Dan & Phil Part 45: R.I.P danisnotonfire 2009-2017

[onetruetrash]

I'm glad Dan and Phil are using their platform to make a difference! I kinda secretly wish they would use their platform to spread the word and raise awareness more. (Though I completely understand why they wouldn't do that)

[Ashling Rae]

it's also because when they're playing one-player games together, i feel like more often than not dan is the one that's actually playing. i don't know if this is an agreed-upon thing or if dan just takes it upon himself and phil doesn't bother to ask but it kind of bothers me. maybe it's just me but sometimes i feel like it's DanGames feat. PhilsCommentary.

*pops in out of nowhere* I've noticed this too, and back in my Tumblr days I saw an observation that I've found really interesting that perhaps explains 1. why Dan would be better at video games and 2. why Dan tends to take over. Idk if you're a believer in birth order theories, but I think that has a lot to do with it. Dan grew up as the older brother. Phil grew up as the younger brother. In my experience, being somewhat interested in video games but being a younger sister with an older brother- the older siblings tend to take the lead on these sorts of things. They claim player one, and they do most of the "figuring out" the game. Younger siblings are made to sit back, watch, react, and if we're lucky enough to be included, we're the sidekick. I find it pretty likely that Dan takes the controls simply because that's what he's used to, and Phil lets him because that's the role he's played as well. I'm not saying it should be that way. But it doesn't seem to be something that bothers Phil at all. Also it's said that the best relationships are the ones that line up with the birth order for the families of origin, like one older sibling paired with the younger sibling and vice versa, as opposed to two youngest or oldest, because then they'll play out those roles in the most comfortable way for them. DnP have that box checked.

[plath]

Nice to see Dan tweet about this.
And that Phil retweeted it.

What good lads.

[000dia000]

it's also because when they're playing one-player games together, i feel like more often than not dan is the one that's actually playing. i don't know if this is an agreed-upon thing or if dan just takes it upon himself and phil doesn't bother to ask but it kind of bothers me. maybe it's just me but sometimes i feel like it's DanGames feat. PhilsCommentary.

*pops in out of nowhere* I've noticed this too, and back in my Tumblr days I saw an observation that I've found really interesting that perhaps explains 1. why Dan would be better at video games and 2. why Dan tends to take over. Idk if you're a believer in birth order theories, but I think that has a lot to do with it. Dan grew up as the older brother. Phil grew up as the younger brother. In my experience, being somewhat interested in video games but being a younger sister with an older brother- the older siblings tend to take the lead on these sorts of things. They claim player one, and they do most of the "figuring out" the game. Younger siblings are made to sit back, watch, react, and if we're lucky enough to be included, we're the sidekick. I find it pretty likely that Dan takes the controls simply because that's what he's used to, and Phil lets him because that's the role he's played as well. I'm not saying it should be that way. But it doesn't seem to be something that bothers Phil at all. Also it's said that the best relationships are the ones that line up with the birth order for the families of origin, like one older sibling paired with the younger sibling and vice versa, as opposed to two youngest or oldest, because then they'll play out those roles in the most comfortable way for them. DnP have that box checked.

^^^^^
Yes to all of this. I never considered how their role as a younger/older sibling established their involvement and participation in video games from a young age. I imagine that could also be explanation for a lot of their behaviour in the D vs P, in terms of how Dan is inclines to root for and encourage Phil to do well, nearly like an older brother. This kind of dynamic also kind of makes sense with the nature of their personas, and is interesting to think about when considering how I find that a lot of people have commented with the impression that they thought Dan was the older guy (or even brother) when they first started watching them. (Me, this was me)

[sugar]

it's also because when they're playing one-player games together, i feel like more often than not dan is the one that's actually playing. i don't know if this is an agreed-upon thing or if dan just takes it upon himself and phil doesn't bother to ask but it kind of bothers me. maybe it's just me but sometimes i feel like it's DanGames feat. PhilsCommentary.

