Dan & Phil Part 63: hitting you with our gay agenda

[snokoplasmic]

Also, I'm all for Dan trolling Phil, like with the Pitch Perfect answer. He gets such joy out of it. (I'm getting flashbacks to Dan doing this, and it driving Phil crazy, and then Dan being like, I knew all along, or something. He was guessing something, or Phil was trying to explain something? I think he might have actually said the words "I'm trolling you". Ah what am I thinking of, this is bugging me now. Does anyone know what I'm talking about?)

i'm pretty sure this is from a keep talking and nobody explodes video?? i feel like i vividly remember being really stressed when they were running out of time and phil was freaking out, and then at the end dan was like "lol i was trolling you" and i felt ready to gouge his eyes out lmao. although i can't remember which specific one it's from, i'm like 94% sure that the moment you're thinking of is from a KTANE

[fancybum]

1. Even though it is late, i feel like evening out the attitudes and saying i fucking loved the undertale vid. There is actually A LOT to be said here but the discussion moved on.

"the discussion moved on" should never be a thing, if you (or anybody) wants to talk about something, talk about it! Especially for a video that's barely a day old; how can you beat a dead horse when the horse isn't even cold yet?

Listen I never even watched the poptropica vid (..yet? I might just skip it) or the VR job one but if I have anything interesting to say about either one a week from now, I'll do it (I prob won't). But I did watch the Undertale vid this morning, and I actually really enjoyed it! I know the hype is gone for Undertale by now, so nobody's clamoring for a full genocide run anymore, but I really would have liked to see them (well, Dan) do it, and still would. I've watched other playthroughs of it, so it wasn't like being dropped into the middle (END) of a storyline, but I definitely would have enjoyed it more if we had seen the buildup to it- seeing the other boss fights and the emotional weight (or not, maybe you're a heartless monster, #relatable) of the entire murder spree and see them interact with those characters again, only in a murdery way. But for what it was, I really liked it and a lot of that was because Dan clearly really liked it. Watching him/them trying and failing at something is more fun when there's actual investment in trying to not fail (like watching them try and fail at a game they clearly couldn't give a shit about is more boring/annoying than when they're not entirely putting on the enthusiasm strictly for entertainment purposes. Like this is when Dan-screeching gets annoying: when sheer volume is just being used as a substitute for actual excitement. There's still frustration there, but enjoyable frustration. ramble ramble). Anyway those are my boring thoughts on it, now you go

Charades: obviously. It was everything I wanted and more. If they could just start DanAndPhilCHARADES, I'd gladly take that over live-gaming.

[greenergrass]

I loved this video but it seriously bugs me neither of them play charades 'properly' with the whole 'X words'/'first word' and then acting it out, etc. and instead just try to act out the whole movie/show/whatever in one go! Or maybe that's just how my family plays it!

I actually feel like they probably play it like that when they're playing with friends, but that they adapted it for this video to be a little more silly and a little less legit charades. Phil did slip into the whole x words/first word type of thing, and I feel like he did it in the Buffy video from years ago too?

I agree with this. It makes for a more fun video when it's a bit more scattered, instead of following a more rigid structure. On that same note, people have mentioned that Dan was bad at guessing, and he was just as bad as Phil at acting out the charades in the last video, yet he goes on about how bad Phil was. I think this is partly just Dan dramatizing everything for comedic effect. Part of his shtick is lightheartedly making fun of Phil for sucking at stuff (and I don't think this is just for videos - I think this is just part of their dynamic in life, a fond teasing. Phil teases Dan too obviously and we see that sometimes in videos, but I think they both enjoy Dan taking the piss out of Phil).

I always get weirdly suspicious when D&P upload a video before 9pm. I'm not sure what I think there up to but it happens so infrequently that I always feel like there must be something happening.

I think you might be onto something, because neither of them have tweeted after the video, no replies or anything. They might have some sort of plans tonight (though they were talking about an Indian takeaway, so who knows - they could just be home all night).

Also, I'm all for Dan trolling Phil, like with the Pitch Perfect answer. He gets such joy out of it. (I'm getting flashbacks to Dan doing this, and it driving Phil crazy, and then Dan being like, I knew all along, or something. He was guessing something, or Phil was trying to explain something? I think he might have actually said the words "I'm trolling you". Ah what am I thinking of, this is bugging me now. Does anyone know what I'm talking about?)

i'm pretty sure this is from a keep talking and nobody explodes video?? i feel like i vividly remember being really stressed when they were running out of time and phil was freaking out, and then at the end dan was like "lol i was trolling you" and i felt ready to gouge his eyes out lmao. although i can't remember which specific one it's from, i'm like 94% sure that the moment you're thinking of is from a KTANE

Oh god you're right! Thank you! Hahah I love how earlier in that post I mentioned I wanted them to play more KTANE, and then didn't even realize that's what this is from. For anyone who is now curious where this is from, I just checked and it was the first KTANE, around 18-19 minutes. Thanks snokoplasmic!

