Dan & Phil Part 36: Wholesome Howell and AmazingPhlegm

[anathema]

Dan just started following a (seemingly) random girl on Instagram called Grace. She's following him, Phil, PJ, and a few other YouTubers but it doesn't seem like any other YouTubers are following her. Any idea who she is?

Edit: after looking through her Instagram *cough cough* it seems she's some kind of press person? She posted something about being behind the scenes with an interview of Tom Daley and she was also at the Finding Dory premiere.

Edit again: I think she may work for Disney UK. Still have no idea why Dan is following her though.

[SquishPhan]

do you think they are doing this for a gaming video?

I think that this is them flirting via twitter.

[sentinel]

Imo Dan is an ENTP. They are often called the introspective extraverts (extraverts in MB is different than the commonly used extrovert). Plus considering he is an over-thinker, it's clear that he is not an F but a T. ENTP is "The Debater", which I think fits Dan very well.

[Amiaw]

Dan just started following a (seemingly) random girl on Instagram called Grace. She's following him, Phil, PJ, and a few other YouTubers but it doesn't seem like any other YouTubers are following her. Any idea who she is?

Edit: after looking through her Instagram *cough cough* it seems she's some kind of press person? She posted something about being behind the scenes with an interview of Tom Daley and she was also at the Finding Dory premiere.

Edit again: I think she may work for Disney UK. Still have no idea why Dan is following her though.

She's also friends with Bryony and I think Phil has liked tweets from her before. I think their just mutual friends

[confusedpanda]

Dan just started following a (seemingly) random girl on Instagram called Grace. She's following him, Phil, PJ, and a few other YouTubers but it doesn't seem like any other YouTubers are following her. Any idea who she is?

Edit: after looking through her Instagram *cough cough* it seems she's some kind of press person? She posted something about being behind the scenes with an interview of Tom Daley and she was also at the Finding Dory premiere.

Edit again: I think she may work for Disney UK. Still have no idea why Dan is following her though.

If dan has his Facebook hooked up to his ig, then she was probably a friend from Facebook that ig will suggest to add as someone to follow. I'll get notifications for things like that every now and then. It doesn't mean anything other than just mutual friends. She was probably in the people you may know section or something. Didn't he say he has a friend that works at Disney anyways? If so that's probably her.

[rizzo]

Imo Dan is an ENTP. They are often called the introspective extraverts (extraverts in MB is different than the commonly used extrovert). Plus considering he is an over-thinker, it's clear that he is not an F but a T. ENTP is "The Debater", which I think fits Dan very well.

I've thought the exact same thing for quite a while. He always seemed an ENTP to me. ENTPs can often prefer to be "alone" if "alone" means comfortable silence, but sharing a space with someone like-minded (Phil). Dan has expressed his dislike of being alone before too. Glad I wasn't the only one with this thought!

[alittledizzy]

Okay I think it's pretty clear Grace is someone involved in the youtube social circle from years back, but more importantly - I just discovered some #kickthefire that I'd never seen before from 2012 on her twitter.

[anathema]

Okay I think it's pretty clear Grace is someone involved in the youtube social circle from years back, but more importantly - I just discovered some #kickthefire that I'd never seen before from 2012 on her twitter.

Ah okay, interesting. Thanks!!

[secretagentphan]

Imo Dan is an ENTP. They are often called the introspective extraverts (extraverts in MB is different than the commonly used extrovert). Plus considering he is an over-thinker, it's clear that he is not an F but a T. ENTP is "The Debater", which I think fits Dan very well.

I've thought the exact same thing for quite a while. He always seemed an ENTP to me. ENTPs can often prefer to be "alone" if "alone" means comfortable silence, but sharing a space with someone like-minded (Phil). Dan has expressed his dislike of being alone before too. Glad I wasn't the only one with this thought!

I used to think he was an ENTP, but now that I think about it INFJ makes much more sense imo. Dan not liking being alone really has nothing to do with introvert vs extrovert because he doesn't like big groups of people, he only let's in a small group of people. Because he likes to recharge his energy with alone time, he's an introvert. INFJ's appear extroverted at times because they're very outspoken when passionate about things. Imo it makes a lot of sense in regards to Dan.

