Dan & Phil Part 83: Where in the World is Daniel Howell

Our two favourite full time internet nerds who never go outside!
Locked
User avatar
obsessivelymoody
emo goose
Posts: 1134
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2017 12:56 am
Pronouns: she/her
Location: canada

lesterchuu wrote: Mon Mar 25, 2019 5:50 am> What was the “fandom culture” you have observed back when you first joined the Phandom and how does it compare to now? Can you share some positive and/or memorable moments you have experienced from being in this fandom?

I joined in December 2014, about a day before they released festive ditl, and a few days before the first dilmas. Honestly I didn't really get into the groove of it all until early 2015 as I was jumping down the rabbit hole and trying to watch as much as possible, but at the time it was pretty relaxed. Content was regular, and the holidays with Dan and Phil always have people much less on edge. However, with early 2015 came their extended silence and then Beyonce-ing of the book and tour, which left a lot of people very angry. Since then the phandom seems to have gone on several waves of extreme/high emotions, and Dan and Phil usually make sure to hint at or ~~"not be bothered by" leaks of their projects lol. I think mainly as a community we seem to be a bit less fractured than back then, but I think I also joined at a time where people were dropping left, right, and centre because of the book and tour, and general loss of interest. I think this kind of fandom spread out over several platforms is always going to be fractured, but I think there are larger community pockets, like this forum, that have more of a connection than back then. And I think we're just a smaller fandom now so it's bound to feel even slightly tighter. Though I think right now in this moment there are similarities to when I first got into it all in 2015 as we have silence and people dropping out often, but overall everything else I said I think still stand outside of that.
lesterchuu wrote: Mon Mar 25, 2019 5:50 am> Have you personally witnessed moments where the fans have been intrusive? Are these acceptable behaviors?
Image
I remember their address being leaked several times in the first London flat, and while it's been very accessible both from shots they definitely shouldn't have included after moving in there and their public company documents, I really don't think spreading it around as a "fan" is okay, or even just as a person with common sense and courtesy. And I think several of the "is phan real???????????" moments that have happened over the years are all grossly invasive, and I wish they hadn't happened as I can't imagine how uncomfortable and uneasy that must have made them feel. I also think some creepshots...shouldn't exist lol. While of course I'm not going to dismiss them because yeah I ~enjoy them too, but the act of taking creepshots and posting them for everyone to see kinda makes me squirm.
lesterchuu wrote: Mon Mar 25, 2019 5:50 am> How much privacy and freedom do Dan and Phil have compared to other Youtubers you watch? Do you think they have started to open up more over the years?
Coming from the same angle as dizzy, all in all, Dan and Phil are very private people who don't get as much privacy as they'd like to have. At the beginning they were very obviously much more open in the way they were with each other, but absolutely still closeted, and as their audience grew they definitely became more closed-off. Of course because of glitches and shitty people that self-regulated privacy was ripped away from them, and, as we can see with 2012/2013, was really damaging and hard to deal with. I don't exactly think they've been opening up much at all--maybe besides some things like Dan's family and making their glass closet a little more transparent as each day goes by, which granted, are big, but they're also things that have had negative spotlights put on them in the past, so I think rather than exactly opening there's more growth and comfort with sharing those things now--but rather they're really working on their own terms instead of the agendas of others, which I like to see for them. I think they're setting the boundaries they want, and slowly working on what they actually want to share, and I think it's nice that they're at that point now.
User avatar
Ablissa
pastel persona
Posts: 1379
Joined: Thu May 05, 2016 5:49 pm
Pronouns: she/her

knq wrote: Mon Mar 25, 2019 8:49 am That’s awesome! I’m glad. I miss chatting.

—fandom culture
I’m immediately off topic because this is the first time I’ve gotten myself to fully listen to ‘The Hand.’ It strikes me that, just like Dan, Phil uses language often used to parody fan fiction: Phil is Dan’s “raven haired friend” and the two of them are “the British boys.” When I skimmed Dan’s story I noted the excessive use of adjectives and wondered if that was an intentional parody. The fact that Phil did it too makes me more certain that it was, and that they’re both familiar with fanfic and its tropes.
Their TABINOF fanfiction will forever be both funny and sort of :? to me. I know that they're okay with fanfiction to an extent, but to think that they may have (probably have) read some of the fics written about them makes me super uncomfortable. They surely must have read a bunch of fics (maybe not phan but literally any fic will do) in their life in order to be able to poke fun at it in such a spot-on way. I don't believe it's coincidental, and it's harmless, but still intended.

