lady Gaga and John Legend with Lang Lang on the piano.  Beautiful piece.





pic sources:  punchbowl, The Mirror, tinyPulse, Chicago Tribune,
                     tenor
our playlist:  Marry Me - Train
                     Wedding Bell Blues - Fifth Dimension
                     Marry Me a Little - Raul Esparza from "Company"
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