[misakichan274]

I'm still not completely over the tweet exchange, especially after yesterday's ls (Dan shyly smiling and looking down when talking about storage just about killed me )
But I had somehow calmed down and managed to have a shitty day and looking at Twitter just made me scream and yet feel so unsurprised
I like how just last year Dan posting such cute pictures of himself and calling Phil his senpai so publicly and casually would've been a hopeless fantasy and here we are

[alittledizzy]

I'm still not completely over the tweet exchange, especially after yesterday's ls (Dan shyly smiling and looking down when talking about storage just about killed me )
But I had somehow calmed down and managed to have a shitty day and looking at Twitter just made me scream and yet feel so unsurprised
I like how just last year Dan posting such cute pictures of himself and calling Phil his senpai so publicly and casually would've been a hopeless fantasy and here we are

Though it is still an interesting look into the psyche of phandom and our trust issues that people began immediately trying to find ways to explain it relied on anything but the idea that Dan just wanted to flirt a little, publicly. (Not a judgement, just an observation. I do it too.)

[papierklemmen]

i mean, after those kink tweets that turned out to be phil's doing for a video, i see why we have trust issues.

[Catallena]

Okay I think it's pretty clear Grace is someone involved in the youtube social circle from years back, but more importantly - I just discovered some #kickthefire that I'd never seen before from 2012 on her twitter.

I know those pics but didn't know she was apparently the source. That's pretty interesting.

[sentinel]

Imo Dan is an ENTP. They are often called the introspective extraverts (extraverts in MB is different than the commonly used extrovert). Plus considering he is an over-thinker, it's clear that he is not an F but a T. ENTP is "The Debater", which I think fits Dan very well.

I've thought the exact same thing for quite a while. He always seemed an ENTP to me. ENTPs can often prefer to be "alone" if "alone" means comfortable silence, but sharing a space with someone like-minded (Phil). Dan has expressed his dislike of being alone before too. Glad I wasn't the only one with this thought!

I used to think he was an ENTP, but now that I think about it INFJ makes much more sense imo. Dan not liking being alone really has nothing to do with introvert vs extrovert because he doesn't like big groups of people, he only let's in a small group of people. Because he likes to recharge his energy with alone time, he's an introvert. INFJ's appear extroverted at times because they're very outspoken when passionate about things. Imo it makes a lot of sense in regards to Dan.

I disagree (lmao I notice that we often disagree haha I love these debates). E refers to the fact that these types of people are outgoing, talk a lot, like being center of attention. He does like being center of attention - he is not unpopular or uncomfortable with their group of friends, he has a channel with 6 million subscribers and does weekly liveshows for 20k viewers. It doesn't have to do with how you recharge, that's the difference between extrovert the noun and extravert the type. You might recharge alone, but that doesn't mean you can't handle being center of attention - just that you need a bounce back period. Plus, the ENTPs are the over thinkers which is exactly Dan.

[rizzo]

Imo Dan is an ENTP. They are often called the introspective extraverts (extraverts in MB is different than the commonly used extrovert). Plus considering he is an over-thinker, it's clear that he is not an F but a T. ENTP is "The Debater", which I think fits Dan very well.

I've thought the exact same thing for quite a while. He always seemed an ENTP to me. ENTPs can often prefer to be "alone" if "alone" means comfortable silence, but sharing a space with someone like-minded (Phil). Dan has expressed his dislike of being alone before too. Glad I wasn't the only one with this thought!

I used to think he was an ENTP, but now that I think about it INFJ makes much more sense imo. Dan not liking being alone really has nothing to do with introvert vs extrovert because he doesn't like big groups of people, he only let's in a small group of people. Because he likes to recharge his energy with alone time, he's an introvert. INFJ's appear extroverted at times because they're very outspoken when passionate about things. Imo it makes a lot of sense in regards to Dan.