This reminded me of their tumblr tag videos. In the first one, they read one of the crack fics (I think the skin fic). In the third one, someone reposted a very nsfw (and well drawn) art piece and they reacted to it. Makes me wonder how often they stumble upon stuff like that just randomly scrolling through their social media of choice.

I know that nsfw fic and art is an ongoing discussion on other platforms. Personally I see no problem with it, as long as you don't actually go out of your way to make deppy see it (like that reposter did). I wonder how they truly feel about it. I honestly believe they don't mind by now.

They've always encouraged creativity and never condemned fan works, which is more than what can be said about a lot of 'celebrities'. Then again, dnp aren't traditional celebs at all.
alittledizzy wrote: Mon Mar 25, 2019 2:59 pm I think directly asking Dan or Phil about their relationship is like a base level 'nope' moment where it is unacceptable, but on the same note - I'm surprised it didn't happen more often during meet and greets. I remember a few times when people threatened to say or do really intrusive things just for shock value but in the end I don't think any of those people (thankfully) ended up following through.
I felt mortified whenever I heard of a fan crossing that unspoken line and hinting at their relationship while actually seeing them in person :/At my II show, as they were leaving the stage, someone shouted 'PHAN IS REAL'. My cringe was real too.
There's also a fan who had them hold up an engagement ring during their m&g (holding the ring together). I have the photo saved and Dan and Phil look like they want to run away immediately right now.

I think the worst kind of intrusive behavior from the fandom was something I heard about but have no proof of right now - that a person actually went up to the door of their old flat and disrupted them in their home. Can anyone confirm if this is actually real?
User avatar
autumnhearth
senpai
Posts: 1726
Joined: Sat Apr 22, 2017 2:44 am
Pronouns: she/her
Location: OH, USA

My first video was Monster Pops, so like... I didn’t get deep into them until around the time of Pastel Edits. Things were definitely more content and happy back then. But we’ve also seen a lot more openness and queerness this past year, and well now that feels snatched away.

Pique invasiveness is Tumblr asks like “How does Phil’s dick taste?” the response doesn’t even matter in this case. I also occasionally get sad when I remember that many of the old receipts we love were gathered with the intent to expose Dan and Phil as liars, at least that was what the rally cry was like on GG in 2012, back reading on that forum made me feel ill.

@Ablissa I can’t confirm, but I remember hearing a tampon story and parents driving their daughters to their old flat. So yeah add that to the above.
User avatar
alittledizzy
actual demon phannie
actual demon phannie
Posts: 7100
Joined: Sat Mar 26, 2016 3:09 pm
Pronouns: she/her

Dan retweeting a three week old Young Minds tweet? Hrm, okay.
User avatar
sapienveneficus
rainbow nerd
Posts: 228
Joined: Tue May 16, 2017 3:22 pm
Location: USA

lesterchuu wrote: Mon Mar 25, 2019 5:50 am > What was the “fandom culture” you have observed back when you first joined the Phandom and how does it compare to now? Can you share some positive and/or memorable moments you have experienced from being in this fandom?
I've been a casual Dan viewer since 2012 but only joined the "phandom" after it had entered the post baking universe so I can only speak to that. I think around December 2016, I was directed to the drug deal and coached up on Dan and Phil: The Early Years. So, on the positive side, I think this phandom is really good at sharing and preserving its history. I've enjoyed having places like IDB and tumblr to share my enthusiasm and discuss DnP's latest content. On the negative side of things, of course there are people who take things too far. People are too quick to judge online. But I missed the most egregious stuff that happened back in 2012.
lesterchuu wrote: Mon Mar 25, 2019 5:50 am > How much privacy and freedom do Dan and Phil have compared to other Youtubers you watch? Do you think they have started to open up more over the years?
This is an interesting question. The first question is pretty straight forward, Dan and Phil are far more private than most of the YouTubers I watch. The two most obvious couple-y examples that come to my mind are Safiya and her boyfriend (now fiance), Tyler and Tom Daley and his husband, Lance.

