Dan & Phil Part 28: Possibly very gay

[JoeAverage]

so... howsabout #elbowgate.



one small step away from scooping phil into his arms.

this post is dedicated to eevee because what's a #busgate??? idk the elbow is the only thing i got from the doc.

Yes, yes, lets talk about this!

Also the little shadow you can see on phils forehead of dans fingers touching his hair even after poking phil with the lock of hair

Edit: ... this trashy comment had to be the top post huh?

[rizzo]

so... howsabout #elbowgate.



one small step away from scooping phil into his arms.

this post is dedicated to eevee because what's a #busgate??? idk the elbow is the only thing i got from the doc.

Yes, yes, lets talk about this!

Also the little shadow you can see on phils forehead of dans fingers touching his hair even after poking phil with the lock of hair

Edit: ... this trashy comment had to be the top post huh?

p r e a c h.

here's my thing with this whole scene, right? if your platonic best friend was messing with your face while you were both ill AND asleep, what would your first response be? slap them away. whine. roll over. something resembling annoyance.

your first response to your platonic best friend is not to cover your face and cuddle into their chest.

honestly. just. leave me here to fester.

[DryCereal]

1, track the movement - curling in on himself, in, in, in... and down towards Dan's chest.
2, most people would be irritable AF at being woken up when sick, and/or roll AWAY from the tormentor… but not philly.




(rizzo beat me over here from skype. bloody .gif slowed me down.)

[isabella]

so... howsabout #elbowgate.



one small step away from scooping phil into his arms.

this post is dedicated to eevee because what's a #busgate??? idk the elbow is the only thing i got from the doc.

Yes, yes, lets talk about this!

Also the little shadow you can see on phils forehead of dans fingers touching his hair even after poking phil with the lock of hair

Edit: ... this trashy comment had to be the top post huh?

p r e a c h.

here's my thing with this whole scene, right? if your platonic best friend was messing with your face while you were both ill AND asleep, what would your first response be? slap them away. whine. roll over. something resembling annoyance.

your first response to your platonic best friend is not to cover your face and cuddle into their chest.

honestly. just. leave me here to fester.

yeah affection is not my response to being woken up haha so it says a lot about how comfortable phil is with waking up and cuddling into dan imo

[cold-tea]

so... howsabout #elbowgate.



one small step away from scooping phil into his arms.

this post is dedicated to eevee because what's a #busgate??? idk the elbow is the only thing i got from the doc.

Yes, yes, lets talk about this!

Also the little shadow you can see on phils forehead of dans fingers touching his hair even after poking phil with the lock of hair

Edit: ... this trashy comment had to be the top post huh?

Let's not forget about that lip purse Phil did as if he was waiting for a little kiss.
Like he's used to getting a good morning kiss.
From his platonic bffl

[papierklemmen]

i don't see anything romantic about that elbow angle. they used to be very cuddly friends before the phan hell broke loose and and it looks like phil's natural reaction came through, remember all those instances of phil leaning into dan's lap. i wish they weren't so scared to show it now, but i understand they feel uncomfortable that fans analyze every little detail and label everything "romantic".

[kuensukki]

so... howsabout #elbowgate.



one small step away from scooping phil into his arms.

this post is dedicated to eevee because what's a #busgate??? idk the elbow is the only thing i got from the doc.

Yes, yes, lets talk about this!

Also the little shadow you can see on phils forehead of dans fingers touching his hair even after poking phil with the lock of hair

Edit: ... this trashy comment had to be the top post huh?

p r e a c h.

here's my thing with this whole scene, right? if your platonic best friend was messing with your face while you were both ill AND asleep, what would your first response be? slap them away. whine. roll over. something resembling annoyance.

your first response to your platonic best friend is not to cover your face and cuddle into their chest.

honestly. just. leave me here to fester.

Phil: "Philly no happy in the morning without his coffee"

Also Phil: opens eyes and automatically giggles which hiding blushing face and automatically curls into tormetors ready arms for some additional cuddling

IM just going to take a moment to appreciate this pink trash can, , some days when Im feeling low and cannot articulate my feelings this little can just puts everything I want to say with just an opening and closing of the beautiful pink lid...... It just understands me like no one else

[poweredbywords]

And Gosh I'm sorry for keeping on about busgate but I couldn't find if it's been talked about already, ...

