Dan & Phil Part 102: crisis twinks

[lefthandedism]

[rizzo]

i..... didn't like that. 8 minutes of him just..... opening things.

this was a birthday-themed Wish haul. (no offense. the presents were funny. but like. i'm sure y'all understand.)

not even a sprinkle of dan.

i didn't even need dan. but like.

wut.gif

[alittledizzy]

I am also underwhelmed. I think it's because of the long wait (fun fact: this is the second longest Phil has ever gone without posting, the longest stretch being seven weeks after his coming out video - but in that span of time we had VidCon and their desert trip affterwards so lots of IG story content) but I was fully expecting it to be longer, funnier, and more creative. This was such a great idea with such lazy execution and it really surprises me because in the past Phil has always pulled off these videos very well.

I wasn't even expecting Dan, so it's not about that. It was just such a short video, he didn't open that many presents (though two by the same person, really? out of thousands of replies?) and even with the ones that had potential to be super cute he rushed through them. I would have loved seeing him scroll through the dogs deciding which one to sponsor, but nope. Just randomly picked one and done.

I think I'm also bitter because I really expected this video to feel super satisfying and it didn't. I hope he doesn't wait another 3-4 weeks to post again.

[shan]

I'm glad I'm not the only one, people on twitter seemed pretty happy and I thought I was just being a downer. While I had a feeling Dan wouldn't be in it, I do feel like it kind of needed him for his reaction to Phil opening the gifts and to bulk it up a bit more so it wasn't literally just Phil quickly opening and having a short reaction to the presents. Admittedly I came into it with high expectations but it really needed something to make it more fun imo.

[alittledizzy]

I'm glad I'm not the only one, people on twitter seemed pretty happy and I thought I was just being a downer. While I had a feeling Dan wouldn't be in it, I do feel like it kind of needed him for his reaction to Phil opening the gifts and to bulk it up a bit more so it wasn't literally just Phil quickly opening and having a short reaction to the presents. Admittedly I came into it with high expectations but it really needed something to make it more fun imo.

I actually think if this video had come out on Sunday I wouldn't be nearly as meh about it. It would have felt like part of the whole celebration of the day - ig stories with his cake, cornelia's stories, his tweet, etc. I think it would have fit the vibe of the day. But it doesn't stand alone nearly as well, and also the birthday excitement moment has passed.

[shan]

I'm glad I'm not the only one, people on twitter seemed pretty happy and I thought I was just being a downer. While I had a feeling Dan wouldn't be in it, I do feel like it kind of needed him for his reaction to Phil opening the gifts and to bulk it up a bit more so it wasn't literally just Phil quickly opening and having a short reaction to the presents. Admittedly I came into it with high expectations but it really needed something to make it more fun imo.

I actually think if this video had come out on Sunday I wouldn't be nearly as meh about it. It would have felt like part of the whole celebration of the day - ig stories with his cake, cornelia's stories, his tweet, etc. I think it would have fit the vibe of the day. But it doesn't stand alone nearly as well, and also the birthday excitement moment has passed.

You're totally right. If it had been Sunday it would have been a nice short video to go with the day and might have helped remove some of the sting of no Dan tweet but because his birthday's been and gone it probably would have been difficult to bring back that level of excitement. It was a nice enough video but it just didn't hit the mark for me this time sadly.

[Catallena]

Yeah that wasn't at all what I had hoped for

It was SO rushed and it made me feel very uncomfortable from start to finish. The intro is only just over half a minute which is ridiculous. Like obviously I don't want him to stretch things out just to hit a certain video length either, but there is a sweet spot somewhere right in the middle and he knows how to hit it (hehe). I get some people are disappointed Dan wasn't off camera providing sarcastic commentary and hyena laughter like in Viewers Pick My Outfits, but rather than that I would've liked nice chill Phil video with him talking to us rather than just ripping open presents and laughing about it.

One of my favorite things about Phil as an entertainer, is how something minor can inspire a weird story about something that has happened to him or someone he knows, or even just something he saw or read that he probably isn't remembering very well. And then when he's done telling the whacky anecdote, you're left wondering how you got there because what exactly did that have to do with what you were just talking about. But also you're to amused to care. I wanted that from this video. I can't believe that nothing about any of those carefully curated presents triggered some part of him that wanted to go on a tangent about something. Does he think people don't want that if Dan isn't there to yell about how he's making no sense? It's true that it was very much part of the Dan & Phil branding, but it was part of AmazingPhil before Dan was ever even in the picture. I want it back.

