We’re living in a moment when we’re suddenly just waking up to the fact that we’ve spent centuries treating young women like garbage — fed them the lie that they’re not good enough or smart enough or thin enough or pretty enough, and then wondered why so many of them grow up and develop self-esteem issues or eating disorders or stay in abusive relationships or generally feel like they are not entitled to any of the good things in this world. So any kind of cultural product that grabs a megaphone and tells girls in no uncertain terms that they are inherently worthy of love and adoration and respect is more than okay in my book — it’s maybe even a teensy bit radical. One Direction might take this sort of message to the extreme, but — not unlike the selfie — they’re an understandably overblown corrective to a culture that in the past has systemically striped young women of their self-confidence. They’re a boy band perfectly compatible with the coming era of the strong woman. They worship her even more than she worships them. Four humble, immaculately coiffed servants bowing to millions and millions of queens.