Aaaaaanyhoo... They know we know they know we know they know we know they know we know they know we know they know we know they know we know they know we know they know we know they know we know they know we know they know we know they know we know they know we know they know we know they know we know they know we know



Fitting that it's referred to as a "scene" when it's pure theatre. These two should be on a stage. Oh wait...

I'm sorry, I guess I just didn't say what I was trying to say very well. I'm perfectly 100% aware of what busgate is, it was one of my favorite topics (before the doc's actual release, now not so much). I guess I was just thinking out loud how it's significant that they waited until the actual movie/documentary to make such a big deal about separate beds, rather than just doing so in one of their main channel vids.

But yea it's totally been talked about so much, I guess I still need to do some more catch up .... I started watching phil after the lonelygirl15 scandal made me youtube trash but it seems like #realworld things made me miss their most crazy active years... They've accomplished soooo much since then it's amazing

[uglyamerican]

#bananagate: I took this as Dan basically reconfirming his #nolabels agenda. Nothing to see here, move along.

#busgate3.0: This (and the 3D video on DINOF) is/are promos for their YTR content, thus I doubt it was a conscious attempt to acknowledge their seven year *anniversary.* I don't think they are trolling in as much as this particular segment just happens to be an appropriate length for a promo, and it's a subject that viewers *might* be interested in watching (although I think that most hardcore Phans have already seen it.) I'm not exactly sure why some people are upset that it appears that they filmed different sequences of it at different times - that's a pretty common practice. Plus it's obvious that the Ultimate RPS is a reenactment [of what *might* have happened,] so there's that. Anyway, if they didn't share the big bed, at the very least they probably switched off...

Pretentious Dan: LOVE it, even when I'm

Condescending Dan: TBH, Dan is a saint. How he can withstand an hour of mostly shallow and inane questions on YouNow... I don't know how he does it. Thank God I watch the Tumblr stream / recording (questions don't show.)

[swofro]

1, track the movement - curling in on himself, in, in, in... and down towards Dan's chest.
2, most people would be irritable AF at being woken up when sick, and/or roll AWAY from the tormentor… but not philly.

Totally agree. This is the kind of content I sign up for. Oh, my little phan heart

[anathema]

Smh it's like they're not even trying to hide it. If they really wanted to look like platonic bros they would pay more attention to detail.

I'm skeptical about the 'they're just trolling' argument Here's why:

If Dan and Phil are in a relationship, that they've been trying to hide from the fanbase for seven years. They upload the bus tour video to a main channel, so that everyone will see that they are just friends and nothing more. They've picked this date in particular, their 'phanniversary', because uploading a 'we're just friends' statement on this particular date dispels the idea of the phanniversary as something romantic. It works to counteract the idea that this date is of romantic importance to them, and so dispel the idea that they are in a relationship.

Their motivation therefore is not just 'shits and giggles'. It's not just 'trolling'. It's not just to 'watch the phandom chase their tail wondering if phan is real'. It's about something serious. It's about reserving their privacy. It's about stopping the fanbase from knowing that they are in a relationship. It's not just to have a light hearted laugh and a trivial joke and go on a bit of a troll this evening.

If Dan and Phil are not in a relationship, yet their fanbase so desperately want them to be that they've started calling the day they met a 'phanniversary'. If Dan and Phil didn't sleep in the same bed and want to put an end to these rumors. They want people to believe them when they say they are not together. They want to stop people from feeling like they are being lied to every time Dan and Phil say they are single. They want to be honest, and make a statement that they are not together by uploading a video to a main channel which clearly makes them seem like just friends and nothing more.

In this case they are still not doing it for shits and giggles, to have troll, to watch the phandom freak out for fun. It's about something serious. It's about clarifying the truth.

Two possibilities:
It's about clarifying the truth.
It's about concealing the truth.

Either way it's serious. It's for important reasons that mean something. Not shits and giggles and trolling.

I agree that Dan and Phil love trolling us about things. But I just really don't think this is one of those things they would have a light hearted troll about

Yes!! I honestly feel like they don't really get a laugh out of this. How is people analyzing their every move funny? (Not shading anyone or being all "you guys shouldn't analyze them!!" btw, just saying I don't think it's something they find entertaining.)