*pops in out of nowhere* I've noticed this too, and back in my Tumblr days I saw an observation that I've found really interesting that perhaps explains 1. why Dan would be better at video games and 2. why Dan tends to take over. Idk if you're a believer in birth order theories, but I think that has a lot to do with it. Dan grew up as the older brother. Phil grew up as the younger brother. In my experience, being somewhat interested in video games but being a younger sister with an older brother- the older siblings tend to take the lead on these sorts of things. They claim player one, and they do most of the "figuring out" the game. Younger siblings are made to sit back, watch, react, and if we're lucky enough to be included, we're the sidekick. I find it pretty likely that Dan takes the controls simply because that's what he's used to, and Phil lets him because that's the role he's played as well. I'm not saying it should be that way. But it doesn't seem to be something that bothers Phil at all. Also it's said that the best relationships are the ones that line up with the birth order for the families of origin, like one older sibling paired with the younger sibling and vice versa, as opposed to two youngest or oldest, because then they'll play out those roles in the most comfortable way for them. DnP have that box checked.

this is very interesting. idk much about birth order theories at all and i'm an only child so it's not something i think about much or have ever looked into, i guess. but this makes a lot of sense! i like this theory and it makes me feel better to think that it just happens naturally as opposed to dan hogging the controls and phil wanting to play but not feeling like he should speak up about it. as long as they're happy with their system, i am too!

[lurker]

Although I sometimes wonder whether it gets difficult work together with your best friend, who you also live with. They barely spend any time apart, and I sometimes wonder how they negotiate business ideas, and how they make a clear divide between friendship and business.

i'm a bit late, but i still wanted to say that i've been wondering about that as well -- if one thing fascinates me about deppy, it's how they never stop being excited about each other. it'd be so interesting to know how they work together and where they set the divide. i don't really expect them to talk about that in the near future, but, like. if they decided to publish a self-help book on that topic, i'd buy it.
afaik the closest thing we got to them talking about their work process together was that one interview where they described how they always meet in the middle with something better than both of their initial opinions and it's one of my favourites.

[blackdenim]

Just want to echo what everyone else has said about being pleased about Dan's political tweet! Also seems quite obvious to me he supports Labour (although I suppose he would never come out and say that), but no matter who he supports I'm so passionate about ensuring young people are a part of political discourse so I'm super happy he is using his platform for this cause, and has inspired some of his followers to vote. And seeing his Twitter replies to people in such a polite, positive and encouraging way really made my heart burst with pride.

Louise did a piss poor (but at least she tried) effort in 2015 with her interview with Ed Milliband -
which aired after the cut-off date for registering to vote I would absolutely lose my shit if Dan (and Phil if he wanted to) did a political video, especially if it was an interview with Corbyn (or Ed Milliband again tbh I love his sassy!tweets and I totally still have a secret crush on him shut up)

Now if they would just speak publicly about the impact of climate change and how we can prevent it I would be in activist heaven.

[Ilovethemohyesido]

afaik the closest thing we got to them talking about their work process together was that one interview where they described how they always meet in the middle with something better than both of their initial opinions and it's one of my favourites.

Could you please tell us which interview is that one?

[autumnhearth]

I love everything going on here. From the beautiful sunrise/moonset beach photos we were blessed with, to D&P encouraging voter registration and the fascinating conversation about birth order, which I had never considered. I don't have much to add but I did want to share something.

My husband had sent a link to DAPG's Happy Wheels video (cringe for me, but he loves it) to his friend/work buddy the other night. Today he asked his friend if he had watched it and his friend said he was only able to watch a few minutes of it because they ( ) were "too fake" for him. As in their personas. Which is a whole conversation in and of itself. But why I'm sharing this is because my husband said he was really offended, when he probably shouldn't be. He said he shouldn't care about Dan and Phil at all, but he does, and he blames me entirely. I'm so proud.