Safiya makes videos in the home she shares with Tyler. We've seen most if not all rooms in their home by now (she just released a video where they get their closets in their bedroom professionally organized, it's delightful, highly recommend). They also will film in their neighborhood and in locations all around LA. They've shared stories about their families, how they first met, how they started dating, heck, Tyler even filmed his proposal and they put that up on Safiya's channel. My point being that they've chosen to share quite a lot about their lives on YouTube.

I watch Tom Daley's competition vlogs (I'm an olympic junkie and his videos are just so gosh darn pleasant; like bake off but with diving). He shares a lot of person stuff in those videos. What he eats each day, where he trains, who he trains with, where he travels for competitions, and his thoughts and feelings about competition, friends, and family. He also makes videos at home with his husband and baby son. I haven't seen many of those (long story), but in one of the ones I did watch, they were decorating their place for Christmas and they showed the entire outside of their house. Add that to the number of times Tom's shared his local tube stop, and he's one step removed from posting his London address on instagram. So, yeah, I'd say Tom's shared quite a lot on his YouTube channel.

So yeah, compared to other YouTubers, Dan and Phil are uber private. The second part of the question is trickier. If you'd asked me a few months ago if they've started opening up in recent years, I'd have responded with an enthusiastic yes. But this year? We don't know anything. We know Phil spends 2-3 hours each week filming/editing a video and....that's it. We know nothing about their current lives, and they've both still been careful not to dive into their personal lives past the beginning of university. So those two, despite having such a devoted fanbase, are still very much enigmas.
"Someone, somewhere is into that." Daniel Howell
User avatar
liola
rankussy
Posts: 1679
Joined: Fri Jul 14, 2017 3:09 pm
Pronouns: she/her
Location: Italy

Oh this is fun1!!

> What was the “fandom culture” you have observed back when you first joined the Phandom and how does it compare to now? Can you share some positive and/or memorable moments you have experienced from being in this fandom?


I've had an on and off relationship with phandom since 2012, where I was first watching from afar, noticing just how loud of a fandom it was. I became a serious viewer at the end of 2014, roughly around the time they started the gaming channel, but I was still watching the actual fandom from afar without really interacting, ut that's when I decided to know more about them for real, finding the 2009-2010 timeline, the vday video and the entire history up to that moment. I fell deep into the void of no return after the BONCAs though. I witnessed 3 different eras of the phandom, where it became a massive, loud voice that you couldn't escape until it started settling down do a more gentle buzz. I think some of the most memorable moments have been them moving out for the last time, and before that the BONCAs. I think that moment for me changed the way I viewed them, it really gave me an idea of who they are to each other and the way they wanted to present themselves in front of the world, with no words but a lot of gestures. Besides that, all the charity work done by the fans have been really amazing to witness and join.

Have you personally witnessed moments where the fans have been intrusive? Are these acceptable behaviors?


Yes, the fans have been intrusive - although that doesn't surprise me at all, because they're not the first to have to put up with something like that and sadly won't be the last. On a general rule, it's never acceptable to be intrusive, because it's never welcomed. But I can't lie, I think that there are different levels and that leaking their address for million of people to possibly find and invade, putting at risk their safety, and being rude with inappropriate questions are on different levels. Neither of them is good, obviously, and in a perfect world neither should happen. But I'm not naive to believe that it wouldn't happen, so while I don't think it's acceptable behaviours, I don't necesarrily think they should be compared, if that makes sense.


How much privacy and freedom do Dan and Phil have compared to other Youtubers you watch? Do you think they have started to open up more over the years?


They have a LOT more privacy compared to other youtubers, mostly because they are serious about keeping it safe. They don't daily vlog and they don't share much of their daily lives. Their closest friends are either people of their family or people that are not part of the youtube community, so besides events (which they stopped attending) they are never at risk to accidentally be in vlogs or instagram lives, at least not anymore. They don't share personal information to people that will share them around, so over the years their privacy have been just stronger. Of course, that has made the phandom only more curious, but they haven't given in to the pressure, which is I think one of the smartest decisions they could have made. Seriously, I come from a fandom of RPF where one of the band members had to leak his own breakup to a "chosen" group of fans so that he could spread the news in a controlled way to avoid a disaster, and it wasn't even the first time it happened.

