You Got Me Cursing... ("Daylight" MV)

On July 19, 2023 Harry Styles released the official music video for his song “Daylight”.

The video is set on, what I believe is, a circus set.

Harry starts the music video by climbing down a Dr Seuss like tall ladder.

He then goes around and stops at different circus acts. Said acts include knife throwing, juggling, and acrobatics.

A certain “act” I have an issue with is Harry speaking into a giant megaphone.

I have an issue with this part because the person on the other end of the megaphone is plugging their ears. To me this is supposed to be a way to show the person is deaf.

I’m quick to write off it’s showing Harry being too loud because I’ve always seen that shown in the way of the person being yelled at is hit with a bunch of wind.

For example, in Pink’s music video for “All I Know So Far”, she yells at multiple guys one at a time and each time it shows wind blowing really hard on their faces and their hair blows off.

That is until she gets to her husband, Carey.

Even then, though, the video shows wind blowing on Carey’s face and hair.

If that human being on the opposite end of the megaphone was supposed to be deaf, there are other ways to show that.

Also, the circus doesn’t have a good history in relation to disabled people.

I’m not currently sure about other countries, but in America the circus was one of the only ways disabled people were allowed to be seen in public during the Ugly Laws.

Now, I understand that’s in America and Harry isn’t American, but he is an international artist.

People don’t deserve to feel like they’re being made fun of or mocked just because someone didn’t do enough research.

I have zero idea if the person plugging their ears in the “Daylight” music video is actually deaf. I have no idea who they are.

Whether or not that human being is or is supposed to be deaf, Harry has sparingly included disability representation in this music videos. And it’s not okay.

We [disabled people] deserve to be seen as authentic and free and unapologetic as we (do and deserve to) live.