I disagree (lmao I notice that we often disagree haha I love these debates). E refers to the fact that these types of people are outgoing, talk a lot, like being center of attention. He does like being center of attention - he is not unpopular or uncomfortable with their group of friends, he has a channel with 6 million subscribers and does weekly liveshows for 20k viewers. It doesn't have to do with how you recharge, that's the difference between extrovert the noun and extravert the type. You might recharge alone, but that doesn't mean you can't handle being center of attention - just that you need a bounce back period. Plus, the ENTPs are the over thinkers which is exactly Dan.

Hahaha. I guess we'll have to agree to disagree!

The E also refers to where people get their energy - from people vs solitude. I'm not saying Dan doesn't like being the center of attention. He clearly does. After all, that generally defines an ENTP, so of course I agree. But ENTPs tend to like people around them even when it comes to recharging. The over-thinking tends to happen (often in negative ways) when an ENTP is alone. Dan definitely needs a bounce back period, but with someone like Phil around and with an activity (like Gamingmas) that keeps his mind busy or learning, otherwise he falls into a bit of black hole. It's what makes ENTPs a bit different from other Es.

Basically, it's the combination of the 4 attributes that makes him and others ENTPs, not each one alone.

[Truth_or_cliche]

How amazingly symbolic would it be for Dan to go from wearing 2 earnings to one in the right ear? I'm not trying to label him as something else, he just seems to be on a "guy kick" lately. As a bi person I personally have waves of attraction where sometimes I'll be like "omg girls!" And vice versa, so I don't find this offensive but let me know if you do. He's probably just expressing mostly male attraction lately to make up for all the repressed years in the past where he marketed himself as an edgy straight dude lol. In all seriousness though, it makes me so damn happy to see him so okay with himself lately. That's not an easy journey to go through, especially with how popular he was at the time. Him being comfortable enough to talk about male attraction and mental illness so bluntly is heartwarming.

It's good he got his struggles all out in the open because I hope it makes his audience (myself included) more sympathetic with some of his behaviors. He seems to get really overwhelmed putting out content, and simple activities seem to stress him out. A lot of his audience is hard on him about it, but knowing he struggles with this makes his behavior make a lot of sense. I don't think people should baby him, but some people need to take it easy on Dan tbh. Disclaimer I'm still all for playful teasing, I'm talking about mean-spirited comments you know?

anyone can join the bisexual booty club

It's so nice that he can just casually talk about his male crushes I would love to see this kind of development in Phil as well. He seems to avoid the topic of who he's attracted to altogether. Like mate I need to know who you think is cute. It's for science and it's important lol. We get it you like Sarah Michelle Geller, but who else? (I guess Taylor Laurtner counts too? But both of them are old news. Who do you like now!)

Edit: When is the bi booty club meeting? I'll bring refreshments!

He actually doesn't talk about Sarah Michelle Gellar that much even, he mentions Buffy specifically far more. Zayn is probably the one he talks about finding attractive most, but it's always focused on looks quite a lot, I don't get the sense that it's a full on crush so much as an attraction. He also used to have a Robert Downey, Jr. sticker on his laptop.

In general I feel like Phil just isn't into celebrity crushes nearly as much as Dan. Generally in the past the only person Phil is flirtatious with/expresses attraction to (where people who follow/watch him can see) are people he's genuinely interested in.

Sucks for me then I guess. I didn't know about the Zayn and Robert Downey Jr. thing though. He's got good taste

[secretagentphan]

Not to drag this out (because agree to disagree ) but my understanding was always that thinker vs feeler is if you make decisions by logic, or by weighing in how it affects you personally and the people around you. Feelers can definitely over-think. In fact I believe it's a trait for INFP (not sure about INFJ). After reading the INFJ description to me it sounds the most like Dan, but again I totally see him being an ENTP too so who knows!