Also, speaking from the pov of someone who believes they're in a committed long term relationship, I think their living and working situation has helped them mantain the level of privacy, because they don't have to travel around or meet outside to spend time together, and that was always a good advantage.

I do think they have started to open up, in the sense that they have started to drop the persona and have shown a more genuine side of who they are. I think Dan's depression video, the decision to share that Dan was going up for Christmas and a lot of smaller bits here and there have shown that they have let a bit of the facade go, but not so much imo.
Will probably never be over the BONCAS and the beauty of Phil Lester.

Official Moving Hill Mayor
User avatar
goodbants
drama llama
Posts: 45
Joined: Sat Sep 29, 2018 5:36 am
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Location: US

This might be kind of a stretch, but what if Dan is planning on going back to school? He did mention in Trying to Live My Truth that he thinks about it, although it was part of a skit in the vid so I don’t know how genuine it was. It just wouldn’t surprise me that much. I could see him doing that, although hopefully he wouldn’t quit YouTube at the same time.
:sparkle: this was the most fun i've ever had :sparkle:
Image
User avatar
obsessivelymoody
emo goose
Posts: 1134
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2017 12:56 am
Pronouns: she/her
Location: canada

goodbants wrote: Mon Mar 25, 2019 8:30 pm This might be kind of a stretch, but what if Dan is planning on going back to school? He did mention in Trying to Live My Truth that he thinks about it, although it was part of a skit in the vid so I don’t know how genuine it was. It just wouldn’t surprise me that much. I could see him doing that, although hopefully he wouldn’t quit YouTube at the same time.
Idk I honestly don't see Dan returning to school. Despite the fact that he's a celebrity, I don't think he likes working on rigid schedule like that, or that it works for him. He has of course said that having something scheduled to do helps him with keeping a purpose, but the thing about school is that you're being put under a sort of constant scrutiny of your ideas, without a choice, which yeah, maybe that's not dissimilar to being a creator, but it's far easier to tune it out. Honestly I don't see Dan changing much from how he was in his early 20s about school, and I'm kind of mostly going off of him saying he was up writing his bit and being super anxious before the event with Prince William, which leads me to believe he hasn't entirely changed the way he procrastinates or deals with work like that (which I get, it's really hard to get that in order). And yeah I guess he could do it online, but that's even more self-directed, which I just don't think would work for him.

And school isn't for everyone, and while it may be a necessity in many places for us non millionaires, I don't think Dan exactly wants it or needs it. I think when he says things about uni it's more from a tone of "should I have gone down this route?" and all the what-ifs that come with that.
User avatar
kay
phabergé
Posts: 291
Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2016 8:22 pm
Pronouns: she/her
Location: LA

lesterchuu wrote: Mon Mar 25, 2019 5:50 am> What was the “fandom culture” you have observed back when you first joined the Phandom and how does it compare to now? Can you share some positive and/or memorable moments you have experienced from being in this fandom?