Also I did end up watching the Mario Kart 8 Battle video in reverse and realized there is very little profanity in it. Maybe a dozen shits and one bastard, but really quite restrained and chill. So I'll probably watch the. On flipped version with my son sometime in the future. He's been watching Stampy instead. I watched a bit of one of his Sims gaming videos and wow what a difference. Making sure he was letting all the neighbors in and bring s good host. Lol.

[pearshaped34]

it's also because when they're playing one-player games together, i feel like more often than not dan is the one that's actually playing. i don't know if this is an agreed-upon thing or if dan just takes it upon himself and phil doesn't bother to ask but it kind of bothers me. maybe it's just me but sometimes i feel like it's DanGames feat. PhilsCommentary.

I've seen someone on here say before they keyboard and mouse Dan uses are set up for someone left-handed so that might be one of the reasons he is usually the one playing as Phil struggles to use them.

Although I sometimes wonder whether it gets difficult work together with your best friend, who you also live with. They barely spend any time apart, and I sometimes wonder how they negotiate business ideas, and how they make a clear divide between friendship and business.

i'm a bit late, but i still wanted to say that i've been wondering about that as well -- if one thing fascinates me about deppy, it's how they never stop being excited about each other. it'd be so interesting to know how they work together and where they set the divide. i don't really expect them to talk about that in the near future, but, like. if they decided to publish a self-help book on that topic, i'd buy it.
afaik the closest thing we got to them talking about their work process together was that one interview where they described how they always meet in the middle with something better than both of their initial opinions and it's one of my favourites.

This is something I wonder about too especially as they don't seem to share the same goals and ideals when it comes to the content they want to put on youtube. It's one thing to work closely with someone who shares your vision but D&P don't seem to at all and yet they still manage to keep their careers completely intertwined with one another.

And if working and living together wasn't enough I'm not sure they have any friends they don't share meaning virtually everything they do socially involves the other. If it wasn't for the occasional family trips and visits they take alone I genuinely wonder how often they'd be a part.

They really do have a very unique relationship. Most people would not be able to live like they do (with a friend or a romantic partner).

[dansbonsaitree]

Nice to see Dan tweet about this.
And that Phil retweeted it.

What good lads.

Good for ! Also isn't that Owen Jones guy the same one that convinced Dan to sign the petition? How does Dan know him?

[captainspacecoat]

Just wanted to pop in to say I'm so pleased Dan talked about politics on twitter, and was especially happy that he continued to converse with people beyond the initial tweet. His responses to people who weren't interested in politics/were overwhelmed by it were gently encouraging, which was really nice to see, and I think it's great that he's using his influence for good (and also that Phil retweeted it). I'm someone who wishes they talked more about politics, so it's really exciting to see them even slightly engaging with it on such a public level.

Also adorable sunrise photos, I'm so intrigued to see whether Dan heads home now or stays on in Florida. I guess we'll find out by tomorrow..

Good for ! Also isn't that Owen Jones guy the same one that convinced Dan to sign the petition? How does Dan know him?

I'm not sure whether they've ever actually met tbh, but I know Dan really respects him as he's talked about him in live shows before (the most recent one comes to mind) and I assume Owen Jones contacted Dan to sign the petition - presumably because he recognised Dan had a significant influence? I'm not sure, maybe someone else knows more?

[VengefulBlue]

Good for ! Also isn't that Owen Jones guy the same one that convinced Dan to sign the petition? How does Dan know him?

I'm not sure whether they've ever actually met tbh, but I know Dan really respects him as he's talked about him in live shows before (the most recent one comes to mind) and I assume Owen Jones contacted Dan to sign the petition - presumably because he recognised Dan had a significant influence? I'm not sure, maybe someone else knows more?

(i'm american, i dunno british politics very well) i think owen jones is a political reporter or something like that? am i remembering correct?

