Sunday Musings: Jake G is Back to Work, OTP Worlds are Colliding and Liam Payne & Zayn Malik: The Ultimate Team Serenade

Of course, Narnia's Musings loves to start off with a funny gif, but what happens when the real thing tops the funny gif?  It looks like Niall Horan's bestie Shawn Mendes, along with beard Camila Cabillo decided to take the dogs out for a walk.  Her family was included because you know..."fam cred". 😉  (Narnia likes to call this the Naomi Foner Farmers-Market "Family Stamp of Approval")

Now, first of all, the fact that they are walking on a neighborhood street is too stupid for words and cameras just happen to be in the area?  Paparazzi dial-up 101.

The pictures are hilarious. (Full credit to Buzz Feed)

 

 

 

 

 

 

😂,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and everyone wants to join in the dog circus,

 

 

 

 

 

 

This brings back fond memories of our guy Jakers, when he took "Leo" out for a walk in Los Angeles in April 2015.  The photos were a disaster.

 

and Jake wasn't looking too happy, was he?
 

 

When dog walking goes array...

 

 

Maybe next time, just grab the fit bit, lol. 😉

 

•  Bulletin:  The CW's Supernatural lives on.

The last episode of Supernatural aired November 19, 2020.   15 seasons, 327 episodes, Jared moving on to a reboot Walker on the CW network, Jensen moving on to a show on Prime Video called The Boys, the Ackles allegedly moving lock, stock & barrel to snowy pastures far, far away from Jared and Austin, TX, and long-time meard Misha Collins with nothing on his plate except a guest stint in a film called Invasion with Riz Ahmed.

And, hold on a moment on that guest stint.  As listed on Collins' IMDb:

 I am not versed in IMDb, so I looked up what "uncredited" meant.

The word uncredited next to a name means that the person did not receive an on-screen credit -- in other words, their name does not appear in the main or end titles of the film or show. A typical example is when a famous actor has an unbilled cameo appearance in a film. - IMDb Help

Ohhhh, a "cameo".  So in other words, Collins doesn't have anything lined up yet.  He has a free, available slate as far as acting is concerned.  Good to remember.

But, back to the original point on being dead.  

Which this show Supernatural should now be.  And Jared focused on Walker.  Jensen busy watching their kids, I mean - shoveling snow and singing, while working on The Boys (with one episode credited already).  Collins busy being politically and charitably active. 

For about a year and a half, Jared and Jensen's team had worked non-stop separating them for the fandom's eyes.   Now?  They all can't get enough of each other.  The separate factions of the fandom are all active and pulses racing.  Social media accounts are suddenly thriving.  There's been a revival!

Cockles/Destiel fans are all worked up over the "silencing!" of their ship.  Jensen's busy being "silent".  Jared's words in a Variety interview gas lit a bonfire with his "thoughts" on Dean Winchester in the final episode.  Campaigns to "trend" Destiel.  Campaigns to boycott and sink Walker by the Destiel/Cockles "fans".  Sympathy-seeking and pandering by the meard Collins. 

Campaigns like this one to make a social statement out of Walker by interns disguising themselves as Destiel/Cocklers.  Campaigns which started out obsessed with trending,

 

They make the claim to support many groups, yet with the exception of one tweet pointing out whitewashing in films, their tweets are obsessed with one show - Walker.

This technique of using a social cause to stir up trouble for a show reminds Narnia of another bullying group using a cause to tank the convention group, Eyecon.   Hilarie Burton and Sophia Bush began their campaign to push Eyecon out of business by accusing them of using MeToo for exploitation purposes at their One Tree Hill convention.

And "succeed" they did.  EyeCon was eventually muscled out of the convention business and guess who picked up that slack?  

Funny, isn't it?  That ol' Hil' and Sophia felt "exploited", but they didn't mind the exploitation of the men when it came to all of the "dating rumors" and serving as merkins, particularly Ms. Bush, who over-stepped her bounds with Austin, a married man with children, pretending to share a house with him, taking his niece/nephew to school, oh yes, Narnia remembers and has the receipts.  Not to mention (and always bears repeating when you're talking about sexual harassment), how Sophia grabbed Austin's ass in a picture.

Narnia has its eye on all of the wormy goings-on in the Supernatural fandom and that has been going on since the last episode aired.  There isn't enough bandwidth to contain the writing that could be done trying to cover all of the garish and OTT.  The shenanigans from Jensen and Jared's team to create bedlam within a fandom for a show that is no longer airing. 

The big question is why?  Why is Collins still hanging around, so to speak?  Are Jared and Jensen's people extending his contract so he can appear on The Boys?  Remember - when it comes to committed or married gay couples in Hollywood, especially those hiding a family together, their inner trusted circle is very small.  Is this the reason why Collins' schedule is still clear?