[blackdenim]

You guys are right they probably did their charades this different way for the video and it wouldn't have been as amusing the normal way especially if they were guessing quicker! But the traditionalist in me still found it annoying

I always get weirdly suspicious when D&P upload a video before 9pm. I'm not sure what I think there up to but it happens so infrequently that I always feel like there must be something happening.

I think you might be onto something, because neither of them have tweeted after the video, no replies or anything. They might have some sort of plans tonight (though they were talking about an Indian takeaway, so who knows - they could just be home all night).

Isn't Phil likely at home now, what with Cornelia tweeting she was on a plane and Phil posting that pic of the Faberge Egg that was probably in an airport magazine? (this is speculation based on what people were saying here yday). Maybe Dan wanted to upload early and then have a clear night of playing videogames/reading/whatever he likes to do when he's alone.

[greenergrass]

You guys are right they probably did their charades this different way for the video and it wouldn't have been as amusing the normal way especially if they were guessing quicker! But the traditionalist in me still found it annoying

Hahah no worries, I feel you on this too. I'm not an avid charades player so this didn't annoy me, but there's a lot of things where I prefer it done the "right" way and get frustrated when people stray and do it "wrong". So I totally get the feeling.

I always get weirdly suspicious when D&P upload a video before 9pm. I'm not sure what I think there up to but it happens so infrequently that I always feel like there must be something happening.

I think you might be onto something, because neither of them have tweeted after the video, no replies or anything. They might have some sort of plans tonight (though they were talking about an Indian takeaway, so who knows - they could just be home all night).

Isn't Phil likely at home now, what with Cornelia tweeting she was on a plane and Phil posting that pic of the Faberge Egg that was probably in an airport magazine? (this is speculation based on what people were saying here yday). Maybe Dan wanted to upload early and then have a clear night of playing videogames/reading/whatever he likes to do when he's alone.

Oh yeah, I do remember people discussing that, but it was never confirmed, right? I was just assuming they were filming and uploading on the same day, but since it's so close to christmas now I guess most of the remaining videos will have been pre-filmed. So yeah, that's basically me saying I have no idea where either of them are right now lol

[Amiaw]

I always get weirdly suspicious when D&P upload a video before 9pm. I'm not sure what I think there up to but it happens so infrequently that I always feel like there must be something happening.

Maybe Dan went up north with Phil for a few days before he goes to visit his family? Would explain the liveshow on a Monday night and their twitter activity has been at the same time. They've both been oddly silent so I'm going to be trash until proven otherwise.

[sonicgreen]

Ok this was precious. notably:
1.) phil miming "skating" in the small space between dan and the desk
2.) 6:24 was the most genuine laugh and scream of frustration and i loved it.
3.) phil finding ANY excuse to touch dan, flail and hit dan? this is a recent trend but its so funny, finally, phil getting back in dan's fAce.

[alittledizzy]

I always get weirdly suspicious when D&P upload a video before 9pm. I'm not sure what I think there up to but it happens so infrequently that I always feel like there must be something happening.

Maybe Dan went up north with Phil for a few days before he goes to visit his family? Would explain the liveshow on a Monday night and their twitter activity has been at the same time. They've both been oddly silent so I'm going to be trash until proven otherwise.

....... I accept this theory and will also adopt it as my own until/unless proven otherwise.

[Secretstanner]

Funny video i liked it but not as much as the first one idk why. This time I decided to close my eyes when ever the answer was showed and join in to guess which I didn’t do the first time. I sucked I didn’t get one right and couldn’t understand anything phil was trying to do. I know a lot of people say they are playing it wrong because they are literally acting the things out rather than making clues or whatever it’s called when trying to sign a word? I don’t know. But I think because it’s just not a game people really play in the UK that’s why they do it that way. Correct me if I’m wrong there might be some people from the UK on here that play it daily and are the charades champion!. But I always thought of it as an American game and only ever seen it from movies or tv shows. The first and only time iv ever played it was just like them making it more literal with the way I acted it words out. I don’t know what my point is I guess I know why they are playing the game wrong or different.

[alch]

Charades was good! I hope they'll keep the series going for a while, since it's becoming one of my favorites.
I did try to guess what he was doing for the charades, but honestly it was far less enjoyable since I had zero idea of what was going on so eventually I just stopped. Phil has an interesting thought process that I don't understand.

[LurkingTrash]

I LOVED this video, can't remember the last time I laughed that hard, I feel blessed
Really need to rewatch tomorrow because I was shaking trying to repress my laugh (it's late for me) and couldn't keep track of the screen for too long
Also agree with people saying that this way of playing charades is funnier but my opinion might be biased because I find annoying irl when people try to put too many rules on charades it's not about winning or doing it right ~my friend names redacted~ it's about having fun!! lol sorry
anyway, I hope we get many more vids like this one in the future, here's my xmas wish for us all

[alittledizzy]

1. Even though it is late, i feel like evening out the attitudes and saying i fucking loved the undertale vid. There is actually A LOT to be said here but the discussion moved on.

"the discussion moved on" should never be a thing, if you (or anybody) wants to talk about something, talk about it! Especially for a video that's barely a day old; how can you beat a dead horse when the horse isn't even cold yet?