Also this brings up another thing; is it bad to treat them like they're dating? I used to feel very strongly that it was just the worst thing to treat them as a couple, but now I'm kinda... "idk" on it. It reminds me of when someone (Connor?) came out and he said that when he came out to people they would always say "oh I knew you were gay!" and he would think "no, you didn't, because I didn't tell you." So, because Dan and Phil haven't explicitly said they're dating, (and haven't made it explicitly clear like Thomas has done with him and Leo,) is it okay to treat them like they're dating? And act like we know they're dating? I'm not really sure myself, just something interesting to think about (Also I feel like the answer to this question would change whether or not they actually are dating.)

[kuensukki]

Smh it's like they're not even trying to hide it. If they really wanted to look like platonic bros they would pay more attention to detail.

I'm skeptical about the 'they're just trolling' argument Here's why:

If Dan and Phil are in a relationship, that they've been trying to hide from the fanbase for seven years. They upload the bus tour video to a main channel, so that everyone will see that they are just friends and nothing more. They've picked this date in particular, their 'phanniversary', because uploading a 'we're just friends' statement on this particular date dispels the idea of the phanniversary as something romantic. It works to counteract the idea that this date is of romantic importance to them, and so dispel the idea that they are in a relationship.

Their motivation therefore is not just 'shits and giggles'. It's not just 'trolling'. It's not just to 'watch the phandom chase their tail wondering if phan is real'. It's about something serious. It's about reserving their privacy. It's about stopping the fanbase from knowing that they are in a relationship. It's not just to have a light hearted laugh and a trivial joke and go on a bit of a troll this evening.

If Dan and Phil are not in a relationship, yet their fanbase so desperately want them to be that they've started calling the day they met a 'phanniversary'. If Dan and Phil didn't sleep in the same bed and want to put an end to these rumors. They want people to believe them when they say they are not together. They want to stop people from feeling like they are being lied to every time Dan and Phil say they are single. They want to be honest, and make a statement that they are not together by uploading a video to a main channel which clearly makes them seem like just friends and nothing more.

In this case they are still not doing it for shits and giggles, to have troll, to watch the phandom freak out for fun. It's about something serious. It's about clarifying the truth.

Two possibilities:
It's about clarifying the truth.
It's about concealing the truth.

Either way it's serious. It's for important reasons that mean something. Not shits and giggles and trolling.

I agree that Dan and Phil love trolling us about things. But I just really don't think this is one of those things they would have a light hearted troll about

Yes!! I honestly feel like they don't really get a laugh out of this. How is people analyzing their every move funny? (Not shading anyone or being all "you guys shouldn't analyze them!!" btw, just saying I don't think it's something they find entertaining.)

Also this brings up another thing; is it bad to treat them like they're dating? I used to feel very strongly that it was just the worst thing to treat them as a couple, but now I'm kinda... "idk" on it. It reminds me of when someone (Connor?) came out and he said that when he came out to people they would always say "oh I knew you were gay!" and he would think "no, you didn't, because I didn't tell you." So, because Dan and Phil haven't explicitly said they're dating, (and haven't made it explicitly clear like Thomas has done with him and Leo,) is it okay to treat them like they're dating? And act like we know they're dating? I'm not really sure myself, just something interesting to think about (Also I feel like the answer to this question would change whether or not they actually are dating.)

Honestly, its easier to just work on that assumption then think of anything else because anything else would be a shit ton of drama, shipbaitng/fanservice, "they are horrible people for lying" wars that people are tired of having.

Its easier to work on the fact that "they're dating and they're being cheeky" then "they are actually not dating and are making that explicitly clear". Maybe its the phan goggles or the fact that we genuinely think they're good people trying to keep their private lives to themselves. Maybe its an automatic defense mechanism kicking in so we don't end up being confronted with something we thought wasn't true the whole, idk. For me it's a bit of everything. The trolling argument just seems to fit best for me (or maybe Im just willing myself to believe it)

One thing we can agree on is that for some of us, this trolling is funny, but for others its not. it depends on what exactly you expect from them, investment and how long you're willing to stick around and see through the bullshit they spurt out. It's a total mindfuck if Im being blunt but for some reason I cant turn away and I cant turn my brain off so I end up going from extreme trash to salty bitch in the span of one day. They make me feel happy but they also piss me off at times. But i know others that take everything they do in stride so to each their own. We all have different experiences and perspectives on their behavior and what they're trying to tell us and we might be right or we might be all wrong.