the first video i saw was the pumpkin spice pumpkin cookies video (fall 2015) and i feel like fandom culture only went up from there. i know it gets thrown around as cliche but that was truly such a golden age in this community, i felt like they were opening up so much and being so much more real and genuine, and i had missed the rollercoaster of emotions going on the previous few years. there were so many amazing moments happening then, i remember every little thing that they did that was ~fond~ of each other was like a mini explosion in the community -- when phil first called dan "danny" on camera, when phil grabs dan's thumb in that impossible quiz video, "PHIL LESTER, YOU'RE A GENIUS", honestly we lost our shit every time and now? that stuff is (was?? ugh) so commonplace. it was so fun to experience all that growth. i was in the dnp GG only for a few months before it self-destructed and GG folks creating IDB as a community while giving GG the finger was a really cool thing to experience. i met people through this community i'll be friends with forever, built relationships that transcended dnp and created some work i'm actually really proud of as a writer. it was a really great time and as far as feeling a part of a community goes, it has only gotten better. at least through the end of 2018 i'm not sure about now sigh
lesterchuu wrote: Mon Mar 25, 2019 5:50 am> Have you personally witnessed moments where the fans have been intrusive? Are these acceptable behaviors?
Image
oh god. the first thing that comes to mind is somebody on tatinof asking martyn at the merch booth if phan was real. "he said no but his eyes said yes." i wanted to die reading that. the dad screaming at dan during a book signing, the many times we saw their address leaked or people boasting about taking photos outside of their flat. people literally tagging dan and phil in nsfw posts like fic or fanart. ffs :headdesk1:
lesterchuu wrote: Mon Mar 25, 2019 5:50 am> How much privacy and freedom do Dan and Phil have compared to other Youtubers you watch? Do you think they have started to open up more over the years?
fwiw i don't watch a lot of other youtubers at a religious subscriber/watch-every-single-video level (basically only saf & tyler... cristine... and the try guys? i think that's literally it) but i think "privacy" and "freedom" are two different things that should be discussed separately. their "privacy" has been cultivated by them and tbh i think they have quite a lot of it. aside from the small population of aforementioned folks who feel posting their address is acceptable, i truly think the fandom as a whole respects their privacy and tries their best to support them as much as they can at a safe distance.

now "freedom" on the other hand... no. they definitely don't have the same amount of freedom as other yters. especially straight yters that probably feel they can share their relationship openly and without worry for unwanted and unncessary labeling as they are not part of a marginalized community. this lack of freedom contributed/continues to contribute significantly to what they choose to share with us.
firsttimeposter
living flop
Posts: 114
Joined: Sun Mar 25, 2018 10:56 pm
Location: Denmark

I started really watching them in 2015, and seemed to VERY quickly get well deep into their fandom (not being a part of it but watching from afar). in December 2015 I felt like I had been watching them for years because I had watched all their videos too many times. shit man, I remember when pinof 7 came out and I knew every single word to the whole video and would say them along to it - this time around, I’ve watched pinof 10 once since it came out lmao. things change I suppose.

As for fan experience, the first time I realized anything about dnp was in 2014 when every comment section would have “the phandom” EVERYWHERE. it became very annoying to someone not watching them, this annoyance was actually what made me curious to watch them haha.
User avatar
Ataraxia25
flower crown
Posts: 713
Joined: Tue Aug 15, 2017 1:31 pm
Pronouns: they/them
Location: france


they're both green!!
:gayaf:
User avatar
obsessivelymoody
emo goose
Posts: 1134
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2017 12:56 am
Pronouns: she/her
Location: canada

I love me some domestic bullshit :happytears:

And yeah they're definitely both green.
User avatar
fancybum
senpai
Posts: 1783
Joined: Mon Mar 28, 2016 4:06 am
Location: bork

My only reaction to Phil pretending Dan is a sentient being who actually exists in the world: pics or it didn’t happen.
Thanks and have a great day! Oil me
User avatar
autumnhearth
senpai
Posts: 1726
Joined: Sat Apr 22, 2017 2:44 am
Pronouns: she/her
Location: OH, USA

Have they not seen a twelve hue color wheel? Blue-green and yellow-green are not that confusing. Grellow :roll: But glad we were invited to take part in their domestic argument.
User avatar
Catallena
classy cat lady
classy cat lady
Posts: 3192
Joined: Wed Mar 30, 2016 6:56 pm
Location: The Netherlands

Happy and satisfied that Phil let us know that our favorite idiots still have domestic arguments about dumb shit. And that Dan isn't dead. :ribena:

> What was the “fandom culture” you have observed back when you first joined the Phandom and how does it compare to now? Can you share some positive and/or memorable moments you have experienced from being in this fandom?