Is it about purposely tanking Jared's show?  It is interesting how his show Walker is listed in post-production.  Until when?  Are they on a filming break? ← This is why it pays to delay publication of posts sometimes as you will see later on how this thought trail is not desired. LOL!

Just some ponderings and musings...that's what we do, after all. 😉  For now, we'll take a breather and continue to watch.

In the meantime, here's a nice promo pic of Mr. Jared and congratulations on the success of his premiere episode!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• And speaking of filming, let's go on a mini Jake-journey and the puzzling ways of his team.  On the 13th of this month, this tweet appeared in Jake's twitter search, which said:

My Twitter altar-ego GoosesTile wasn't buying it, but lo and behold, a day later, here came pictures of.........co-star Eliza Gonzalez.  Not even a visible eyelash of Jakers' to be seen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And again the following day, more filming photos of........

co-star Eliza Gonzalez.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jake was being shy again!  lol.  Now, here's an interesting curiosity.  Michael Bay is supposed to be the director of Ambulance.   Isn't it rather interesting that his IMDb page does not list Ambulance as "filming", nor does it list it at all.  This is a view of his page as of the evening of 1.19.21 and still remains so:

 

 On Michael Bay's Wikipedia page, Ambulance is listed as "TBA".

 

 

And then on the 19th, we were witness to Jake's Instagram being active!  Did we get to see him on set?

No.

It was a salute to his film Donnie Darko and its "release" twenty years ago.  On and on, we were told that he was celebrating this milestone anniversary.   

The only problem is that, although Donnie Darko was screened at the Sundance Film Festival on January 19, the actual theatrical release was not set until much later that year on September 11th.  That's right 9/11. Not January 19th.

Moreover, because of the movie's crashing plane scene, Donnie Darko's limited theatrical release actually was pushed back even further to October 26, 2001. As a result, Jakers was celebrating nine months too soon.  Showing a movie to a select audience at a film festival isn't quite the same as an official release.   Sorry, Jake! I know you needed an excuse to show proof of life last week, but the premature effort to play fast and loose with the facts really was a fail. 

 

 

Even funnier, Jake's Instagram had not posted since September 29 of last year.  When something was finally posted, was the purpose to promote that he was working on this new film, like co-star Eliza Gonzalez?   Nope - it was to celebrate Donnie Darko showing at the Sundance Festival, twenty years prior.   Okaaay.

But, lo and behold, after this puzzling razzle dazzle, here came the set pictures of Jake, to show he really was working.  The little scamp!!  

Looks like he got some suntan going on with his morning coffee in hand.

 

 

 

That's right. There he is!!!  Let's hear it for this guy, who has been in Fam Mode since last summer, The Summer of Mammoth Springs!!  He does a mask fantastic, doesn't he?  We are elated to see him.

But of course, Jake's social media team has to play around with his pictures and try to make them look hinky, smh.  Here he was looking like a Lilliputian next to the SUV.  Look at that - 

The tire is almost hip height.  LOL!  Now, this one seems more sincere.  Here is Jake rocking the suit and a bit of a smile.

 

 

 

And I think the side mask profile is unmatched:

 

That just could be the triple layer edition - highly recommended!  Because heaven knows, Los Angeles is suffering from insane COVID-19 numbers - in fact, 1 in 3 residents are infected.  So we're really not sure why on earth they're even filming right now.  IF they are.  😉  As I've said before, Jake's middle name is now "Allegedly".  

Nah, it's time for Papa to go back to work; someone's got to pay for Austin's Book of the Month Club monthly dues, right?  💰💰

And donde esta Austin, anyways?   Well, he has poked his head out of the rabbit hole as well.   And do we have some news on Austy.  Buckle in.

He has a couple of projects that are both in post-production.  We had pictures awhile back from the Masquerade thriller flick with Bella Thorne (remember they were supposed to be filming around holiday time?) and then it looks like Austin has been in a very small looking project called Match.   This article from Below the Line excellently describes the filming process of Match using a combination of green screens and separate interior/exterior shots to create a "virtual production".  The shooting part of the film took five (5) days.  It will be quite interesting to see the finished product.

Pace Pictures handled the film which is deemed a romantic comedy about online dating.  Both movie role stints were on Austin's agenda in late 2020 and if bro-in-law Rowdy Stovall's Instagram claim is correct from a few days ago, we just may see Austin appearing in the 2021 television show of an old friend - one Jared Padalecki.

 

 

What kind of secrets is Austin keeping around here?!   Say what?!  Do you mean the Bro-In-Law actually said something that Narnia might be able to use for the common GOOD?  This author is freaking out.  What show might Austin be guest starring in?