He also could've shown more of what he did with the presents. Like we got a shot of the planter (he prefers the ass side, noted) but I wanna know where the calendar is gonna hang and whether the dickosaur soap ended up in the bathroom or not. But that would mean showing more of the house and that just ain't happening apparently.

So it wasn't a bad video, but it had so much more potential and it really didn't live up to any of it. I liked most of the presents, Dan did a good job. Sadly no penis plushie (perhaps shipping take very long on those?), but I love that the Cursed Cardbord Cutout is now just sitting in their forever home.

If he makes us wait another month for a new video with only those uninspiring Shorts to tide us over I'm gonna be miffed though.

[anna_begins]

Overall I enjoyed the video and thought it was fun but it did feel really rushed and kinda low effort.

He also could've shown more of what he did with the presents. Like we got a shot of the planter (he prefers the ass side, noted) but I wanna know where the calendar is gonna hang and whether the dickosaur soap ended up in the bathroom or not. But that would mean showing more of the house and that just ain't happening apparently.

Yes! Like I wanted him to put something in the cereal safe to see how it worked and then put it on a shelf next to real cereal boxes to see how it compared. I wish he would've actually showed him putting the pot in the planter instead of just a photo. Show us him looking for a spot to hang the calendar. Wash his hands with the soap and tell us what it's like. Hide the cutout somewhere to try and jumpscare Dan. Read us a tiny excerpt of the bee book. And more info. on the dog charity please! He flipped through the dogs so fast! Like look at them and tell us how cute they are before randomly picking one.

[phancon]

yeah... I liked it! it entertained me! but it was really, really short. even by phil standards. and definitely felt rushed.

part of me wonders if he filmed it on his actual birthday, but also didn't really... want to film a video on his actual birthday, and was eager to get to celebrating with dan and his family (which i could understand). i can't think of why he wouldn't just film it another day though in that case, unless he'd been putting it off or just didn't like opening birthday presents when it's not your birthday (i remember being told it's bad luck to do that lol, which is only really why this explanation came to mind).

i do kind of think it could've been improved (for me, personally) by dan being there, not because phil can't be entertaining without him ofc. but i think i'd just got it into my head that dan would be the one throwing him the gifts one by one, similar to vpmo, and reacting to phil's reaction as well as looking at the gifts more closely with him. but as has already been said, phil could've spent more time on each item without dan - that was really needed. tbh sometimes i think maybe he does spend more time than this telling stories and reacting, etc, but edits it out because he doesn't think they're interesting enough, even though i think people would eat up whatever wonderful nonsense phil blurts out.

[LAshleigh]

Yes! Like I wanted him to put something in the cereal safe to see how it worked and then put it on a shelf next to real cereal boxes to see how it compared. I wish he would've actually showed him putting the pot in the planter instead of just a photo. Show us him looking for a spot to hang the calendar. Wash his hands with the soap and tell us what it's like. Hide the cutout somewhere to try and jumpscare Dan. Read us a tiny excerpt of the bee book. And more info. on the dog charity please! He flipped through the dogs so fast! Like look at them and tell us how cute they are before randomly picking one.

All of this! Overall I did like the video and I'll probably watch it again but it could have been so much more. Hopefully we get an insta story or something following up on one of these items? Or an anecdote about one in the next video?

Totally agree with wanting random Phil thoughts, as well. It doesn't have to be related to the product! We're not really watching the video for the products, anyway, we're watching it for Phil himself (at least Phandom peeps are, and I don't get the sense that he's trying to attract new people?)

[Catallena]

sometimes i think maybe he does spend more time than this telling stories and reacting, etc, but edits it out because he doesn't think they're interesting enough, even though i think people would eat up whatever wonderful nonsense phil blurts out.

Yeah, I thought of that too sadly. That'd be a real shame.

Phil still uses that busy jump cut editing style that was popular ten years ago when YouTube videos were like 5 minutes long at most. It honestly makes his videos a bit dated, which is also usually part of the charm of AmazingPhil. But in this video I really noticed how that style is kinda garbage for long-form video content in 2022. It's no wonder that this video feels short and rushed when he is not only his hyper self on camera, but also possibly letting everything that doesn't get to the point quick enough (by 2012 vlog style standards) end up on the cutting room floor.