THIS THIS THIS THIS THIS

We actually took away the off-topic option because people excessively used it for hiding or minimizing conversations that were entirely on topic and we wanted to discourage that. The topic Dan and Phil - so it doesn't matter if what you want to discuss is a day old or a week old or eight years old, if it involves Dan and Phil - this is the place for you to contribute your thoughts. But especially something that's only a day old, yeah, you can totally keep convo going about it.

[pastelspectre]

this video was so good omg. i laughed so many times at the new charades video. i'm totally going to rewatch this for sure. the bants were great and phil's mind sure does work differently than others, but thats not necessarily a bad thing. enjoyed this for sure though, might even be my favorite video for gamingmas now so far.

[kuensukki]

Gamingmas has been tempting me to return and make a post but I haven't had time till today so yay! (warning: mindless rambling ahead:

Where to begin... well this year with them has been a whole range of emotions. Happiness, pride, anger, disappointment. I had to reassess what I had believed in them and stop myself from expecting rich white men to actually be considerate to everything including things that don't involve them. But I also realized that I am entirely invested in them, maybe because they made me feel so good and that their personalities drew me in so much that it was hard for me to entirely leave or be bitter and angry for long. I had to reconcile my disappointment within myself and allow myself to enjoy them and their content as I had in the past, now mixed in with some weird feelings. And I'm kinda happy that I did because there has been so much change and development in these past months than we haven't seen in years and its so fascinating to experience.

First Phil, because he is my favorite subject but also WHAT HAS GOTTEN INTO HIM??!1 Mandy actually convinced me to stop sending her long DM's with philanalysis and put it down into a post because I think about him so much. Anyone who has watched him 2012-onward knows how stiff and awkward he used to be. He was always fearful to open up, acted almost mechanical to a point that it was frustrating, and had that annoying wide-eyed look every time he made an innuendo or dirty joke. How he interacted on camera with Dan was entirely different as well. It's such a blessing to see how much he's grown and opened up this year. It's like he's an entirely different person. He has always read as confident and self-assured, but never to the point where he's willing to show it on camera. This year changed that completely. I think Dans rebrand gave way to a more subtle but very much significant change in Amazingphil and by extent Phil Lester. And watching Phil initially react to Dan's change with the audience was so intriguing. I always remember that moment when Tomska said "serotonin deficiency" and Phil reacted with hesitance and then embarrassed laughter. It was like he couldn't phantom people being so open about their mental health/feelings and even joking about it. He's very much had a traditionalist upbringing which probably encouraged men especially, to conceal their feelings. I think Dan was great in being the opposite of that and it helped give Phil some understanding on both male vulnerability and how to navigate around it.

We still have those moments when Phil will overcompensate for Dan's moods on camera and try to make everything appear "perfect" but he's also different. I think he's encouraging, proud and supportive about how Dan has handled himself and more willing to open up alongside him. He also gives as much as he takes bant wise. There used to be this frustrating inconsistency with them, Phil saying something weird, Dan screaming, Phil saying nothing and people thinking "Dan was mean!!". That's entirely changed now because we have Phil enthusiastically being a little shit, and making crude jokes without the pretense of wide-eyed innocence. He's also opened up about his sexuality in a very "Phil" way. Checking out guys in games, moaning on younow about kilt-daddy not showing up on his doorstep, retweeting fanart of him and the burrito man, it's very silly but with a very clear intent. He's also so much more entertaining and hilarious when he allows himself to be honest and open with us. I cry laughed at him grabbing his actual privates and not being weird it. Or openly calling Dan hot without a cautionary look to the camera. When he's actually aggressively "on" in a video he will say the most hilarious things that honestly leave me in stitches. It's like we have slowly peeled back to Phil when he first started YouTube but now he's more mature, and there are aspects of him remain from the past, but he's also progressively different. It's not the flirty 22 year old, but the 30 year old man who is navigating around trying to open up to such an intense phandom and actually finding his stride.


Now their relationship on camera has been so fascinating with me. Yes, they've stopped giving a fuck but theyre so entirely engrossed in each other at all times that I sometimes feel like they forget being filmed. The amount that Phil interacts with Dan, both in gestures, words, and even grabs of the arms are a huge leap from the Phil that would barely glance at Dan. They have changed, and with them there's always an intent. It's nice to see that this year brought the opening up of many things and that at the end, we got more genuine peeks into both of their personalities and their relationship behind the camera.

Okay back to current topic: this video was one of the most entertaining of gamingmas. I actually cry laughed when Phil tried to skate and his ass kept hitting the metal chair and when dan kept messing and calling him ugly when he pointed at his face, it was just a perfect video. :number1:

[obsessivelymoody]

Gamingmas has been tempting me to return and make a post but I haven't had time till today so yay! (warning: mindless rambling ahead:

Where to begin... well this year with them has been a whole range of emotions. Happiness, pride, anger, disappointment. I had to reassess what I had believed in them and stop myself from expecting rich white men to actually be considerate to everything including things that don't involve them. But I also realized that I am entirely invested in them, maybe because they made me feel so good and that their personalities drew me in so much that it was hard for me to entirely leave or be bitter and angry for long. I had to reconcile my disappointment within myself and allow myself to enjoy them and their content as I had in the past, now mixed in with some weird feelings. And I'm kinda happy that I did because there has been so much change and development in these past months than we haven't seen in years and its so fascinating to experience.