^the result of reading a book of psychoanalyis and trying to respond on a forum

[SquishPhan]

so... howsabout #elbowgate.



one small step away from scooping phil into his arms.

this post is dedicated to eevee because what's a #busgate??? idk the elbow is the only thing i got from the doc.

Yes, yes, lets talk about this!

Also the little shadow you can see on phils forehead of dans fingers touching his hair even after poking phil with the lock of hair

Edit: ... this trashy comment had to be the top post huh?

p r e a c h.

here's my thing with this whole scene, right? if your platonic best friend was messing with your face while you were both ill AND asleep, what would your first response be? slap them away. whine. roll over. something resembling annoyance.

your first response to your platonic best friend is not to cover your face and cuddle into their chest.

honestly. just. leave me here to fester.

Yes to all of this. I love #elbowgate. It makes my trashheart feel all warm.

[lishachi]

so... howsabout #elbowgate.



one small step away from scooping phil into his arms.

this post is dedicated to eevee because what's a #busgate??? idk the elbow is the only thing i got from the doc.

Yes, yes, lets talk about this!

Also the little shadow you can see on phils forehead of dans fingers touching his hair even after poking phil with the lock of hair

Edit: ... this trashy comment had to be the top post huh?

p r e a c h.

here's my thing with this whole scene, right? if your platonic best friend was messing with your face while you were both ill AND asleep, what would your first response be? slap them away. whine. roll over. something resembling annoyance.

your first response to your platonic best friend is not to cover your face and cuddle into their chest.

honestly. just. leave me here to fester.

Yes to all of this. I love #elbowgate. It makes my trashheart feel all warm.

haven't been able to catch up til today bc uni work and stuff. but anyway...
i may be looking too much into this, but i don't think i've ever seen dan wear a white shirt with a black (block? rectangle? idk) with white writing, or so it looks like?

anyway, that definitely looks like dan is sorted of propped up next to phil, but kind of lying down, how would dan be able to film this? i suppose he does have quite long arms. but phil is more than likely about to put his face in dans chest and dans top is sort of half covered by him? or maybe that's the angle. sorry this is a mess, i hope one of you can get my 8am rambles

eh, idk, whatever is happening it's cute af

[papierklemmen]

Smh it's like they're not even trying to hide it. If they really wanted to look like platonic bros they would pay more attention to detail.

I'm skeptical about the 'they're just trolling' argument Here's why:

If Dan and Phil are in a relationship, that they've been trying to hide from the fanbase for seven years. They upload the bus tour video to a main channel, so that everyone will see that they are just friends and nothing more. They've picked this date in particular, their 'phanniversary', because uploading a 'we're just friends' statement on this particular date dispels the idea of the phanniversary as something romantic. It works to counteract the idea that this date is of romantic importance to them, and so dispel the idea that they are in a relationship.

Their motivation therefore is not just 'shits and giggles'. It's not just 'trolling'. It's not just to 'watch the phandom chase their tail wondering if phan is real'. It's about something serious. It's about reserving their privacy. It's about stopping the fanbase from knowing that they are in a relationship. It's not just to have a light hearted laugh and a trivial joke and go on a bit of a troll this evening.

If Dan and Phil are not in a relationship, yet their fanbase so desperately want them to be that they've started calling the day they met a 'phanniversary'. If Dan and Phil didn't sleep in the same bed and want to put an end to these rumors. They want people to believe them when they say they are not together. They want to stop people from feeling like they are being lied to every time Dan and Phil say they are single. They want to be honest, and make a statement that they are not together by uploading a video to a main channel which clearly makes them seem like just friends and nothing more.

In this case they are still not doing it for shits and giggles, to have troll, to watch the phandom freak out for fun. It's about something serious. It's about clarifying the truth.

Two possibilities:
It's about clarifying the truth.
It's about concealing the truth.

Either way it's serious. It's for important reasons that mean something. Not shits and giggles and trolling.

I agree that Dan and Phil love trolling us about things. But I just really don't think this is one of those things they would have a light hearted troll about

Yes!! I honestly feel like they don't really get a laugh out of this. How is people analyzing their every move funny? (Not shading anyone or being all "you guys shouldn't analyze them!!" btw, just saying I don't think it's something they find entertaining.)