 

We're going to ignore the whole "Manny" bit for now and just concentrate on the hashtag #texaswalkerranger" which he says Austin has been cast in.  And again, who is on Walker Texas Ranger??? Remember?  None other than!

Austin.....in Jared's show???  Austin and Jared on the same set?  Austin from Jaustin and Jared from Padackles?!  Walking the same dirt and dodging the same tumbleweeds?  Two members of two of Ted's most famous blind vice couples???

LOL! 

Somebody stop me.  Now, you know and I know that we will not be able to have something this good for long, if at all.  Probably won't even get a picture of them together or a tweet shared or an Instagram follow.  But we have today.  We have this moment.  For just...a little while.

STAY TUNED!

• Wasn't it just barely over a year ago that Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel were having all kinds of "marriage issues" over his alleged cheating scandal?  From December 2019:

Complete with pictures.  This "scandal" was followed by "marriage troubles", followed by "marriage therapy", and after several Valentines and birthday Instagram wishes to one another, the two lovebirds were all good!  In fact, they were so good, the therapy worked very quickly and they were announced to be new parents in July, a mere seven months later!  Oddly, the announcement of the secret baby was made by longtime friend, former producer, and collaborator Brian McKnight.  And still milking the het cred, Timberlake/Biel dished out a media blitz about the baby's name over five months later.

 

 

 

Note the tweet makes it sound as though they just had the baby. Noooo, the baby was allegedly born in July last summer and this Round II media circuit is about the release of the tyke's name and to end the "months of speculation"! "Months of speculation" when longtime friend and collaborator was allowed to make the announcement already?  Back in July? 

Let's just say that kind of stretching out of a story makes a piece of Laffy Taffy look like a Tic Tac. 😄

• And we're going to wrap things up with a salute to Mr. Liam James Payne, who performed his last online concert on Saturday, January 9, via Veeps.

He was reminiscing.  He was thankful.  He sang, danced and entertained in a show that was his longest yet.

 

 

We heard solo hits Midnight, Slow, Remember, and For You was performed along with one of his opening performers, Nina Nesbitt.  the Final Act LP4 show opened sentimentally with the tune 18, and from there, Liam flowed from one song to another with his promised One Direction set list which had been voted on by the fans.

 

The One D playlist included such favorites (well, I guess they were really all favorites, weren't they?  *wink*) as Stockholm Syndrome, Night Changes, Fireproof, Girl Almighty, Through the Dark, and Strong.  

 

 I don't know if any of us would be able to quite grasp what it must feel like for Liam to perform the set list without his band mates.  Just like many of us who have worked together with a favorite co-worker for many years, these five One Direction men not only worked together - they toured the world, shared buses, planes, hotel rooms, and dreams, ate and laughed together.  Most of us do not go home to our co-workers, lol.   But, they did. Night after night. They were in each other's back pockets, sharing many wonderful and fun experiences, while bonding over challenging times.  Tiresome times.  Personal losses. Unwanted public images. All of which made them even closer.

 

Just as when a beloved co-worker leaves for another job, we miss them and for a while, things just are not quite the same.  It just seems that this would be a large reason why it's tough for Liam to sing those songs without the boys. Understandably, he experiences feelings of longing and nostalgia, conflicting emotions he has spoken of in his online concerts.

 

We, the fans, appreciate your gift of singing those One Direction songs, Liam.  We have loved your new music, watched you go through the growing pains in a tough, ruthless industry and seen you continue to not only survive, but maintain your courage, your fight and with a voice as strong as ever.  

 

We cannot wait to see what Liam has in store for us as well as his partner, Zayn.   What about that new music of Zayn's?  WOW!

 

These two men, along with their friends and bandmates Louis, Harry and Niall, are churning out fantastic music and never forgetting their fans.  They all continue to engage with their fans and show how much they appreciate them.

 

 

 

 

What's that you, say?  You thought this post was coming to a close on an upbeat note? C'mon, people. We are discussing One Direction here. So take a deep breath and roll up both pant legs as we enter the murky mire.

 

We are not going to go into superfluous detail regarding the cookie cutter closeted stunt that the public was met with on January 4, 2021. A stunt which unfortunately involved the lovely Harry Styles, and someone Narnia is all too familiar with, Olivia Wilde. Someone who should remain nameless, but Sony and Full Stop Management obviously had other plans. [Once again, thank you Louis Tomlinson for your bold choice of attire in December, knowing what was about to go down in a few weeks for your man. That high profile "H" on your shirt was pure poetry.]

                                              December 12, 2020 - Livestream from London

As with all pending stunts, Management likes to use family accounts at the front end to assure an engaged and savvy fandom, that what is about to go down is perfectly okay. The primary intent is to lull those folks, unfortunately all too often, supportive girls and women, into a false sense of security, i.e., peace of mind. "Don't Worry, Darling."  How very ironic.