First Phil, because he is my favorite subject but also WHAT HAS GOTTEN INTO HIM??!1 Mandy actually convinced me to stop sending her long DM's with philanalysis and put it down into a post because I think about him so much. Anyone who has watched him 2012-onward knows how stiff and awkward he used to be. He was always fearful to open up, acted almost mechanical to a point that it was frustrating, and had that annoying wide-eyed look every time he made an innuendo or dirty joke. How he interacted on camera with Dan was entirely different as well. It's such a blessing to see how much he's grown and opened up this year. It's like he's an entirely different person. He has always read as confident and self-assured, but never to the point where he's willing to show it on camera. This year changed that completely. I think Dans rebrand gave way to a more subtle but very much significant change in Amazingphil and by extent Phil Lester. And watching Phil initially react to Dan's change with the audience was so intriguing. I always remember that moment when Tomska said "serotonin deficiency" and Phil reacted with hesitance and then embarrassed laughter. It was like he couldn't phantom people being so open about their mental health/feelings and even joking about it. He's very much had a traditionalist upbringing which probably encouraged men especially, to conceal their feelings. I think Dan was great in being the opposite of that and it helped give Phil some understanding on both male vulnerability and how to navigate around it.

We still have those moments when Phil will overcompensate for Dan's moods on camera and try to make everything appear "perfect" but he's also different. I think he's encouraging, proud and supportive about how Dan has handled himself and more willing to open up alongside him. He also gives as much as he takes bant wise. There used to be this frustrating inconsistency with them, Phil saying something weird, Dan screaming, Phil saying nothing and people thinking "Dan was mean!!". That's entirely changed now because we have Phil enthusiastically being a little shit, and making crude jokes without the pretense of wide-eyed innocence. He's also opened up about his sexuality in a very "Phil" way. Checking out guys in games, moaning on younow about kilt-daddy not showing up on his doorstep, retweeting fanart of him and the burrito man, it's very silly but with a very clear intent. He's also so much more entertaining and hilarious when he allows himself to be honest and open with us. I cry laughed at him grabbing his actual privates and not being weird it. Or openly calling Dan hot without a cautionary look to the camera. When he's actually aggressively "on" in a video he will say the most hilarious things that honestly leave me in stitches. It's like we have slowly peeled back to Phil when he first started YouTube but now he's more mature, and there are aspects of him remain from the past, but he's also progressively different. It's not the flirty 22 year old, but the 30 year old man who is navigating around trying to open up to such an intense phandom and actually finding his stride.


Now their relationship on camera has been so fascinating with me. Yes, they've stopped giving a fuck but theyre so entirely engrossed in each other at all times that I sometimes feel like they forget being filmed. The amount that Phil interacts with Dan, both in gestures, words, and even grabs of the arms are a huge leap from the Phil that would barely glance at Dan. They have changed, and with them there's always an intent. It's nice to see that this year brought the opening up of many things and that at the end, we got more genuine peeks into both of their personalities and their relationship behind the camera.

Okay back to current topic: this video was one of the most entertaining of gamingmas. I actually cry laughed when Phil tried to skate and his ass kept hitting the metal chair and when dan kept messing and calling him ugly when he pointed at his face, it was just a perfect video. :number1:

really interesting stuff hidden in spoiler just bc i don't ever shut up and i didn't want a wall of text to take over this page

oh man as i was reading this my thoughts were just "YESSSS SOMEONE SAID IT" haha. i really have to agree with you entirely here, especially regarding your analysis of phil. i'm glad to see him growing into himself more. i remember when i joined the phandom about 4 years ago or so, a lot of people would say "oh, phil's such an innocent enigma, he's so impossible to figure out, whereas dan shouts everything from rooftops", which i feel like applies to what you've said here. like you said, phil's clearly had a more traditional upbringing, where feelings are told to be shoved down and repleaced with hyper-masculine/feminine attitudes (i guess we can see this in phil's upbringing when his dad got him that cordless hammer drill to help him 'be a man' ). anyway, i think that phil being an enigma is still topical in how he presents himself online, but as you said it's so interesting to see him grow out of it over the past year. also, in regards to the innocence thing, was frustrating to no end, because how can a grown ass man actually be like that naturally, especially when there's evidence from his older videos to counter it. (also sorry if i just totally restated the stuff you said, i was just so excited to see someone talk about phil in depth like that because i think about him a lot too lol, and i'm sleepy as heck)

