That is a nice sentiment from Tran, but I honestly don’t know what I think Dan thinks about the audience anymore. I don’t really trust their tour selves because they had to be on their best behaviours the entire time to not only keep selling tickets (and merch etc), but to give everybody a good and positive overall experience that had to be equal for each show (so nobody would feel ripped off or bad/guilty about getting them on (or oh no, maybe even causing them to have) an off day). They had to be happy and excited and having the best time ever, and giving the best show ever, every night. They’re professionals whose literal stated goal and theme was to give the people what they want, and the people want to think we mean as much to them as D&P mean to us, and that’s (apparently, at least for people who were able to enjoy any aspect of last year, can’t speak from experience there) what “we” got. BUT now at a time where Dan doesn’t have to be on his best behaviour in order to sell anything (apart from Phil’s merch here and there apparently,,,), what we’re getting is... no communication or anything at all, nothing to indicate he gives even an errant care about engaging with, or even placating, an audience. And of course, he doesn’t have to. But it’s much easier to take a negative or at least indifferent meaning from that. My current takeaway is that he just does. not. care (which again he doesn't have to) and without a big project to sell (or even a small project like
videos of any kind on any channel), he has no reason to care, or pretend to.
I think him and crabstickz are actually very similar. I love Chris and will fight anybody who has one negative thing to say about him (unless the negative thing is said fondly, because same), but he’s even "worse" than Dan when it comes to discarding an audience and pulling disappearing acts when promising to post and be alive. But I don’t have any bitter feelings toward Chris about that, possibly because he’s so upfront about the way he is (or possibly because he's been like this so long which means maybe I'll mellow about Dan if he continues in this vein for a couple more years- because what else would there be to do at that point but mellow?). He openly discusses not quite feeling comfortable with the audience he most resonated with, not trusting what they actually enjoy/ed about him (yes, being dismissive, thinking it’s just a lot of girls watching him because they think he’s hot, and not knowing how to take that, and also not trusting protestations to the contrary). Offensive? Kind of. Completely incorrect? Who's to say?
Slightly problematic or not, I at least appreciate the transparency, and I think being upfront in that way (honestly detailing what you find uncomfortable to deal with as an internet personality without sugarcoating it or just quietly internalizing any resentments completely while saying everything’s great all the time
except maybe don’t stalk me at an airport if you can find it in your benevolent heart to refrain, but we do so appreciate you so ultimately it’ll still be fine if you do lol please don’t be mad at the suggestion and sorry for bringing it up).
Over the years, Chris been a much less present presence on the internet than Dan has been, and yet I feel like there's way less mystery surrounding him and his plans/attempts/struggles, because in between disappearances he just outright says he has things he wants to do (and also
needs to make money because
he's a human being and
does things for money), but he goes back and forth about how to do them, and then second-guesses who he's making it
for etc etc rinse and repeat. I know Dan has procrastination issues, and quality issues, but he's always had those, and yet there's never been a dry spell quite like this so I don't know wtf is going on with him and I feel less charitable about it for reasons that I'm sure aren't fair and are my own problem but here I am bitching anyway again some more. Human transparency just goes such a long way, and I feel nothing but a lack of that on their side lately (but I throw in 2018 with that as well (with the distrust of tour selves and also and still: fuck rize), so "lately" has really been a looong time from this side of the fence).
But in other news: when the fuck will they go back to Japan? It seems like so many YTers have gone lately, or are planning to go, that they seem really overdue for another trip.....

Maybe it would get some kind of juices flowing...
career-plan-wise you perv (and also give them an excuse to maybe post actually interesting sm things, just saying).