[hunnyftw]

I want to pop in quickly just to mention that I agree with captainspacecoat: while I liked Dan's tweet in and on itself, what made me really happy and allowed me to see Dan in a new light was the way he handled the responses. I expected the joe-king trope but thankfully saw nothing like that. He genuinely tried to have a helpful, informative conversation with people and at the same time managed to avoid sounding patronising or preachy.
I really respect that. Good one, Dan

[captainspacecoat]

(i'm american, i dunno british politics very well) i think owen jones is a political reporter or something like that? am i remembering correct?

Yeah, he's a left-wing writer/activist as far as I know. I'm not British either so I don't know a lot about him but I started following him on twitter recently (after Dan signed the petition actually as that was the first time I'd heard of him) and his politics line up with mine pretty succinctly from what I've seen. He's very vocally anti-Tory and, despite thinking Jeremy Corbyn is an ineffective Labour leader, is very passionate about encouraging young people to vote Labour (as far as I can gather - and correct me if I'm wrong - Owen Jones' politics are quite socialist). He's also gay and quite involved with LGBT+ activism, as well as other avenues of social justice. Not sure whether he and Dan have actually met in person, but they follow each other on twitter and judging by Dan's mentions of him in the past I presume Dan has a lot of respect for him and probably agrees with a lot of what he believes.

And hunnyftw yes!!!! You articulated exactly how I felt about that whole exchange - he was patient with people and earnestly encouraged them to get political whilst being understanding of their indifference, all while managing not to come across as condescending or patronising

[lefthandedism]

So about the lovely beach and moon pictures: why are we sure they are of sunrise on Wednesday rather than sunset on Tuesday? When I first saw them, I thought they were sunset. I checked out sun and moon set and rise times on the central Florida coasts, and either seems possible. Note I said "coasts", since Florida has both a west coast and an east coast (and Orlando is between them). Do the Lesters usually/always vacation on the west coast (which would indicate a sunrise/moonset)?

Anyway, I wanted to pull two things from a couple pages back that I thought was really good, and hidden under a spoiler (such a great post overall! ).

As for the potential of Dan and/or Phil being asexual (or somewhere under the ace umbrella), of course it can't be ruled out, but quite strongly believe they aren't. I know I can't speak for everyone, but from hearing/reading other people's experiences (a lot of time spent on AVEN) and knowing my own, their actions don't really match up with any asexual (or aromantic) person I've ever known. It seems like most ace people are unlikely to pretend to be attracted to anyone as a cover-up, but not being ready or not having found the right person are fairly common excuses. And for people who in between wishing to share and wanting to keep their sexuality to themselves (such as myself), casually mentioning that you're not attracted to much of anyone or simply not talking about sexual attraction because you don't (or rarely) experience it are typical choices. Which, as far as I know, differs from the experience of people who are gay, bi, pan, etc. who often attempt to come off as being straight by feigning attraction toward the opposite sex/gender. If there are mentions of attraction, they're typically along the lines of "they're cute," "pretty" or maybe just "nice" and words that don't particularly imply anything sexual (or romantic), as opposed to words like "hot" or "sexy" that are most likely meant in a sexual sense, since it feels natural and is therefore likely perceived as more genuine. Long story short, all their mentions of attraction (especially since many are toward men), plus all the sexual tweets, formspring answers, etc. don't strike me as the type of things an ace person would say/do. Again, not to say both of them definitely aren't ace or aro, and also not to say people are reaching for the wrong conclusion (since it's all just speculation), but things like Phil's mentions of attraction being less often or less natural and the possibility of their relationship being platonic or queerplatonic don't lead me to believe they're asexual or any related orientation. Although it would be a pleasant surprise if either or both of them were!

I thought this was a really interesting observation. Thanks for educating me.