i also wanted to address your first paragraph as an extension because i felt like this greatly applies to my experience in the phandom over the past year. through feeling all sorts of new emotions that i had never felt towards deppy (disappointment and genuine anger being prominent ones), i sort of had to do what you said you did in the section i put in bold. i spent hours and hours agonizing over figuring out if they were good people for me to invest my time in (because i was hooked after watching about 3 videos), because i did not want another alex day-type situation, and years back i figured that they seem like genuine guys, which added salt to the wound with all the shit that went down a few months ago (not to mention the fact that i decided to get a deppy related tattoo on my ribs for my birthday this year and i wanted to throw up every time i looked at it lol). but it was super weird to have to step back, but so so necessary. it was a wake up call that put me back in my place, and while my experiences in the phandom will never be the same, i realized how deep i had fallen into the hole. it was like when my harry potter obsession was at its highest and i didn't realize that doing nothing but reading fic, watching fan vids and reading the books over and over and over was not particularly healthy. i guess i labeled the phandom as my ultimate safe-space, and to be thrown back into the reality that these are actual people functioning in our world, not fictional characters, was so painful. but coming out of it, i'm wary and often on high alert, and i really had to sit down and think to myself why i'm here and why this still matters to me.

but yeah idk, i'm glad that you made that post, and i know this is a long, probably repetitive ramble, but reflection and analysis are some of my favourite things to do, so i was thrilled to see a long post that was just that haha

[kuensukki]

Gamingmas has been tempting me to return and make a post but I haven't had time till today so yay! (warning: mindless rambling ahead:

Where to begin... well this year with them has been a whole range of emotions. Happiness, pride, anger, disappointment. I had to reassess what I had believed in them and stop myself from expecting rich white men to actually be considerate to everything including things that don't involve them. But I also realized that I am entirely invested in them, maybe because they made me feel so good and that their personalities drew me in so much that it was hard for me to entirely leave or be bitter and angry for long. I had to reconcile my disappointment within myself and allow myself to enjoy them and their content as I had in the past, now mixed in with some weird feelings. And I'm kinda happy that I did because there has been so much change and development in these past months than we haven't seen in years and its so fascinating to experience.

First Phil, because he is my favorite subject but also WHAT HAS GOTTEN INTO HIM??!1 Mandy actually convinced me to stop sending her long DM's with philanalysis and put it down into a post because I think about him so much. Anyone who has watched him 2012-onward knows how stiff and awkward he used to be. He was always fearful to open up, acted almost mechanical to a point that it was frustrating, and had that annoying wide-eyed look every time he made an innuendo or dirty joke. How he interacted on camera with Dan was entirely different as well. It's such a blessing to see how much he's grown and opened up this year. It's like he's an entirely different person. He has always read as confident and self-assured, but never to the point where he's willing to show it on camera. This year changed that completely. I think Dans rebrand gave way to a more subtle but very much significant change in Amazingphil and by extent Phil Lester. And watching Phil initially react to Dan's change with the audience was so intriguing. I always remember that moment when Tomska said "serotonin deficiency" and Phil reacted with hesitance and then embarrassed laughter. It was like he couldn't phantom people being so open about their mental health/feelings and even joking about it. He's very much had a traditionalist upbringing which probably encouraged men especially, to conceal their feelings. I think Dan was great in being the opposite of that and it helped give Phil some understanding on both male vulnerability and how to navigate around it.

We still have those moments when Phil will overcompensate for Dan's moods on camera and try to make everything appear "perfect" but he's also different. I think he's encouraging, proud and supportive about how Dan has handled himself and more willing to open up alongside him. He also gives as much as he takes bant wise. There used to be this frustrating inconsistency with them, Phil saying something weird, Dan screaming, Phil saying nothing and people thinking "Dan was mean!!". That's entirely changed now because we have Phil enthusiastically being a little shit, and making crude jokes without the pretense of wide-eyed innocence. He's also opened up about his sexuality in a very "Phil" way. Checking out guys in games, moaning on younow about kilt-daddy not showing up on his doorstep, retweeting fanart of him and the burrito man, it's very silly but with a very clear intent. He's also so much more entertaining and hilarious when he allows himself to be honest and open with us. I cry laughed at him grabbing his actual privates and not being weird it. Or openly calling Dan hot without a cautionary look to the camera. When he's actually aggressively "on" in a video he will say the most hilarious things that honestly leave me in stitches. It's like we have slowly peeled back to Phil when he first started YouTube but now he's more mature, and there are aspects of him remain from the past, but he's also progressively different. It's not the flirty 22 year old, but the 30 year old man who is navigating around trying to open up to such an intense phandom and actually finding his stride.


Now their relationship on camera has been so fascinating with me. Yes, they've stopped giving a fuck but theyre so entirely engrossed in each other at all times that I sometimes feel like they forget being filmed. The amount that Phil interacts with Dan, both in gestures, words, and even grabs of the arms are a huge leap from the Phil that would barely glance at Dan. They have changed, and with them there's always an intent. It's nice to see that this year brought the opening up of many things and that at the end, we got more genuine peeks into both of their personalities and their relationship behind the camera.

