Today at lunch time, I find myself sitting out in the sunshine, about 2 meters away from our group’s ‘spot’ near C Block, and attempting to soak up what little Vitamin D can be found in the straggling winter rays. We are all flushed after having done sport, and are chatting animatedly, though there are a couple who shade their eyes and sulk away the Monday morning blues. As one friend who is usually the centre of everything, making jokes and playing the energetic idiot, is abnormally quiet, I seek her out, plugged in with her iPhone 3. Is the device a little too extravagant for a 13-year-old? Not by today’s standards.

I watch her mouthing the words to the song she’s listening to. I can make out, coupled with her literal hand gestures, what the singer(s) are singing (or rather, as most seem to these days, saying) and I understand: ‘You’ve got that one thing! Get out, get out, get out of my head…’ Pointing to everyone, telling us we possess a particular characteristic/product and suggesting we stop occupying her mind. Huh.
Honestly, it’s not that I hate One Direction, or any other band/singer/artist. In fact, I watched them on The X Factor before they were famous and watched them audition as individuals – and yes, they had talent. But they also had good – no, great – looks, which is why it was very clever of Simon Cowell to put them together, I reckon.

As my friend takes out her headphones, the lyrics suddenly triggering something in her memory, she exclaims, ‘Oh, guess what Amelia said to me yesterday,’ she asks rhetorically, referring to her younger sister who has begun Kindergarten this year. ‘I bought One Direction mag, ‘cause of the posters, and she goes “OMG! Zayn is sooooo hot! And he has a cute love heart on his tummy!” I was like, “Really, Amelia, really?!” And then Mum walks in and goes, “Liam’s the sexiest,” and I was like, “No WAY!” Isn’t that hilarious?!’

We all nod and laugh, some of us exclaiming, ‘Your sister’s only five!’ Others among us ask, ‘How old is your Mum?’ (the answer to which is 35). Amidst all this, I am thinking many things, mostly: ‘Is it just me or are they slightly overrated?’

Sure, they can sing. But there are limits to where you can say that it is their talent for which they are famous rather than the fact they are good-looking teenage hear-throbs who most girls spend their love on. I have to say, I am absolutely disgusted when someone says something along the lines of, ‘One Direction are such excellent singers and that’s why I love them’. No, I’m pretty sure if they looked like the weird creep on the bus you wouldn’t say that about them.

If what I am saying is true (note that I say ‘if’), does this go to show that we judge way more on physical appearance than we should? And anyway, who can say how much we can judge? What particularly makes my blood boil is when girls tell the world they are passionate and go to great lengths (crying when they don’t get concert tickets, flying to the other side of the country without their parents knowing to see them) about the band and then the same girls say the boys are ‘hot’, and then also remind every single person they come into contact with that: ‘Don’t judge me’; please tell me, aren’t you being the slightest bit hypocritical?

This is my perspective of the matter. I don’t want to pick any fights with anyone. What I’m trying to say is, if you love them, truly acknowledge what it is about them that you love so much. If you aren’t so much into them, why hate? To discriminate only generates hate, and when you hate, you’re bound to get irate! (Black Eyed Peas, Where is the Love?) This is my opinion, which in itself is probably a tad overrated…or outstanding. You tell me!