Now back to the dynamics of their relationship, I'm happy to see people are considering the possibility of them having a relationship which is not strictly romantic and sexual or strictly platonic. It's entirely possible it's queerplatonic, romantic but not sexual, sexual but not romantic, or simply labelless. Although personally, I believe their relationship is romantic and sexual, and that they're the type of couple who realizes that the easiest way to have a successful long-term relationship is for your partner to be your best friend first and foremost. It would take a long to time to go through every detail as to why I believe this, but I'm sure you all understand the gist of it since we've all speculated a least a little bit. The sexual and romantic dynamic is primarily based everything that came from the 2009/2010 era and the lack of evidence that anything has actually changed, only been protected. And it seems to be a consensus that they're extremely close, in love in whatever sense that might be, and I don't doubt them for a second when they say they're best friends, because they are no matter the dynamics of their relationship.

This makes me rethink the problem some people would have with Deppy if we were to find out they are not a romantic, queerplatonic or any other type of relationship which explains their past behaviour without having deceitful motives. I for one, certainly do not care about these particular dynamics of their relationship, but the idea of their emotion bond - the fact that they're virtually inseparable best friends who have no plans of leaving each other - being a scam is unsettling. Which sounds so over-the-top when applied to any two people, but this is the image that has been depicted, never denied and even influenced as of lately from my perspective. So I suppose, for me anyway, it's that I would be bothered by the closeness of their relationship being faked, no matter what type of relationship it is, which includes exaggerating a romantic relationship for views. Essentially, if their level of closeness were to decrease, I'd want some sort of assurance that it wasn't a scheme for views, because I'd feel tricked and I would most likely no lose interest in them they were to reach such a level of inauthenticity. It would be the general deceit I'd dislike, and the specific label put on their relationship wouldn't particularly matter, if that makes any sense.

+1 on all of this! While all of us are constantly worrying over the details of their relationship, which we don't (and probably can never) know, you've summed up the essence of it. The essence of their relationship--the emotional bond--and the essence of our response if the emotional bond had been faked--since I think we all respond to that bond, whatever we think it might exactly be.

[DatCog]

So about the lovely beach and moon pictures: why are we sure they are of sunrise on Wednesday rather than sunset on Tuesday? When I first saw them, I thought they were sunset. I checked out sun and moon set and rise times on the central Florida coasts, and either seems possible. Note I said "coasts", since Florida has both a west coast and an east coast (and Orlando is between them). Do the Lesters usually/always vacation on the west coast (which would indicate a sunrise/moonset)?

I guessed sunrise more from Phil's caption than the position of the moon - he joked about having 10 minutes until he burst into flames, which I interpreted as a vampire/Twilight/True Blood joke about not being able to be in direct sunlight

Edit: Well done Dan for encouraging young people to register to vote. Stuff like this gives me a glimmer of hope that this election won't be the forgone conclusion that it appears to be at the moment. +1 wishing that Dan would talk politics a bit more.

[shoe]

afaik the closest thing we got to them talking about their work process together was that one interview where they described how they always meet in the middle with something better than both of their initial opinions and it's one of my favourites.

Could you please tell us which interview is that one?

I want to pop in quickly just to mention that I agree with captainspacecoat: while I liked Dan's tweet in and on itself, what made me really happy and allowed me to see Dan in a new light was the way he handled the responses. I expected the joe-king trope but thankfully saw nothing like that. He genuinely tried to have a helpful, informative conversation with people and at the same time managed to avoid sounding patronising or preachy.
I really respect that. Good one, Dan

I loved Dan's replies too!

I would love to hear Dan's opinions on the current uk political situation, but I would feel uneasy about him explicitly endorsing any particular party so close to the election. He has so much influence, and I think some people might vote a particular way just because he says they should, rather than looking at the issues themselves. I have a lot of respect for Dan and I think we'd probably agree about a lot of things, but I also believe that everyone should decide for themselves how to use their vote. (Just as an example, someone who wants the UK to stay in the EU despite the referendum result might be better represented by the Liberal Democrats than by Labour.) In a lot of cases it would come down to a philosophical argument of does it matter whether a person voted the same way as Dan because they independently came to the same conclusion as him, or because they just did what he told them to because they respect or idolise him. Probably a lot of people would say it doesn't make a difference, but to me, in principle, it does.