Okay back to current topic: this video was one of the most entertaining of gamingmas. I actually cry laughed when Phil tried to skate and his ass kept hitting the metal chair and when dan kept messing and calling him ugly when he pointed at his face, it was just a perfect video. :number1:

really interesting stuff hidden in spoiler just bc i don't ever shut up and i didn't want a wall of text to take over this page

oh man as i was reading this my thoughts were just "YESSSS SOMEONE SAID IT" haha. i really have to agree with you entirely here, especially regarding your analysis of phil. i'm glad to see him growing into himself more. i remember when i joined the phandom about 4 years ago or so, a lot of people would say "oh, phil's such an innocent enigma, he's so impossible to figure out, whereas dan shouts everything from rooftops", which i feel like applies to what you've said here. like you said, phil's clearly had a more traditional upbringing, where feelings are told to be shoved down and repleaced with hyper-masculine/feminine attitudes (i guess we can see this in phil's upbringing when his dad got him that cordless hammer drill to help him 'be a man' ). anyway, i think that phil being an enigma is still topical in how he presents himself online, but as you said it's so interesting to see him grow out of it over the past year. also, in regards to the innocence thing, was frustrating to no end, because how can a grown ass man actually be like that naturally, especially when there's evidence from his older videos to counter it. (also sorry if i just totally restated the stuff you said, i was just so excited to see someone talk about phil in depth like that because i think about him a lot too lol, and i'm sleepy as heck)

i also wanted to address your first paragraph as an extension because i felt like this greatly applies to my experience in the phandom over the past year. through feeling all sorts of new emotions that i had never felt towards deppy (disappointment and genuine anger being prominent ones), i sort of had to do what you said you did in the section i put in bold. i spent hours and hours agonizing over figuring out if they were good people for me to invest my time in (because i was hooked after watching about 3 videos), because i did not want another alex day-type situation, and years back i figured that they seem like genuine guys, which added salt to the wound with all the shit that went down a few months ago (not to mention the fact that i decided to get a deppy related tattoo on my ribs for my birthday this year and i wanted to throw up every time i looked at it lol). but it was super weird to have to step back, but so so necessary. it was a wake up call that put me back in my place, and while my experiences in the phandom will never be the same, i realized how deep i had fallen into the hole. it was like when my harry potter obsession was at its highest and i didn't realize that doing nothing but reading fic, watching fan vids and reading the books over and over an he said "Phils d over was not particularly healthy. i guess i labeled the phandom as my ultimate safe-space, and to be thrown back into the reality that these are actual people functioning in our world, not fictional characters, was so painful. but coming out of it, i'm wary and often on high alert, and i really had to sit down and think to myself why i'm here and why this still matters to me.

but yeah idk, i'm glad that you made that post, and i know this is a long, probably repetitive ramble, but reflection and analysis are some of my favourite things to do, so i was thrilled to see a long post that was just that haha

Awww thank you I feel like those who have been here longer are more interested in changes they have seen in the boys. I know it's the thing I've focused on most with the two and this year has been a huge year of growth on their channels. I think for me personally, Phil stood out for the sole reason that I never expected him to change?? I had given up believing that he could be more genuine to the audience, or open up about male attractions but then we had him talking about his Chris Evans dream (my highlight of the year and his as well)and breaking down on camera during the ending of the charades video. (fuck them I'm pronouncing it like they do) I don't think we will ever get real insight into that mishappen brain of his, or him crying on camera (I've been obsessed with seeing this), but that's also something I think he shares with a very small group of people. He very much seems the type to internalize both emotions and problems for the sake of not making someone else uncomfortable with the burden of it. It's easier to be the happy-go-lucky silly guy then to be consistently vocal about his insecurities, both internal and external.

Also something stood out to me about the card game they did with PJ. When Dan brought up the political views he stated someone who aggressively opposed Phil's then hinted on Phil being the "calm guy" during a heated political argument. I never imagined him being vocal about politics, moreso sticking in his happy bubble, but it seems like he does indeed hold beliefs but also avoids confrontation and debate, therefore it makes sense why he hesitates in giving real political opinions to his viewers.

Also forgot to bring up my favorite part of this year which was the transparency of Capital Le$ter. I find it so funny that his shady ass has no problem consistently sponning and promoting every aspect of himself and their brand. I think I cry laughed in a liveshow when someone told him they'd buy a ticket to travel and watch Dans talk and he was like "NOOOOOOO SAVE THAT FOR OUR TOUR" (supportive bf who??) Also his "save net neutrality so you could watch my liveshows". I feel like whereas Dans future goals lie in personal development and becoming a global influencer, Phils lay in the small town dreams of securing a nice ass house, maybe starting a family with a certain curly-haired beauty, having a threesome with captain america and thor, and finally getting his dream dog. It explains his lack of drive at times where he's almost inactive in trying to further his career outside of the dp branding. Or maybe he will be more business oriented since he's been working with Martyn?? I know it's probably going to be something lowkey and behind the scenes ...

okay sorry if I made that off-topic I had things to add

[kindofatrashcan]

I was rewatching yesterday's video and Phil trying to say Saving Private Ryan saved my week.

[alittledizzy]

Mandy actually convinced me to stop sending her long DM's with philanalysis and put it down into a post because I think about him so much.

