Dan and Phil Part 105: Gay 🧡

[fleur-de-lis]

One more thing that I didn't see mentioned much here: anyone else watching old content notice they joked about the soft launch thing more than a year ago? Can't remember the video yet but it's SO WILD to realise that they've been thinking about the phodcast for so long... and planning their coming out for longer than 6 months at least? Idk. I was one of those people who stopped caring about whether they were together in 2018 because I was already getting the content I liked and didnt need their bond to be defined to have it presented right in front of my salad.... but now I look back at it and I'm just like.... omg they were almost screaming it. It's crazy. I've been sick this week and only watched them exclusively. I feel like I'm 20 again whaaat

I am actually quite sure they planned it for longer than that. I think Terrible Influence was a trial soft launch because if you watch that show back, it kind of touches on the same things as the relationship video, just without confirming it. During that tour they saw how people reacted and also how both of them felt about it - and i think that the audience passed the test and some time during that tour they decided that they would come out as a couple.
Only my theory of course.

[mez29]

imo the soft launch was as long ago as Basically I'm Gay, in which Dan said "obviously we were more than friends". I was surprised that line didn't get as much attention at the time, but maybe the low-key way it was received was a sign that they would be able to trust people not to react inappropriately when they finally went for the hard launch.

[LAshleigh]

Also, thoughts on femcatboy!Phil? I don't think he looked uncomfy at all with the cat boy concept (see the 2009 haloween gathering pics and HIS ENTIRE CHANNEL BACK IN THE DAY) but maybe the shorts were a little too small? Maybe he was showing much skin and that made him a bit unsure. I felt Dan at a 250% (literally relieved for the cuts every time he spread his legs or lifted his skirt ) and Phil maybe at 80%? Maybe that's just because Dan truly did enjoy the slutty vibe more and Phil has grown up and stopped being so thirsttrappy (again, old school Phil)...

I've been thinking about this as I watch their content the past few days, so I figured I'd share my thoughts. Obviously, these thoughts are based solely on what they do and say online, as I do not know them personally, and their online personas are only one part of their full personhood.

Phil seems the most confident when he is wearing the sort of clothes he usually picks out for himself: graphic tees, cozy jumpers or jackets in fun colors. He does wear a lot of pastel and soft/cozy clothing, so I don't think the "feminine" color or general catboy vibes were uncomfortable or inauthentic for him.

I do think the way that they present their gay identities differ slightly. Phil is more open and straightforward about being attracted to men ("is it a hot burglar?" lmao), while Dan is more open and straightforward about wanting to be attractive to men. Phil is the one with the hot men on his Tiktok feed, Dan wants to be the hot man on the Tiktok feed. Both are valid and I think they're basically two sides of the same coin, just expressed in different ways.

[LAshleigh]

Unrelated: I was re-listening to Episode 1 of Hard Launch this evening and I have so many questions about the segment where people from their real life sent in hard launch messages. Do they really know a "Flora" who is breaking up with her two boyfriends, or did they just have a friend send in something random that sounded dramatic? Surely some part of that was just a joke, unless Phil really wasn't sure whether his friend is poly or a cheater lmao.

also just realized that Phil's "you're gonna need to be prepped for this one" when writing the red ball topic could be read as an inuendo/hinting at the topic send help

[secondtetrisblock]

I can kind of understand your point about Phil. I guess he doesn't want to share his most personal feelings the way Dan has shared his and that's understandable. Personally, like a decade back I wasn't the biggest fan of AmazingPhil solo videos because I felt like there was somewhat of a children's entertainer persona going on. I enjoyed Phil a lot more after the gaming channel renaissance, and I very much prefer the current, especially podcast-Phil

I think I agree with this generally, makes sense!

Also what you said about thinking about dnp all day and dreaming about them, I've been having that experience too. The other night I had a strange dream that they streamed post-banana bread video and all the fans got mad at them for something or another during the stream... it's hard to believe it's been 3 weeks since the bed video, it feels like lifetimes have passed but nope they've just thoroughly re-colonised my mind in that time.

[Note]

Dan: "Male podcast is the endgame of relationships. And I'm not–we're not joking, because here we are. I'm sorry, has anyone else in the chat got seventeen years and they wanna drop their two cents in?"

The true purpose of the Hard Launch was so that Dan could be brattily superior about their relationship and I love that for him.