I feel like danisnotonfire is an ENTP, and Dan Howell is an INFJ

[Catallena]

How amazingly symbolic would it be for Dan to go from wearing 2 earnings to one in the right ear? I'm not trying to label him as something else, he just seems to be on a "guy kick" lately. As a bi person I personally have waves of attraction where sometimes I'll be like "omg girls!" And vice versa, so I don't find this offensive but let me know if you do. He's probably just expressing mostly male attraction lately to make up for all the repressed years in the past where he marketed himself as an edgy straight dude lol. In all seriousness though, it makes me so damn happy to see him so okay with himself lately. That's not an easy journey to go through, especially with how popular he was at the time. Him being comfortable enough to talk about male attraction and mental illness so bluntly is heartwarming.

It's good he got his struggles all out in the open because I hope it makes his audience (myself included) more sympathetic with some of his behaviors. He seems to get really overwhelmed putting out content, and simple activities seem to stress him out. A lot of his audience is hard on him about it, but knowing he struggles with this makes his behavior make a lot of sense. I don't think people should baby him, but some people need to take it easy on Dan tbh. Disclaimer I'm still all for playful teasing, I'm talking about mean-spirited comments you know?

anyone can join the bisexual booty club

It's so nice that he can just casually talk about his male crushes I would love to see this kind of development in Phil as well. He seems to avoid the topic of who he's attracted to altogether. Like mate I need to know who you think is cute. It's for science and it's important lol. We get it you like Sarah Michelle Geller, but who else? (I guess Taylor Laurtner counts too? But both of them are old news. Who do you like now!)

Edit: When is the bi booty club meeting? I'll bring refreshments!

He actually doesn't talk about Sarah Michelle Gellar that much even, he mentions Buffy specifically far more. Zayn is probably the one he talks about finding attractive most, but it's always focused on looks quite a lot, I don't get the sense that it's a full on crush so much as an attraction. He also used to have a Robert Downey, Jr. sticker on his laptop.

In general I feel like Phil just isn't into celebrity crushes nearly as much as Dan. Generally in the past the only person Phil is flirtatious with/expresses attraction to (where people who follow/watch him can see) are people he's genuinely interested in.

Sucks for me then I guess. I didn't know about the Zayn and Robert Downey Jr. thing though. He's got good taste

I don't remember where but Phil once listed Michael Cera as his man crush.

[yupitsme]

I don't want to be really annoying but I do believe scientists have proven the Myers-Briggs test is not very reliable. Although I think it is very interesting to read about the types, this might be why people disagree on which type Dan is/suits most. I'm not trying to say you can't discuss this at all by the way, just that there is probably not really one type Dan actually 'is'.

Did this post reveal my type?

[pearshaped34]

I don't remember where but Phil once listed Michael Cera as his man crush.

3:57ish

[Truth_or_cliche]

I don't remember where but Phil once listed Michael Cera as his man crush.

3:57ish

Oh I forgot about this!

[captainspacecoat]

I don't put a whole lot of stock in Myers Briggs as I think it's a bit simplistic (although according to the test I'm an INFP which is super accurate to my personality), but in my opinion Dan is definitely not an extrovert. He himself said he is an introvert as he needs time alone to recharge his social energy.

My understanding of introversion vs extroversion is just that introverts gain energy from being alone/in their own space (so for me personally, I love hanging out with my friends but after awhile get exhausted and need some time to just chill at home and do nothing) whereas extroverts gain energy from being with friends (so would struggle spending a lot of time at home doing nothing and would prefer to be around other people). You can still be confident/enjoy the spotlight and be an introvert, and you can be painfully shy but still be an extrovert.

To me it's as simple as Dan admitting that he finds social interaction exhausting after a while and needs time at home just relaxing to recharge - that means he fits the definition of an introvert. I'd also add that we should probably separate DINOF from Dan, I'd say he knows his true personality best.

(Also sorry, this conversation is probably getting boring now haha, my apologies for dragging it on)

[alittledizzy]

3500 words of timestamps, quotes, interpretations, and speculation. Maybe grab a cup of coffee or some tea before this one. (I did bold my favorite/most interesting parts, in case you want to skim.)