That's also not what viewers want anymore, we have TikTok and Instagram for that. Meanwhile on YouTube people are watching 15+ minute videos all the time, whether it's original video content or just stream/podcast highlights. He could benefit from switching up his style, but Phil is usually a bit difficult about change so I'm not expecting anything. An editor could help with this too.

[LAshleigh]

Okay, I watched the video again and with more managed expectations I do like it. If it had come out a few days ago I would not have been disappointed.

[LtrllySusan]

Wouldn't really consider myself a fan these days but I'm still checking in every now and then with D&P and the forum.

To me, this video confirms how one-dimensional Phil (in his role as AmazingPhil) has become. He's essentially a React channel with exactly one reaction - hand in front of the mouth, awkward laughter. Even his storytime videos are dominated by that reaction (e.g. reacting to MRI pics).

I'm just not into it. I think his go-to reaction worked in balance with over-the-top Dan, but as a standalone thing, I'm tired of it.

(sorry for the negativity!)

[glitterintheair]

I only watch Phil’s videos sporadically these days, but I was looking forward to this one and I gotta say I am a bit perplexed? I was taken aback by how short it was and honestly, I had taken Dan’s presence for granted because he was there for the outfits videos and this one follows the same formula so I definitely didn’t expect him not to be in it. And yes, Phil can be entertaining on his own, but since he clearly didn’t want to (he rushed everything), a bit of a banter with another person where they could talk about the gifts a bit more in depth would’ve been better imo. It’s such a shame because the idea behind the video was great and I think the disappointment feels more heavy because we don’t get to see Phil that much anymore, he’s not present on social media how he used to (unless it’s to post on IG what sweets he eats or upload low effort Shorts on LAP… does anyone actually watch them btw?), so people put all their hopes and dreams in actual video content and then they get things like ~this and feels like a letdown. There’s a need for balance that is currently not here; you can decide not to deliver anything personal anymore but you have to deliver in terms of actual content, especially if you upload once/twice a month. For example, I have been following Drew Gooden for a while and he’s not someone who uses social media a lot and he doesn’t upload a lot either, but when he does he puts out a 30 min video and it’s quality every single time and that’s enough for people to be entertained and stay engaged.
I agree that Phil is stuck on a way of doing YouTube that’s a bit outdated, it’s clear when you compare him to people who still do YouTube these days and adjusted their style and content to keep up with the times. I don’t know what Phil thinks, if he’s okay with the things he does or not, if he’s working on something else behind the scenes, but he should shake things up a little bit, because this way is just boring.

[rizzo]

I only watch Phil’s videos sporadically these days, but I was looking forward to this one and I gotta say I am a bit perplexed? I was taken aback by how short it was and honestly, I had taken Dan’s presence for granted because he was there for the outfits videos and this one follows the same formula so I definitely didn’t expect him not to be in it. And yes, Phil can be entertaining on his own, but since he clearly didn’t want to (he rushed everything), a bit of a banter with another person where they could talk about the gifts a bit more in depth would’ve been better imo. It’s such a shame because the idea behind the video was great and I think the disappointment feels more heavy because we don’t get to see Phil that much anymore, he’s not present on social media how he used to (unless it’s to post on IG what sweets he eats or upload low effort Shorts on LAP… does anyone actually watch them btw?), so people put all their hopes and dreams in actual video content and then they get things like ~this and feels like a letdown. There’s a need for balance that is currently not here; you can decide not to deliver anything personal anymore but you have to deliver in terms of actual content, especially if you upload once/twice a month. For example, I have been following Drew Gooden for a while and he’s not someone who uses social media a lot and he doesn’t upload a lot either, but when he does he puts out a 30 min video and it’s quality every single time and that’s enough for people to be entertained and stay engaged.
I agree that Phil is stuck on a way of doing YouTube that’s a bit outdated, it’s clear when you compare him to people who still do YouTube these days and adjusted their style and content to keep up with the times. I don’t know what Phil thinks, if he’s okay with the things he does or not, if he’s working on something else behind the scenes, but he should shake things up a little bit, because this way is just boring.

This... the bolded bit is it for me. He leaves so much empty time between content (moreso in this instance, because of their ~pajama weeks~) and it builds up a certain level of excitement. And this video concept suggested we were going to get a phandom favorite-type video. And then we just... didn't? And not only did we not... we also got like... 8 minutes of speedy laughter.