[snoopysadie]

I am actually quite sure they planned it for longer than that. I think Terrible Influence was a trial soft launch because if you watch that show back, it kind of touches on the same things as the relationship video, just without confirming it. During that tour they saw how people reacted and also how both of them felt about it - and i think that the audience passed the test and some time during that tour they decided that they would come out as a couple.
Only my theory of course.

You're definitely onto something there. In retrospect, TIT does feel like a "we forgive you, we love you and if we're gonna proceed all the way, these are the new rules". Which i love. Blank slate truly.

I do think the way that they present their gay identities differ slightly. Phil is more open and straightforward about being attracted to men ("is it a hot burglar?" lmao), while Dan is more open and straightforward about wanting to be attractive to men. Phil is the one with the hot men on his Tiktok feed, Dan wants to be the hot man on the Tiktok feed. Both are valid and I think they're basically two sides of the same coin, just expressed in different ways.

This is a great point. That would explain the more "performative" vibe from Dan. And Phil was just vibing (tho he did confirm in the podcast the shorts were a little too short, that was probably less comfy than what he usually likes to wear).

That was a nice ep. I feel like even with a very basic structure, they chose the beginning well: start revealing some 2009 tea. And then the rest, in very dnp fashion, is just tangent, inappropriate tangent that needs Richard, more inappropriate yapping, hard launch submissions. This week, without the spooky as a topic, I did feel like there was a lot less to talk about after the 2009 drop. I love them and they make me laugh so much but I am itching for a collab. Even if it's just them interviewing PJ and Sophie about YT projects. SOMETHING. Like this, it does feel like they're still riding on the relationship reveal high still (not mad about it tho, they've been working so hard. Spooky week was very intense, very experimental and out of their comfort zone, I'm just too intense about it and invested).

The thing that stays with me after the 3 listens is when they teased the red ball being close to the hatch I was like: should i just start thinking about it every day so I will it to happen? Like WHAT IS IT? It better be GOOD. Not to invite any archeological adjacent thoughts (lmao) but if they're hyping it up so much it better be some REALLY GOOD TEA. Anything mid tier I'll be disappointed by if they're gonna play it up that much. Does anyone know how long NDAs for projects usually last? I'd love to know more about stuff we didn't get to see.

Also, i got recommended many dan idgaf compilations on yt the past week and gotta say: the possessive/jealous dan narrative is at the forefront of my content consuming brain at the moment and i love it. He is so proud phil is his man Also Phil saying someone was "closer to snatching the dan... from phil" shut up that's disgusting

[Kuu]

I'm very much enjoying this new routine of listening to the audio on my Monday commute and then watching the whole show in the evening. They are very entertaining in audio form though I think it often needs the video context.

For the newest episode, I did feel like the energy was slightly frantic, mostly from Dan. I wish they would discuss a topic at least a bit more in-depth, but it feels like Dan is in a rush to move to another topic/change the topic quickly. And god damn, let Phil finish his thoughts

I would loooove longer board game content.

[fondsmiles]

I would loooove longer board game content.

Imagine Catan?? That would be so great!

[Kuu]

So Phil posted the first Patreon newsletter. New video coming tomorrow!

They'll have a livestream 16th Nov, with a 20-min afterparty for the highest patreon tier, and here I am, sighing, wondering if I should just accept defeat and upgrade to the highest tier... Lord please release me from their grasp

I got the email notif about the newsletter and it's insane how many comments they had already in a few minutes, they must be making bank on Patreon? Is the number of Patreon subscribers public knowledge or can they hide that?

[literally_formless]

From what I've seen on Patreon, it's up to the creator to show or hide the subscriber number. They seem to have hidden theirs.

I've never subscribed to a patreon that has livestreams. Does anyone know if I were to upgrade my subscription later, if it retroactively unlock posts? Like if I could watch the highest-tier "afterparty" stream if I level up later.

[MythicalPinkTrashCan]

I've never subscribed to a patreon that has livestreams. Does anyone know if I were to upgrade my subscription later, if it retroactively unlock posts? Like if I could watch the highest-tier "afterparty" stream if I level up later.

I don't know about livestreams, but for sure it will unlock all the previous posts. If you are trying to budget, it can be a good idea to just get one month and binge it all if possible. But I am seeing accounts reposting the content on tiktok so it shouldn't be too difficult to find it.