Also this brings up another thing; is it bad to treat them like they're dating? I used to feel very strongly that it was just the worst thing to treat them as a couple, but now I'm kinda... "idk" on it. It reminds me of when someone (Connor?) came out and he said that when he came out to people they would always say "oh I knew you were gay!" and he would think "no, you didn't, because I didn't tell you." So, because Dan and Phil haven't explicitly said they're dating, (and haven't made it explicitly clear like Thomas has done with him and Leo,) is it okay to treat them like they're dating? And act like we know they're dating? I'm not really sure myself, just something interesting to think about (Also I feel like the answer to this question would change whether or not they actually are dating.)

I personally don't feel comfortable operating under the assumption that they are dating, if only because THEY don't like that we do that, and Dan's 2012-2013 meltdown demonstrated it really well. Yeah, he might have been a jerk in some cases, but he stressed that if anything, he finds fanfiction and fanart amusing, because it's fiction, while people compiling pieces of "evidence" and spreading that "phan is real" as a fact make him uncomfortable. I know most of us here are on the fence and not necessarily treat it as a fact and we are not spreading anything, but a lot of times people omit the "what ifs" and speculate as if they publicly announced their relationship and when someone stumbles on this forum as a lurker they might think that we here treat it as gospel truth - and that lurker might just happen to be Dan . I don't know, sometimes it makes me a bit sad, and that Connor quote sums up it quite well - we don't know anything because they didn't tell us.

[jesuisunèléve]

I think busgate is hilarious. Like, of course Dan didn't sleep in a bunk the whole time while Phil got the room. And of course the Rock Paper Scissors scene is fake. They might have even purposefully made the shots inconsistent to make the whole thing more obviously fake (I like to think so- it adds to joke). And them posting it off-Red literally on phanaversary is just the icing on the cake. Their just trolling and making fun everyone's obsession finding phan proof. It's great. I love it.

I am going to bottom-line Busgate, ElbowGate, Sockgate, and everything else:

Dan Howell is sitting in his sofa crease with his laptop, trolling us all and laughing hysterically. In that congested-goose voice of his, he tells Phil, "If these losers haven't figured it out by now, they don't deserve to be told."

I think this is exactly what he is doing, and getting a chuckle out of it all.

I applaud the cheeky little bugger. Create your own fun if there's none to be found.

[JoeAverage]

I think busgate is hilarious. Like, of course Dan didn't sleep in a bunk the whole time while Phil got the room. And of course the Rock Paper Scissors scene is fake. They might have even purposefully made the shots inconsistent to make the whole thing more obviously fake (I like to think so- it adds to joke). And them posting it off-Red literally on phanaversary is just the icing on the cake. Their just trolling and making fun everyone's obsession finding phan proof. It's great. I love it.

I am going to bottom-line Busgate, ElbowGate, Sockgate, and everything else:

Dan Howell is sitting in his sofa crease with his laptop, trolling us all and laughing hysterically. In that congested-goose voice of his, he tells Phil, "If these losers haven't figured it out by now, they don't deserve to be told."

I think this is exactly what he is doing, and getting a chuckle out of it all.

I applaud the cheeky little bugger. Create your own fun if there's none to be found.

If this is indeed true and Dan Howell is reading this im just going to say one thing: KANYE IS OVERRATED


also fuck u, and say to phil from my part

[flarequake]

Hehe, I'm with JoeAverage on that last point.

Also kuensukki on it all being a mindfuck at times. I find it impossible to know if they're intentionally trolling, covering their privacy or what, but still I got thinking last night (not that I never think, but dwelling on sad things from ages ago), about why it matters that they're not a pair of uncaring shits taking the piss out of us all, cos of being invested which for me was sparked by bereavement and loneliness, so I could do without feeling crap about these two as well, I've had enough of that thanks to liking some guy too much. That's not their fault as entertainers who make videos, we don't need to be so invested, but a lot of us being very into them has fuelled their success.

Whatever their relationship is, it's their business and not our right to know, and depending on how they do it even some cheeky trolling can be funny, but it would be nice to know they're not playing us. I wonder if we weren't all talking about it, we might each notice it less and not think so much about what they might mean by it.