:42 - Dan clarifying that younow is who he will actually be interacting with. I'm so fascinated by how they're going about all of this multi-platform livestream integration. I wonder if younow stresses to them to try and drive people to the actual live feed or if that's just Dan wanting people watching it later on to understand that he's not live.
2:38 - New internet router. He starts talking about things that happened to disconnect the internet, and I immediately think of Dan accusing Phil is masturbating too enthusiastically and breaking it.
4:18 - "I said next to you for six hours, said Daisy. When? Oh - was that Harry Potter? Cool." Immediate recognition, neutral tone and swiftly moving on. How hyper aware of being by a fan was he? How much did that add to why Sunday was stressful to him?
5:27 - Starts talking about meme video. "And I only lost most of my sanity." Over one hundred thousand submissions. Beginning trend of how he talks about the meme submissions: "A rabbit hole of a kind to put your head down. I saw some shit in that inbox." I imagine this relates to what he says later about there being a line that he needs to stay on the right side of.
6:50 - Evan Peters jumper. Why would people be angry over him wearing it? Does he think people get angry with his crushes becoming memes? If so I think he has a skewed perception on that.
7:30 - We don't know if Pete Wentz unfollowed Dan because of the gaming tweet, but timing was right. "High percent chance that Phil did get me kinkshame unfollowed by one of my teen idols."
8:50 - Describes it as a "harrowing, emotional experience" - this sounds genuine. I think Dan in his meme video was reenacting genuine emotions, recreating what he genuinely felt when he saw it f. I don't know that I like that but I don't think his overacting is rooted in fabrication.
10:26 - "Slightly wanting death" as he looked at memes and laugh-wheezed. This is something he repeats throughout the liveshow, and I think in his mind the waiting for/wanting death is him laughing at a mindset that he's familiar with. I don't think it's 100% literal or 100% a joke. I think it is exactly what Dan says he does later in the liveshow, laughing at his own issues because that is healthy for him.
10:57 - "Not supposed to be interacting with you" in the youtube livechat.
11:33 - The last liveshow got 600k views. He seems to assume those people don't know liveshows exist and are mostly new viewers. My assumption would just be that those people would have rewatched it somewhere else later, and now go to his channel.
13:36 - Describing other people's reactions to the video. "Waiting for death" used as a signifier of someone's interpretation of his attitude, again not literal but also not completely dismissive.
14:28 - "Sometimes I forget that this sense of humor, this whole like, sarcastic all the time, self-deprecating, openly-laugh-at-all-of-your-mental-health-problems - which is a good thing that shows that we're all about being real with our problems, because some people say oh it can't be good for you, being all joking about yourself all the time, but I think it's the complete opposite. The people with these self-aware, self-deprecating sense of humors - just think about it, what does it say? If you can joke about your problems in a way that some people feel like 'am I allowed to laugh at this?' what this shows is that you're aware that you have issues, you acknowledge them, and you don't let them define you, and you're willing to talk about them and find them funny, and it's actually a very healthy attitude."
15:23 - "Therapy with Dan. Indeed."
16:32 - "My hair doesn't want to be straight. Insert jokes. So here I am. Wavy Dan is rising."
16:53 - "Just like you." His tiny grin here indicates he knows exactly what that person in the chat is responding to, but all Dan says next is "Thank you."
17:03 - "You're all saying in a way like, awww, don't be ashamed of your hideous flaw." Jesus, Dan. This - this is how Dan processes compliments. It's not just a compliment. He looks at it from all angles to figure out how valid the compliment is, how it can be interpreted as not really a compliment. I think his list of reasons why he shouldn't take a compliment to heart is probably extensive.
17:08 - "Not supposed to be looking." re: youtube chat, the promotes younow.
18:38 - dinof has returned, the next thing on his and Phil's agenda is gaming videos. Leads into promoting Phil's video. He makes a point to say they're true stories and the reenactments/storytelling aren't exaggerated.
18:36 - Third casual use of "I want death."