I don't mind that Phil's video style is stuck in the past (it really is though). I don't mind that he doesn't want to get personal. That's a reasonable ask from a youtuber tbh.

I mind that my 2 favorite youtubers who used to engage with their fandom like their life depended on it don't really seem to care about said fandom anymore, now that they've got their nice Forever Home and a stockpile of cash and the option to not care. And maybe I'm taking it just a smidge too personally. But like.... Yeah, dude. We're still here and we still want to watch your content and you know that. You know that we're going to watch whatever you give us (give or take a "drawing my viewers" video #neverforget) and you're going to make that adsense and you're going to get the Disney Plus brand deals. But that sucks? The same way it sucks that IRL/DanandPhilShop customer service sucks but they're not fixing it, because we're gonna buy shit anyway. It's that same exact vibe. I feel a bit used and disappointed.

I know it's just one video. And I recognize that Phil maybe has more important things going on we don't need to know about. But... it would also have been ok to just say he's taking a longer break. This somehow feels worse.

Also at this point it's been ~3 years of them hinting that all the dead air is just projects they're working on in the background and like -- where are these projects?

[alittledizzy]

I keep reminding myself that the last video we got from him WAS amazing - it was the texting video, and that was so good. Then I couldn't remember what came before that so I went to his channel to look and... it was the Minecraft video. Which feels like it was six months ago, but was actually just December 6. And before that was Hometown Showdown??? Which was on November 18 but feels like it was SO long ago. I liked all of those videos! The four before that were the catfishing storytime video, which I liked, and the assumptions video, which I also liked. There were the two react videos which were a little more meh, but hopefully the view counts informed him of those being less popular. For me it's just that the time between videos really feels like it's taking forever. When he announced shorts I thought that would be a really fun gap filler but every filter-only video just knocks my irritation up a tiny little bit because it's like it reminds me exists and I just want the next actual video more.

None of these are problems that aren't fixable, of course. Or maybe if enough fans enjoy the content purely as is and don't mind the wait then it's me a me/us thing and doesn't even need fixing. But even if he just used shorts as like a Q&A and answered a fan question from the comments every day I think I'd be a little more satisfied because it would just feel more real.

[Amiaw]

There’s a lot of negativity here and I get it but it’s jarring to go from Twitter or even the comments on the video that are positive to this. I didn’t think this was his best video, it was short and felt unfinished, but I didn’t hate it like everyone else. People are entitled to their feelings but some of the criticism seems like it’s because people are more upset that this wasn’t a joint video or because they’re not more active on twitter and instagram.

I personally do miss Phil’s liveshows and I miss random instagram stories but he’s been pretty transparent about why he’s been ia. He’s told us several times he’s trying to figure out health issues but when people were upset about Dan being gone (which he still is) people were saying all they wanted was communication and that he could take all the time he needed. Does that not apply to Phil? He’s still making videos and posting shorts.
And projects? The only project Phil teased was Hometown Showdown and it was uploaded. He hasn’t been teasing us with “soon” or telling us he’d be back somehow and he’s been pretty honest about his projects being turned down.

It’s sad that we have sporadic content and the phandom is hanging by its last thread but it’s never going to go back to how it was. I don’t know if Dan will ever start posting again or if joint content will come back. Phil’s burnt out and phoning it in and I’m hoping he can find some motivation again and I don’t know what’s going on with Dan but since he doesn’t really create I just hope he’s well.

Anyways enough ranting from me and fingers crossed that things start improving. I don’t even need more content but just more engaged content and I’d be satisfied

[alittledizzy]

There’s a lot of negativity here and I get it but it’s jarring to go from Twitter or even the comments on the video that are positive to this. I didn’t think this was his best video, it was short and felt unfinished, but I didn’t hate it like everyone else. People are entitled to their feelings but some of the criticism seems like it’s because people are more upset that this wasn’t a joint video or because they’re not more active on twitter and instagram.

I think that's accurate, especially the last part. I also think people on twitter and the comments are far more likely to be positive because that's what Phil will see and no one wants to hurt his feelings. I know I've talked to a few people that responded positively but then privately felt frustrated by the video. And there's really nothing wrong with that; I wouldn't in a million years want Phil to read here. We're venting, and it's a space where he doesn't exist, and that's one reason I'm comfortable with it. I can get how it's jarring though.