[secretagentphan]

it's also because when they're playing one-player games together, i feel like more often than not dan is the one that's actually playing. i don't know if this is an agreed-upon thing or if dan just takes it upon himself and phil doesn't bother to ask but it kind of bothers me. maybe it's just me but sometimes i feel like it's DanGames feat. PhilsCommentary.

*pops in out of nowhere* I've noticed this too, and back in my Tumblr days I saw an observation that I've found really interesting that perhaps explains 1. why Dan would be better at video games and 2. why Dan tends to take over. Idk if you're a believer in birth order theories, but I think that has a lot to do with it. Dan grew up as the older brother. Phil grew up as the younger brother. In my experience, being somewhat interested in video games but being a younger sister with an older brother- the older siblings tend to take the lead on these sorts of things. They claim player one, and they do most of the "figuring out" the game. Younger siblings are made to sit back, watch, react, and if we're lucky enough to be included, we're the sidekick. I find it pretty likely that Dan takes the controls simply because that's what he's used to, and Phil lets him because that's the role he's played as well. I'm not saying it should be that way. But it doesn't seem to be something that bothers Phil at all. Also it's said that the best relationships are the ones that line up with the birth order for the families of origin, like one older sibling paired with the younger sibling and vice versa, as opposed to two youngest or oldest, because then they'll play out those roles in the most comfortable way for them. DnP have that box checked.

YES. I used to watch my brother play zelda, and I play video games but more "serious" ones like that stress me out and I rather watch

I'm glad Dan is speaking out about politics, I'm not informed on British politics because I don't live there but his political opinions seem to line up with mine a lot.

Also this probably happens a lot and I just don't notice but Dan liked Phil's latest instagram post and he's not in it but he liked it anyways and idk I thought it was cute

[capybantsa]

About the politics discussion: I'm glad Dan is encouraging people to get involved, but I would also be very uncomfortable with him endorsing specific political views too often. I know so many people who just vote however celebrities or their affiliated party tell them to vote, and they don't know anything about the actual issues. I'd be sad if Dan fed into that, even if unintentionally.

[offtopic]I'm always amazed how giant they are. That couch and interviewer look tiny

*Ended up watching the whole thing*
That was quite a good interview, I like it when interviewers act like they give a crap about their job.

5:12 "Phil was in the office, I was in the bedroom"

[/offtopic]

[captainspacecoat]

I understand why Dan (or Phil I guess) specifically aligning himself with a political party could be off-putting to some, but personally I'd be all for him making his political affiliation explicitly known and even encouraging people to vote for that party (presumably, the Labour party). People can use their minds and vote for whoever they want to, but if Dan (or any celebrity) supports a political party and shares their values he has every right to be open about that with his audience.

In the case of the upcoming election, it's not looking too good for the Labour party so I think it could be a good thing for Dan to specify that they're who he'll be voting for (disclaimer: I'm obviously just speculating that he'll vote Labour, but I think that's most likely given his values and his endorsement of Owen Jones). He wouldn't be forcing anyone to vote Labour, just expressing his opinion and pointing out the ways in which his values align with Labour whilst disaffiliating (is that a word? who knows) himself from the other side, which he would be entitled to do.

I don't expect him to actually do that if he doesn't want to/doesn't feel comfortable doing so, but I personally would see him making an explicit statement on the party he thinks people should vote for as a good thing.

[alittledizzy]

I understand why Dan (or Phil I guess) specifically aligning himself with a political party could be off-putting to some, but personally I'd be all for him making his political affiliation explicitly known and even encouraging people to vote for that party (presumably, the Labour party). People can use their minds and vote for whoever they want to, but if Dan (or any celebrity) supports a political party and shares their values he has every right to be open about that with his audience.