Anyway, #elbowgate is adorable either way so thanks for that, my heart was cheered at the thought. I can't believe Phil didn't mind Dan waking him up when he was ill, though. He'd get a firm "f- off" from me, maybe a smack on the butt if I could reach it

[lishachi]

i just re watched dils wedding video and i wanna see the honeymoon!! (did they say it'll be up before spooky week?)
dont get me wrong i love the tatinof stuff, its great, they worked hard and its awesome

but i would just like something non tatinof related is that selfish of me

[eevee]

is it okay to treat them like they're dating? And act like we know they're dating?

People have been answering this as if you're asking "is it okay to assume they're dating?" However I read it in a different way. I read it as "is it okay to indicate directly to dan and phil that we believe they're dating?" And to that I say: absolutely not

I believe in phan through and through. I believe that they're happy and in love and sexual and all that jazz. Does that mean I would ever ever ever say anything directly to dan and phil to that effect? No way.

I super ultra cringe at that girl at the meet and greet that asked them to make a proposal pose. Or the heart eyes. I just think it's wrong to literally force them to acknowledge the shipping. Why? Because it's about them. They should have the right to call the shots about it. It's their relationship, not ours. So they should have the control and power to set the bar. And they do. Except in those meet and greet instances. Honestly they should've said no. But whatever.

I don't use hashtags on my fandom twitter that I know they'll be searching through. (I double checked, and I actually hadn't used the #DAPGO cover one, thank the lord) I don't @ reply them or @ mention them. Why? Because I say inappropriate things regarding phan on my twitter. I don't want to do anything that would indicate that I want dan and phil to see that. It's not for them. It's for me and the other phandom members that enjoy it. Just like fanfiction. We're not (hopefully) sending them fanfiction links on tumblr, twitter, whatever. So the same goes for offhand comments like "I'm gonna take 7 cherry shots tonight to celebrate." Just...not something dan and phil should concern themselves with.

Now if they go searching for this stuff, that's their problem. But as long as I don't actively try to get their attention with it, I'm happy.

tl;dr it's okay to assume phan is real as long as you're in no way indicating that directly to dan and phil

[mio]

That's not their fault as entertainers who make videos, we don't need to be so invested, but a lot of us being very into them has fuelled their success.

Whatever their relationship is, it's their business and not our right to know, and depending on how they do it even some cheeky trolling can be funny, but it would be nice to know they're not playing us. I wonder if we weren't all talking about it, we might each notice it less and not think so much about what they might mean by it.

This!
I've been casually watching their videos for years, never interacting with any part of the fandom (but invested enough to get their book and rewatch gaming videos all the time), and stuff like sharing or not sharing rooms in DITL, Dan's possible male crushes or even rumors about voldy only got me slightly wondering and then move on with a shrug.
Now look at me
this place is wonderful but terrifyingly mind-consuming at the same time.

[nephilimcat]

is it okay to treat them like they're dating? And act like we know they're dating?

People have been answering this as if you're asking "is it okay to assume they're dating?" However I read it in a different way. I read it as "is it okay to indicate directly to dan and phil that we believe they're dating?" And to that I say: absolutely not

I believe in phan through and through. I believe that they're happy and in love and sexual and all that jazz. Does that mean I would ever ever ever say anything directly to dan and phil to that effect? No way.

I super ultra cringe at that girl at the meet and greet that asked them to make a proposal pose. Or the heart eyes. I just think it's wrong to literally force them to acknowledge the shipping. Why? Because it's about them. They should have the right to call the shots about it. It's their relationship, not ours. So they should have the control and power to set the bar. And they do. Except in those meet and greet instances. Honestly they should've said no. But whatever.

I don't use hashtags on my fandom twitter that I know they'll be searching through. (I double checked, and I actually hadn't used the #DAPGO cover one, thank the lord) I don't @ reply them or @ mention them. Why? Because I say inappropriate things regarding phan on my twitter. I don't want to do anything that would indicate that I want dan and phil to see that. It's not for them. It's for me and the other phandom members that enjoy it. Just like fanfiction. We're not (hopefully) sending them fanfiction links on tumblr, twitter, whatever. So the same goes for offhand comments like "I'm gonna take 7 cherry shots tonight to celebrate." Just...not something dan and phil should concern themselves with.