For me it really is just that I miss him. I think this specific video struck a nerve I'm less sympathetic to because he took an extra long time (six days between filming and posting) for something that didn't fulfil its promise. I didn't even really mind that he took all of January off - I really do think that if he needs time for health issues he deserves that. But in the past when he's taken time away he usually comes back with something pretty solid, and this was a concept that seemed like that and underdelivered. I'm disappointed that the video wasn't what it had the potential to be because it felt like his heart wasn't in it. I just.... yeah. Miss him.

[Grey]

I’m glad I’m not alone in feeling a bit meh about the birthday video. I didn’t hate it but it did feel like a let down because I thought the idea was really creative and the actual video just wasn’t. I agree that it would have gone over better on his actual birthday but the Adsense thing makes sense I guess.

I miss Phil too. I understand that he’s having health issues and possibly other things going on behind the scenes. I appreciate that he’s still sort of around and communicating a bit. I still miss him though. I’d LOVE to have live shows back….

Also while I’m complaining, I wish Dan hadn’t said he was going to come back in the new year because he can’t keep waiting for projects or whatever. It’s fully 2022 and he is fully not back. He didn’t even tweet on Phil’s birthday which is the easiest phandom pleaser ever. So that makes me think it’s not happening. And that’s fine…. But WHY say it? Annoying.

As far as does anyone watch Phil’s shorts goes: I do! And I like them fine. I like them the same way I liked Instagram stories because that’s basically what they are- just posted on YouTube. It’s not like an actual video, and I totally agree that there are more creative things Phil could be doing with them, but I personally enjoy watching them anyway. I don’t have any beef there really.

[Catallena]

I do worry that Phil is just very burned out, but feels like he can't take a break. Since 2019 everyone (including myself) has always been like 'Dan has disappeared, but at least we still have Phil!' and I'm sure he has seen that too. That must come with a lot pressure, and now it's been 3 years since the start of that 'era'.

Before anyone comes at me, I'm not saying that Dan's hiatus is responsible for Phil's possible burnout. There's many factors to things like that including his health problems and the general misery of being in a pandemic. I'm sure they've talked about this in private as well. They know prolonged absences on social media have consequences, but I'm sure the last thing Dan would want is for Phil to feel pressured into making content like that. And as much as I've been annoyed at his disappearances, we know that it wasn't quite his plan to actually be gone for this long.

But I do hope (probably against better judgement) that Dan does return with some kind of content soon, and that it isn't just a one time thing like the Pride Special was, because it would take a lot of pressure off from Phil. Maybe then he'd feel better about an taking an extended time off, cause I really think he needs it.

[Grey]

This is based on nothing besides my speculation but I had assumed that Dan took his leave of absence after they had made enough money that they could have both retired. I was thinking that Phil has continued to hold the fort on YouTube, not because they necessarily need that income, but as a safety net and a way to keep the audience that could potentially give them more projects in other formats. Also maybe a little bit because he likes making videos/ making people happy- or used to, and is still hoping for inspiration to hit him again. Based on that assumption, Phil could just take a break without Dan taking over… but it might be scary for him, losing the audience completely. I think your (Catallena) interpretation makes sense too. I would assume that they discuss things like that too but who knows.

[literally_formless]

I'm also pretty disappointed by the shortness and surfacey-ness of the birthday video, but I'm going to just encourage him in another direction by watching "I Got Catfished" five more times.

[Moony]

I didn't hate it, I liked the gifts but I agree it was rushed.
I just wish phil would switch up his video style more. At this point it's kind of all the same, I still watch it but more out of habit? Maybe I'm just not a teenager anymore

Sweater looks cute tho

[alittledizzy]

Why did I really think we'd at least get a short today?

[Catallena]

Yeah they're very quiet again aren't they?

I've complained about it before, but it's so weird to me how little promotion Phil does for videos. He posts it, there are some tweets, an Instastory or two and then it's done. Why not tweet it out again a day or two later, maybe get some more interactions going with people that (unlike me) have a life and weren't there for the initial drop. Then again, since a good chunk of the phandom these days seems to sustain itself with hateful edgy jokes and harassing others, maybe it's better he doesn't read that shit.

Dan hasn't tweeted in almost 4 weeks either, so that comeback is going well. That's on me though, I should know by now to set my expectations lower.