Look. Some things I just wanna share with the world. Some things deserve to be shared.

Anyone who has watched him 2012-onward knows how stiff and awkward he used to be. He was always fearful to open up, acted almost mechanical to a point that it was frustrating, and had that annoying wide-eyed look every time he made an innuendo or dirty joke.

One unfortunate side effect of 2017 is that I now find it very hard to rewatch stuff prior to this year. The day in the life videos are a lot more normal of a vibe, but the early gaming videos - it's like watching two different people. You get the tiniest glimpses of what today is just the natural flow of videos, and it's really jarring to remember how those tiny glimpses were the scraps that this fandom (okay, the analytical personality-based-interest side of it) fed on for weeks back then. We wrote novels amongst ourselves in forums trying to figure out who the Real Phil Lester behind the carefully constructed AmazingPhil persona was. Turns out, if you peel back at least one layer then the real Phil Lester punches Dan and talks about penis a lot.

He's very much had a traditionalist upbringing which probably encouraged men especially, to conceal their feelings. I think Dan was great in being the opposite of that and it helped give Phil some understanding on both male vulnerability and how to navigate around it.

like you said, phil's clearly had a more traditional upbringing, where feelings are told to be shoved down and repleaced with hyper-masculine/feminine attitudes (i guess we can see this in phil's upbringing when his dad got him that cordless hammer drill to help him 'be a man' )

This makes me wonder what his family that watches his videos actually thinks about the ~new Phil Lester? He's definitely said that his mother watches his videos, I wonder if she watches the gaming ones too? Or hell, even Martyn, who is probably the person in Phil's family most situated in a position that allows him to see Phil's professional side as well as his personal side regularly.

There used to be this frustrating inconsistency with them, Phil saying something weird, Dan screaming, Phil saying nothing and people thinking "Dan was mean!!". That's entirely changed now because we have Phil enthusiastically being a little shit, and making crude jokes without the pretense of wide-eyed innocence.

One of the biggest benefits of this is the fact that the Phil Protection Squad has taken it back a notch. I think it was around the time of the spicy gummy bear prank that Dan made a comment somewhere about Phil giving back as good as he gets but now we actually see it. They have totally different styles of humor but Phil has let go of some of that people-pleaser attitude that drives him to always appear polite and well-mannered and lets himself publicly drag Dan more and more. (Phil calling Dan by generic guys names when he's being sassy is my fave.)

He's also opened up about his sexuality in a very "Phil" way. Checking out guys in games, moaning on younow about kilt-daddy not showing up on his doorstep, retweeting fanart of him and the burrito man, it's very silly but with a very clear intent. He's also so much more entertaining and hilarious when he allows himself to be honest and open with us. I cry laughed at him grabbing his actual privates and not being weird it. Or openly calling Dan hot without a cautionary look to the camera. When he's actually aggressively "on" in a video he will say the most hilarious things that honestly leave me in stitches. It's like we have slowly peeled back to Phil when he first started YouTube but now he's more mature, and there are aspects of him remain from the past, but he's also progressively different. It's not the flirty 22 year old, but the 30 year old man who is navigating around trying to open up to such an intense phandom and actually finding his stride.

Now their relationship on camera has been so fascinating with me. Yes, they've stopped giving a fuck but theyre so entirely engrossed in each other at all times that I sometimes feel like they forget being filmed. The amount that Phil interacts with Dan, both in gestures, words, and even grabs of the arms are a huge leap from the Phil that would barely glance at Dan. They have changed, and with them there's always an intent. It's nice to see that this year brought the opening up of many things and that at the end, we got more genuine peeks into both of their personalities and their relationship behind the camera.

First bolded statement I just wholeheartedly agree with.

Second bolded statement: I think the intent is really interesting to consider. I think that the intent is different for Dan than it is for Phil, I think a lot of Dan's changes are around being more comfortable with his mental health and wanting to feel more in control of his brand. But for Phil - in my mind, right now I'm still on the side of the intent just being ensure longevity. I think that Phil would have soon been (if not already was) at a point of burnout on how engaged he could be with youtube while still being so personally reserved from the person he was on camera in gaming videos. I think AmazingPhil as the main channel could have continued indefinitely but one video a month vs three a week with restrained behavior towards another person you have a very different natural dynamic with are different levels of effort. The adjustments that they've individually made in 2017 as to how they present on camera and with each other, and even moreso the level of what they do and don't share and lack of apology for it, are a setup to build on for years to come.

Also forgot to bring up my favorite part of this year which was the transparency of Capital Le$ter. I find it so funny that his shady ass has no problem consistently sponning and promoting every aspect of himself and their brand.

I don't think it's widespread enough in phandom to get his attention but if Dan does a year in memes video in January, capita£ester deserves a spot on it. The more tongue in cheek the shameless spon becomes the more I love it. It's one of those areas in which I don't care if the fourth wall disappear; I will take blatant "we made shirts, go buy shirts" over some cheesy ass "I mass produced these rubber wristbands because YOU WANT IT and it's ALL FOR YOU this is because we're a COMMUNITY" bs other youtubers serve. (And don't get me wrong, Dan and Phil occasionally do serve that as well, I just like the gradual reduction of it in favor of cheeky spon every time they get the chance.)