I joined what would become the phandom in 2012 right before they really blew up (Phil still had more subscribers than Dan) and it was pretty interesting to see the formation of one of YouTube's most powerful fandoms. But it was a wild time. Aside from Dan being kinda... well ya know. The phandom was also just rude as hell and very divided. Dannies getting brave, Phillies being insecure. Phannies being scared of getting 10 pissy anons in their inbox at the slightest mention of Phan and putting a disclaimer on their blog that it wasn't a 'OMG PHAN IZ REEL' blog (PHAN IZ REEL blogs were blogs that would post the Formspring and Dailybooth screenshots, some would upload the Vday video as well). Dannies and Phillies uniting for once and complaining about it (which was fair obviously) but still ending up in your inbox wanting a copy. Things have been more peaceful and quiet for a while now. Yay us for being stronger when united! :D

But it wasn't all bad! People were very excited and happy when the radio show was announced, and I had a great time watching and liveblogging it with people. The Sunday radio show era was great and I feel kinda sorry for the people who never got to experience it. Oh and discovering new Phan things! I watched people piecing together the saga of the Uma Thurman poster on the door of Phil's old bedroom right on my dashboard. It was magical. :rainbow:

> Have you personally witnessed moments where the fans have been intrusive? Are these acceptable behaviors?

People basically camping out in the street where the old London flat was so that they could pretend to spontaneously run into them and ask for picture. They really weren't as subtle as they thought they were, and anyone who had a basic idea of the area they lived in (and Dan once accidentally tagged his location on Twitter so that wasn't exactly a secret) wasn't fooled. I honestly can't fathom how you can be happy with a selfie when you essentially had to stalk them for it. Super gross.

Active sharing of the Vday video was and still is intrusive. But tbh I'm not completely innocent in this either. I've watched it twice, once by myself when I honestly wasn't sure whether the video was even real and another time with my best friend who wanted the receipts. So while I didn't share it, I do go out looking for it. I wasn't bothered by the screenshots and because imo that was publicly shared, but I know plenty of people disagree. :shrug:

Also the weird obsession that people had with Adrian, back then still a private person and very underage, for a hot second is still one of the weirdest things I've seen in the phandom.

> How much privacy and freedom do Dan and Phil have compared to other Youtubers you watch? Do you think they have started to open up more over the years?

The phandom has fucked up a lot over the years (which major fandom hasn't), and I do think that it has caused them to be more careful about what they share with us. But I think they also just like their privacy regardless of the past, especially compared to other creators and influencers who put their entire lives online. That has never been them and with that attitude they've granted themselves a good amount of privacy and freedom right now. The fact we have no idea what Dan has been up to for the past few months is proof of that. But even before our current situation there were plenty of times where we just had no idea that they had gone somewhere. The phandom has become more respectful as well. It's never gonna be perfect because that's just what comes with being a semi-public figure, but I think we're doing pretty good on that front atm.
Image
Twitter *•.(★).•* Tumblr
User avatar
daichii
rainbow nerd
Posts: 248
Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2016 1:49 am
Pronouns: she | her

so a friend just convinced me into thinking that Dan's absence is due to a plastic surgery due to his lack of photos, please change my mind :'(
Image
User avatar
kavat
pastel persona
Posts: 1365
Joined: Tue Nov 14, 2017 7:36 pm
Pronouns: she/her
Location: scandinavia

It's great reading everyone's posts on the phandom!

I love knowing they still bicker over colors, like the red /orange button in Undertale. But I can't help but think that 6 months ago he wouldn't have written the first and last post, it would have been a video and we would hear Dan shout to his defence in the background.

Unrelated, but I just realized it's almost April. Any chances of an April fools this year? Will they ever be able to top Pigeon Fest?
User avatar
liola
rankussy
Posts: 1679
Joined: Fri Jul 14, 2017 3:09 pm
Pronouns: she/her
Location: Italy

daichii wrote: Tue Mar 26, 2019 2:28 am so a friend just convinced me into thinking that Dan's absence is due to a plastic surgery due to his lack of photos, please change my mind :'(
It's true, Dan got tired of Phil always drooling over Chris's Hemsworth perfect face and decided to spend all their II tour earnings by transforming into Phil's personal Thor. :ribena: :ribena: :ribena:

Jokes aside, at this point any theory about Dan's lack of pictures in the world is viable to me. Did Dan really exist in the first place? Was his face really HIS face? Did we all Mandela Effect ourselves for years? Only time will tell
Will probably never be over the BONCAS and the beauty of Phil Lester.