But, let's put the spotlight on Olivia Wilde by first pointing out that she has a long history of insult-the-intelligence stunts and a shameless willingness to advance her career on the backs of closeted performers (yes, we see you Jake Gyllenhaal). In others words, there's a lot to "worry" about whenever she's around.

 

 

And let's not forget the likes of Justin Timberlake, Bradley Cooper, Ryan Gosling, et al.

 

This is, in fact, why we here at Narnia were watching, waiting, and frankly expecting something pathetic to happen with this out of the blue film role that was announced for Harry back in September 2020.  From Shia LaBeouf's sudden departure ("Oh, I have a scheduling conflict" memory lapse), to the next sudden departure of Dakota Johnson because (wait for it) an unexpected scheduling conflict with a Maggie Gyllenhaal film (always a cooperative closeting accomplice), and then the convenient insertion of one Gemma Chan in October, there were lots of early signs of mischief before filming even began. Those who follow One Direction should be quite familiar with Gemma Chan. What may not be as well known is that she has much in common with Olivia Wilde. First, there's her former "boyfriend", Jack Whitehall [Someone quite familiar to 1D], and then there's her current "boyfriend" Dominic Cooper. That's right long time boyfriend and ex-roomie to James Corden, Dominic Cooper. What are the odds, people?  At this point, we'll let our readers figure out the rest. If you know what we mean? By the way, did we mention James Corden?

 

 

 

With the chess board maneuverings, and the Clue Board Game background beginning to take shape in September/October, it was no surprise that multiple fauxmance headlines hit cyberspace, with maximum visibility, at the beginning of the New Year:

 

Apparently, the only thing not expected by Sony and Full Stop Management was the immediate backlash by fans and even the general public. Almost immediately, Harry's recently released "Treat People with Kindness" music video that had been received so well suddenly tanked.  All the good will and respect Harry had gained for acting because of Dunkirk turned on a dime. Accusations from many corners of the Internet erupted, accusing his reps of queerbaiting or of Harry being a player. Even the most supportive fans were disgusted by what was viewed by many as a betrayal, especially among his substantial LGBTQ+ base. In an effort to save the day, confusing, contradictory narratives started to appear. Were they or weren't they?  Maybe Harry's just a supportive friend. No, Harry didn't get his role because he was sleeping with the director. He was completely professional on set. Sudekis and Wilde did not recently split, but had parted ways in early 2020. Harry had nothing to do with their breakup.

 

On, and on, and on. Throwing everything at the wall trying to recover from this dumpster fire, it was only a matter of time before all the lying would eventually catch up with the dunderheads behind this stunt. Drum roll, please,

 

 

Yes, the sudden availability, a few days ago, of an Yvette Nicole Brown interview on Apple TV+. An extensive conversation with Jason Sudakis and the cast of Ted Lasso conducted on January 4, 2021, settled all speculation for anyone with half a brain.

 

 

@jefezoff you forgot to tell him about the stunt. bloody idiot. pic.twitter.com/xqXQqWv1ar

— enibas²⁸ | long hair louis (@meandlouuu) January 24, 2021

 

Jason Sudekis: "Olivia, Olivia Wilde, my partner...."

Summation:  Stunt rolled out to the world on January 4, 2021.  The narrative is that she had been "dating" Harry for at least several weeks, if not more. But, Wilde and Sudekis were supposed to have split in early 2020. Why would Jason call Olivia his partner and not his ex- on January 4, 2021?

LOLLLLLLLLLLLLL! Like the perceptive tweeter pointed out above,  someone forgot to tell Jason that he and his "partner" had been broken up for nearly a year. Then again, that's what happens when you try to "update" a narrative for damage control. Jeff and Sony should have kept the initial story that Sudekis and Wilde split in November, 2020.  But, then they couldn't go with that story because articles were already implying that Harry had just started working with her on set before their relationship developed, which meant he was a predatory homewrecker, given the couple's two young children. 

What a mess. Narnia wonders if these Suits will ever figure out that Harry's public image would be far better served with the truth. That he has been in a committed ten year same-sex relationship since he was 16 with the multi-talented Louis Tomlinson. That Harry and Louis are the power couple. The one true pairing. True originals.  Not a copy, of a copy, of a copy. But, actually, the real thing.

collaboration:  Prairie Girl and Methodical Muser

 

pic sources:  liamisthesun, liam93productions, memezila, TheSun,

                      giphy, gfycat, cw, IHJ

our playlist:  When Love's Around - Zayn Malik feat. Syd

                      Tightrope - Zayn Malik

                      Slow - Liam Payne

                      Remember - Liam Payne

                      Vibez - Zayn Malik

                      Copy of a Copy of a Copy - Louis Tomlinson