[fancybum]

He's also opened up about his sexuality in a very "Phil" way. Checking out guys in games, moaning on younow about kilt-daddy not showing up on his doorstep, retweeting fanart of him and the burrito man, it's very silly but with a very clear intent. He's also so much more entertaining and hilarious when he allows himself to be honest and open with us. I cry laughed at him grabbing his actual privates and not being weird it. Or openly calling Dan hot without a cautionary look to the camera. When he's actually aggressively "on" in a video he will say the most hilarious things that honestly leave me in stitches. It's like we have slowly peeled back to Phil when he first started YouTube but now he's more mature, and there are aspects of him remain from the past, but he's also progressively different. It's not the flirty 22 year old, but the 30 year old man who is navigating around trying to open up to such an intense phandom and actually finding his stride.

Now their relationship on camera has been so fascinating with me. Yes, they've stopped giving a fuck but theyre so entirely engrossed in each other at all times that I sometimes feel like they forget being filmed. The amount that Phil interacts with Dan, both in gestures, words, and even grabs of the arms are a huge leap from the Phil that would barely glance at Dan. They have changed, and with them there's always an intent. It's nice to see that this year brought the opening up of many things and that at the end, we got more genuine peeks into both of their personalities and their relationship behind the camera.

First bolded statement I just wholeheartedly agree with.

Second bolded statement: I think the intent is really interesting to consider. I think that the intent is different for Dan than it is for Phil, I think a lot of Dan's changes are around being more comfortable with his mental health and wanting to feel more in control of his brand. But for Phil - in my mind, right now I'm still on the side of the intent just being ensure longevity. I think that Phil would have soon been (if not already was) at a point of burnout on how engaged he could be with youtube while still being so personally reserved from the person he was on camera in gaming videos. I think AmazingPhil as the main channel could have continued indefinitely but one video a month vs three a week with restrained behavior towards another person you have a very different natural dynamic with are different levels of effort. The adjustments that they've individually made in 2017 as to how they present on camera and with each other, and even moreso the level of what they do and don't share and lack of apology for it, are a setup to build on for years to come.

Hardcore yes to all of this, but I think another huge, and specific, factor is the upcoming tour. We've been saying they're 'loosening up' for years now, but it's always in different ways and about different things, some more subtle than others. They loosened up a lot around/during the last tour with how they interacted with each other in videos because of how much time they were spending performing together on stage and in m&gs. Like they were basically forced to be more relaxed and ‘natural’ with less (physical) defensiveness/reluctance just through repetition (and maybe through seeing that nothing really changed/nothing bad happened when they gave themselves permission to relax). Tatinof was basically some inadvertent cbt for them, and I mean that in the least offensive way possible, be nice. But tatinof was still a heavily scripted thing, D&P had just about everything mapped out, from their lines to their movements. This tour will be much less so, from the sounds of it. So Phil building up to a fairly unpredictable hours-long joint performance by giving himself more leeway to relax now in the ways we’re seeing makes a lot of sense (in terms of ‘intent’). It’s just going to be the two of them on stage (for hours, this isn’t some 20 minute game stream or 40 min solo small talk session) trying to entertain the audience and themselves without the familiar safety of a script, there’s no room to be second-guessing everything or holding too much back on top of that.

[alittledizzy]

Okay now.... where is Dan.

[DatCog]

Aww he's cute all wrapped up in his snuggly coat . Guess Dan is still in the flat until xmas eve!

[onceinaugust]

Okay now.... where is Dan.

This reminds me so much of the IOM pic of Dan from Phil's birthday that I'm thinking it was almost intentional? I mean, Dan didn't say he wasn't going to the north for any time, just that he was going to his family as late as possible.

[rizzo]

Okay now.... where is Dan.

This reminds me so much of IOM pic of Dan from Phil's birthday that I'm thinking it was almost intentional? I mean, Dan didn't say he wasn't going to the north for any time, just that he was going to his family as late as possible.

Dan is guilty until proven innocent here. I'm choosing to believe he's spending a few days on IoM with the Lester clan. He can feel free to provide evidence to the contrary at any time~

Phil... Phil looks so good. No weird faces. Character development!

[confusedpanda]

Okay now.... where is Dan.

This reminds me so much of the IOM pic of Dan from Phil's birthday that I'm thinking it was almost intentional? I mean, Dan didn't say he wasn't going to the north for any time, just that he was going to his family as late as possible.

I was literally just about to post the same thing! It really does remind me of that picture!!! Ahh and you all can fight me on the fact that I will believe dan is up there with them (at least till Xmas eve) until proven otherwise. I am so in awe over this photo, I feel all mushy just looking at it.

[JustMarie]

Okay now.... where is Dan.

Aaaaaah he looks so cute
It reminds me of Dan's from back in January.
I swear if Dan is actually in IOM as everyone is saying I'm going to lose my mind