Official Moving Hill Mayor
User avatar
Ablissa
pastel persona
Posts: 1379
Joined: Thu May 05, 2016 5:49 pm
Pronouns: she/her

Hey everyone! Today is day two of our week-long IDB watch fest!
Thank you for participating in the first day, I loved reading your posts <3

How does this work?

Today's topic is People’s perception of Daniel Howell and Phil Lester.

> How do you personally view Dan and Phil as people? As content creators?


> Based from their past and recent actions, do you think people feel they have been “lied to” at any point?

> If you feel Dan and Phil ever lied to their fanbase, do you think it was justified? Which do you tend to believe - what they said in the past, or what they say now?
Last edited by Ablissa on Tue Mar 26, 2019 11:03 am, edited 1 time in total.
citizen_erased
truth bomb
Posts: 343
Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2017 7:21 am
Location: Netherlands

liola wrote: Tue Mar 26, 2019 8:38 am
daichii wrote: Tue Mar 26, 2019 2:28 am so a friend just convinced me into thinking that Dan's absence is due to a plastic surgery due to his lack of photos, please change my mind :'(
It's true, Dan got tired of Phil always drooling over Chris's Hemsworth perfect face and decided to spend all their II tour earnings by transforming into Phil's personal Thor. :ribena: :ribena: :ribena:

Jokes aside, at this point any theory about Dan's lack of pictures in the world is viable to me. Did Dan really exist in the first place? Was his face really HIS face? Did we all Mandela Effect ourselves for years? Only time will tell
Did phil really just hire an actor to play Dan, and did contract renewal negotiations fall through?

Jk.

Or am I :spy:
User avatar
alittledizzy
actual demon phannie
actual demon phannie
Posts: 7100
Joined: Sat Mar 26, 2016 3:09 pm
Pronouns: she/her

:happybirthday: :birthday: Happy third birthday, IDB! We're a toddler now! :birthday: :happybirthday:

Image

Our forum gift to you: some fun new spring themed emojis! :springdog: :cherryblossom: :springbutterfly:

(And might I suggest a hard refresh if you're using the main theme and want to feel a little more birthday festive?)
User avatar
Stakhanov
haru pillow
Posts: 789
Joined: Wed Mar 30, 2016 5:27 pm
Pronouns: he / him

> How do you personally view Dan and Phil as people? As content creators?

They have called themselves "entertainers" and "youtubers" and that's how I would label them too in a broad sense. While the medium and format they present themselves in has its own characteristics, I think what they do is still best described as some kind of mix between being an entertainer/infotainer , actor and producer. All while keeping a much more direct sort of relationship with your audience than would be expected in traditional media. Over the years, I feel like they have increasingly built up a professional identity (or 'brand' if you will) as the reason why they made videos has changed from Phil's early days of making videos for fun to a professional business endeavor with multiple employees and livelihoods.

It doesn't mean they are not 'them' in video, it just means that we get to see 'a best version of them' that's lightly scripted, highly selected, edited and made with certain goals in mind. But yea, I think they are both awesome people hence why i'm in the fandom.


> Based from their past and recent actions, do you think people feel they have been “lied to” at any point?

Do people feel like they've been lied to? Some people definitely do. Have people been lied to? I mean technically, of course. There's virtually nobody who's never at least made some white lies in a career of 10 years and they've been caught on some little lies. Have people been "lied to" on important issues and should they feel grieved about it? I don't think so, not in my opinion. I think they've been honest on their friendship and the general way they present themselves to us. I also think they keep a lot to themselves and diligently protect their privacy. So they are honest about the aspects of their lives that they choose to share with us.


> If you feel Dan and Phil ever lied to their fanbase, do you think it was justified? Which do you tend to believe - what they said in the past, or what they say now?