Now if they go searching for this stuff, that's their problem. But as long as I don't actively try to get their attention with it, I'm happy.

tl;dr it's okay to assume phan is real as long as you're in no way indicating that directly to dan and phil

This. I still have doubts whether they're a thing but I agree with the rest of the things you said. I think this is exactly what they mean when they say that they have no problem with shipping. We discuss the things they actually put out there and of course we do have more or less crazy theories, but nobody is harassing them in any way. And to find this forum, you have to be deep enough in the fandom or be lucky to stumble upon a link on tumblr (which is how I found it).
If they decide to read this forum, that's their decision and if they don't like it, they can just ignore it.

[hypothesised]

maybe my aren't on tight enough, but i don't see any reason to worry about why d+p decided to post the tour bus video onto AP today. perhaps it's part of the schedule of releases from the films, which is planned with YTR. and since one video is going up on DINOF, another goes up on AP. conflicting/agreeing thoughts?

is it okay to treat them like they're dating? And act like we know they're dating?

People have been answering this as if you're asking "is it okay to assume they're dating?" However I read it in a different way. I read it as "is it okay to indicate directly to dan and phil that we believe they're dating?" And to that I say: absolutely not

I believe in phan through and through. I believe that they're happy and in love and sexual and all that jazz. Does that mean I would ever ever ever say anything directly to dan and phil to that effect? No way.

I super ultra cringe at that girl at the meet and greet that asked them to make a proposal pose. Or the heart eyes. I just think it's wrong to literally force them to acknowledge the shipping. Why? Because it's about them. They should have the right to call the shots about it. It's their relationship, not ours. So they should have the control and power to set the bar. And they do. Except in those meet and greet instances. Honestly they should've said no. But whatever.

I don't use hashtags on my fandom twitter that I know they'll be searching through. (I double checked, and I actually hadn't used the #DAPGO cover one, thank the lord) I don't @ reply them or @ mention them. Why? Because I say inappropriate things regarding phan on my twitter. I don't want to do anything that would indicate that I want dan and phil to see that. It's not for them. It's for me and the other phandom members that enjoy it. Just like fanfiction. We're not (hopefully) sending them fanfiction links on tumblr, twitter, whatever. So the same goes for offhand comments like "I'm gonna take 7 cherry shots tonight to celebrate." Just...not something dan and phil should concern themselves with.

Now if they go searching for this stuff, that's their problem. But as long as I don't actively try to get their attention with it, I'm happy.

tl;dr it's okay to assume phan is real as long as you're in no way indicating that directly to dan and phil

This. I still have doubts whether they're a thing but I agree with the rest of the things you said. I think this is exactly what they mean when they say that they have no problem with shipping. We discuss the things they actually put out there and of course we do have more or less crazy theories, but nobody is harassing them in any way. And to find this forum, you have to be deep enough in the fandom or be lucky to stumble upon a link on tumblr (which is how I found it).
If they decide to read this forum, that's their decision and if they don't like it, they can just ignore it.[/[/offtopic]b]

i agree completely.

[papierklemmen]

I've been casually watching their videos for years, never interacting with any part of the fandom (but invested enough to get their book and rewatch gaming videos all the time), and stuff like sharing or not sharing rooms in DITL, Dan's possible male crushes or even rumors about voldy only got me slightly wondering and then move on with a shrug.

lol same. back in the phase when i was casually watching them the thought that they might be dating never even crossed my mind tbh, all because of the excessive shipping happening in the comment section ("ugh, they're shipping two white guys again" was my thought) and their relaxed attitude to it, like joking around, acknowledging fic etc. it was actually one ontd's member's fault i even looked into it - they mentioned voldy and i was like "wazzat?"... oh boy.

i mean, i think that's exactly why they want to take down those timelines & get rid of voldy... because people who find it might change their opinion on their relationship. basically what happens to a lot of fans lol.

I super ultra cringe at that girl at the meet and greet that asked them to make a proposal pose. Or the heart eyes. I just think it's wrong to literally force them to acknowledge the shipping. Why? Because it's about them. They should have the right to call the shots about it. It's their relationship, not ours. So they should have the control and power to set the bar. And they do. Except in those meet and greet instances. Honestly they should've said no. But whatever.

don't forget that chick in sweden who straight up ASKED dan if he was dating phil and then happily shared it on her twitter "he said no, but HIS EYES SAID YES!"

[SquishPhan]