In the case of the upcoming election, it's not looking too good for the Labour party so I think it could be a good thing for Dan to specify that they're who he'll be voting for (disclaimer: I'm obviously just speculating that he'll vote Labour, but I think that's most likely given his values and his endorsement of Owen Jones). He wouldn't be forcing anyone to vote Labour, just expressing his opinion and pointing out the ways in which his values align with Labour whilst disaffiliating (is that a word? who knows) himself from the other side, which he would be entitled to do.

I don't expect him to actually do that if he doesn't want to/doesn't feel comfortable doing so, but I personally would see him making an explicit statement on the party he thinks people should vote for as a good thing.

I think I fall in the middle of the road with this. I don't know how much I care about him specifically endorsing a party, but I do think it would be really useful for him to explain the issues that he's passionate about and why they matter and which party will impact those issues in what ways.

"You should vote, it's important." is a really fantastic message to send, but "You should vote, here's why it's important..." Followed by a breakdown that a lot of younger people might not get anywhere else that they'd actually pay attention to could actually educate (through Dan's own political bias, yes, which is the part that would be influential and I don't mind) as well as instruct.

[JustMe]

I understand why Dan (or Phil I guess) specifically aligning himself with a political party could be off-putting to some, but personally I'd be all for him making his political affiliation explicitly known and even encouraging people to vote for that party (presumably, the Labour party). People can use their minds and vote for whoever they want to, but if Dan (or any celebrity) supports a political party and shares their values he has every right to be open about that with his audience.

In the case of the upcoming election, it's not looking too good for the Labour party so I think it could be a good thing for Dan to specify that they're who he'll be voting for (disclaimer: I'm obviously just speculating that he'll vote Labour, but I think that's most likely given his values and his endorsement of Owen Jones). He wouldn't be forcing anyone to vote Labour, just expressing his opinion and pointing out the ways in which his values align with Labour whilst disaffiliating (is that a word? who knows) himself from the other side, which he would be entitled to do.

I don't expect him to actually do that if he doesn't want to/doesn't feel comfortable doing so, but I personally would see him making an explicit statement on the party he thinks people should vote for as a good thing.

I agree. I think he's drawn a line between encouraging people to vote and endorsing a specific party. So far, all he is doing is telling people to vote, regardless of who they vote for. It seems like a first step in to the world of politics using his platform, and I personally don't think he will be endorsing a specific party any time soon. But even if he did, that doesn't make him responsible for the choices of his followers; ultimately the choice (and their vote) is still theirs. But just the fact that he's encouraging young people to use the power and responsibility they have to make themselves heard is amazing.

[capybantsa]

He can't be directly blamed for people voting how he wants them to, but the fact remains that a lot of people would do it even if he told them not to, so he does have a moral obligation to behave responsibly with political commentary (with great power comes great responsibility). It's not a position he should have to be in, but it's one he's in regardless.

Plus, I hate to be the one to say it, but he's not actually all that well informed on a lot of issues. I won't say which ones because I don't want to start another "discussion", but I've seen him endorse some very ignorant politics before (by which I mean he's quoted propaganda that is provably false). I try not to hold it against him because all in all he's pretty average when it comes to political knowledge and I really believe he means well, but it does make my heart hurt a little and I secretly hope he'll take the time to become more informed.


I think I'm gonna peace out on the politics discussion now, because thinking about partisan politics makes me want to burn things

[jaej]

tbh nothing he could say to encourage voting would be particularly radical anyway because we know he's left wing to some extent and there isnt really left wing party in the uk with any strong beliefs (lol bye corbyn, trident supporting faux radical arse) to vote for if youre in england. unless he very specifically states "vote labour/green" the most politically charged thing he'll say is probably "don't vote tory" and that's... just a basic statement of humanity lol