Depends on the issue. Am i bothered that they might misdirect people about what moment they exactly fly? No. Do I think it's justified when Dan says "i"m going to end the liveshow because I'm hungry and i'm going to eat" while he might not actually be hungry? No. I do expect them to be honest to us when it comes to things like the reasons why they cancel a tour date or if a video is sponsored or not. Those are situations where they have well defined responsibilities. Other than that, I don't feel like we have a right to an explanation of their every move.
Whether they said something in the past vs now isn't the most relevant difference when i assess if they are telling the truth or if I believe them. I think the specific issue matters most, and what plausible reasons they might have to be lying.
Finding my own inarticulate prose
Weirding out strangers and laughing at those
Jaundiced and jaded, postured and posed
Not that we’re special it’s just that we’re
Closing in on a place where we might get to be
Living real people regularly
User avatar
sapienveneficus
rainbow nerd
Posts: 228
Joined: Tue May 16, 2017 3:22 pm
Location: USA

Ablissa wrote: Tue Mar 26, 2019 10:56 am Today's topic is People’s perception of Daniel Howell and Phil Lester.

> How do you personally view Dan and Phil as people? As content creators?
This is such a great idea! Okay, first question, it's difficult to say how I view two people I've never met. But based on what they've shared online and how they've interacted with friends and family, I view Dan and Phil as two kind-hearted lads. They're loyal to their friends and family, and make a point of giving back to causes they care about. As content creators, Dan's a gifted storyteller (or he can be...). He has a real knack for finding the humor in everyday moments and bringing it out. Phil is a bit zany and makes light-hearted content. The real magic is when they combine their powers (like Captain Planet). They two of them play off each other incredibly well can create humor in literally any situation.
Ablissa wrote: Tue Mar 26, 2019 10:56 am > Based from their past and recent actions, do you think people feel they have been “lied to” at any point?
The obvious answer is yes, of course Dan and Phil have lied to their fans at times. The most famous example is, of course, their origin story. When they first started out, they were very open about how they met online. Then they crafted this story about meeting through a mutual friend which they told for a year or two (I'm a little fuzzy on that part of the timeline) and then they came back with the original story. I'm not going to get into the reasons behind this famous lie because literal essays have already been written on this topic.

Looking for something more current, I believe it's fair to say that they lied in the December liveshow. They very clearly stated that, apart from the gaming channel going on hiatus, nothing else would change. That has proven to be categorically untrue. They've pulled back from social media, stopped doing liveshows, and haven't produced a single piece of joint content. Whichever way you want to slice it, those are some massive changes. So if I were to modify the question from do I think "people" feel they have been lied to? to do I think "I" have been lied to? The answer is still yes. And, not going to lie, it doesn't feel good.


Ablissa wrote: Tue Mar 26, 2019 10:56 am > If you feel Dan and Phil ever lied to their fanbase, do you think it was justified? Which do you tend to believe - what they said in the past, or what they say now?
I think some of the lies they've told over the years have been justified. Some lies were told to protect their privacy, others were told out of fear or feeling overwhelmed (the fake meeting story I'd guess), but this latest one, gosh, I don't know. I'd like to give them the benefit of the doubt and think they genuinely believed what they were saying at the time, but that doesn't make this 3 months of unexpected radio silence any easier to endure.

As far as what to believe, I think it makes the most sense to look to the evidence (when it exists). We know how they met because they told us, they even showed the receipts (train tickets, chat logs, YouTube comments, etc.). So, yes, I suppose when it doubt, look for the evidence.
"Someone, somewhere is into that." Daniel Howell
User avatar
alittledizzy
actual demon phannie
actual demon phannie
Posts: 7100
Joined: Sat Mar 26, 2016 3:09 pm
Pronouns: she/her

I can't wait to dig into those questions as soon as I get a break with work, but for now:
Is that a rug and pillow we've seen before? I'm awful at matching up interior decor stuff.
User avatar
glitterintheair
phillluminati
Posts: 816
Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2017 9:56 am
Pronouns: she/her
Location: Italy
Contact:

alittledizzy wrote: Tue Mar 26, 2019 4:21 pm I can't wait to dig into those questions as soon as I get a break with work, but for now:
Is that a rug and pillow we've seen before? I'm awful at matching up interior decor stuff.
It's the lounge upstairs (the one with Dan's piano etc.); you can see the same rug and the pillow in Phil's IG story of Dan playing that game with the drums, I don't remember its name but you get it.
I'm a winter flower underground, always thirsty for summer rain.
Locked