[parallel]

Yeah, you should only pay if you want to be able to participate i.e. ask questions etc. There are accounts out there that are reposting the videos/posts if you just want to see what they're posting. Not sure if we're allowed to link them on here but if we are I can send the link, or via PM if we can't publicly post it in this thread?

[A Rat Backwards]

Every time I look at the Hard Launch logo I can't unsee their names on either side:

[Levitating]

Was it my own mood projecting it onto the podcast, or did the actually seem a bit pissed off with each other this Monday?

It's not live so they can edit out pieces, but with having producers and multiple platforms in which to publish they must have a schedule that doesn't allow for much re-dos or just postponing things if they're not in the mood.

Or perhaps they're taking in the feedback of the missing postcast-y vibes of Hard Launch and they're now trying to be more relax/less on guard and performative for it? Which led to Phil being less indulgent for comedy purposes on Dan?

I understand they will be performers every time there's a camera on them, but the Lives had a different vibe to the YT videos, while I agree with others about Hard Launch still feeling more like another YT video rather than a podcast. I guess it cannot be like a live because it needs segments and there cannot be silence, but for now - for me - it still feels a work in progress. And it feels different to the way the fill up those extra 15 mins for the Patreon, where they are less "energy at 1000"


Edit: oh, and I still haven't digested the hard launch itself. Their behaviour/dynamic hasn't changed a bit so it feels at times surreal to remember that all of this is happening over the explicit knowledge of their romantic relationship. You can watch old videos and get the same vibes.

[parallel]

Every time I look at the Hard Launch logo I can't unsee their names on either side:

It's almost definitely deliberate! p and h don't look very similar, so it'd be quite the coincidence if someone just so happened to style an h to look like a p.

[Kuu]

Eek, I'm sad to see that this place is slowly getting so quiet again!

Was it my own mood projecting it onto the podcast, or did the actually seem a bit pissed off with each other this Monday?

It's not live so they can edit out pieces, but with having producers and multiple platforms in which to publish they must have a schedule that doesn't allow for much re-dos or just postponing things if they're not in the mood.

Or perhaps they're taking in the feedback of the missing postcast-y vibes of Hard Launch and they're now trying to be more relax/less on guard and performative for it? Which led to Phil being less indulgent for comedy purposes on Dan?

I understand they will be performers every time there's a camera on them, but the Lives had a different vibe to the YT videos, while I agree with others about Hard Launch still feeling more like another YT video rather than a podcast. I guess it cannot be like a live because it needs segments and there cannot be silence, but for now - for me - it still feels a work in progress. And it feels different to the way the fill up those extra 15 mins for the Patreon, where they are less "energy at 1000"


Edit: oh, and I still haven't digested the hard launch itself. Their behaviour/dynamic hasn't changed a bit so it feels at times surreal to remember that all of this is happening over the explicit knowledge of their romantic relationship. You can watch old videos and get the same vibes.

Regarding podcast number 4, I didn't feel like they were pissed off with each other but I could feel Phil's frustration at some point, culminating in him calling Dan naughty for his behaviour during that episode I saw some discussion about Dan's possible attention deficit, but I'm not one to diagnose people. I do wonder if with especially the podcast Dan fears any kind of lull or silence and just blurts out all the thoughts that come into his head. I also hope they (=Dan?) will calm down just a tiny bit. They've teased episode 5 being their favourite one so far, so looking forward to that!


So the live stream tonight was a bit of a hassle They basically broke Patreon. I was able to get in on desktop and though the chat didn't work it was otherwise fine. Don't care for the chat or the infuriating emojis spamming the screen anyway. I just feel like I got the best of both worlds cause I was able to get in this time and they're doing another next week! It was enjoyable, time definitely flew by, I do enjoy their live streams a lot. I feel like Phil was a little stressed and distracted by if the stream was working or not, messaging the Patreon staff at times. Hopefully the next stream will be easier.

The pham tier after party had 9k people in it, and I'm sure not all members were able to join, so yeah, making bank on Patreon. Lolling at the fact that they got like 9k comments when asking for questions for the stream and then answered like less than 10, if they even answered them instead of getting distracted by some other topic

Confirmation during the stream that they've been planning the hard launch for at least 8 months. And that the TIT tour was a soft launch.