18:45 - Talking about photoshopping the selfie from Harry Potter, and celebrities photoshopping pictures.
20:05 - Proud of the thumbnail for the memes video.
20:55 - Describes the process of picking out memes as watching "an embarrassing slideshow of all the things that have happened."
21:22 - Dan is an introvert who needs to be alone to recharge. I appreciate him explaining introvert vs extrovert to anyone who might not quite get the concepts. Dan and Phil not going outside is a trope of their own making but when Dan speaks seriously about not leaving the house there's often a sense of pity or disbelief from people instead of awareness that it's just their (Dan, especially) version of recharging.
21:55 - "Don't live in a black and white universe. You can be all over the place."
22:50 - He did a quiz that said he's an INFJ, and seems to be trying to make a point that the kind of person who would take the quiz to begin with is usually that personality type.
23:45 - La La Land talk.
24:48 - Whiplash is one of his favorite movies.
25:37 - "My earrings! They're gone."
26:25 - Actually crying in the video? It was the triangle of tiredness, happiness, sad. "That g-spot of emotion, that's what I hit at the end of that video."
26:41 - Loved La La Land, but not as much as Moulin Rouge or Book of Mormon.
27:20 - He cried at the end of La La Land.
28:00 - Disneyland story, about his mum getting him out of school for a week in January and Disneyland Paris being completely empty. "I had like, the best time ever." His parental mentions have been positive two weeks in a row, I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop.
29:48 - He got an unconditional for Manchester because he got a really great personal statement. I enjoy when he relates something positive back to university, as opposed to when he talks about leaving it.
31:30 - Lego box story. "LEGO sent me and Phil each - even though we live at the same address - some LEGO Batman merch." Dan's disdain for getting LEGO merch is interesting, considering he spent four hours putting together iron bead art a couple weeks ago.
34:30 - Sherlock talk
35:00 - "[reading from chat]'Johnlock, ffs.' Really, really? Okay, lets not go there."
36:15 - Dan giving his stance on why he can't really go into detail on controversial topics: "What are other topics that are risky? Ooh, politics. You know, you can give top level things, but I can't really go into depth. Dan, do you agree with this politician? I go yes or no. Well, the world's not as simple as that. Maybe you disagree with some policies, maybe you agree with some ways that they conduct themselves, maybe you think that Obama is a good person, you think that he's a good politician [but] disagree with some other things, but if you just go like - if someone was go to 'I like Hillary' 'I like Trump' then it's like [blargh noise at the screen]. Know what I mean?"
37:50 - "Is your first video a sensitive topic? I am a sensitive topic, because apparently it'll make me cry."
38:10 - Answers a question by someone who doesn't care about politics by explaining that they should appreciate life until they start, because they'll be in a state of perpetual screaming. Accurate.
39:06 - Says Black Butler is okay.
39:23 - Cursed Child conversation begins.
42:03 - Dan finds stories about time travel annoying because it's pointless. I agree, but I also like this insight into what he likes in a story - progression, narrative, maybe more than characters. Phil seems to be the opposite, he's expressed how he likes relationships in shows more than action.
42:31 - "That's legit your stage show." That he laughs at this made it such a cute moment.
43:37 - "'Dan you're so boring.' Well, stop watching." Honing in on the negative amidst overwhelming praise. #justdanthings
43:40 - Black Mirror reference.
43:48 - Mentions side channel video he was going to make, but Alfie did it first. Why was Dan going to do an unboxing on his side channel? Is this indicative that he's actually trying to use it, maybe for more than just a home for liveshows?
44:40 - He will be surprised if the world is still functional in fifty years. I wonder how Phil, with his aversion to talking about death and attachment to the people he love not aging, feels about Dan holding opinions like that?
45:18 - Dan eager to point out how his mindset has changed from 18 to 25. "In 2017, you kind of stop being a dick."
47:45 - "Many colors really suit me, but that's on the outside. On the inside, the only color that suits me is black."
49:00 - "Do you ship scorbius?" "Yeah. I do. And all of you that think you ship scorbius and then haven't seen the stage show, your life is tragic. I saw the hug irl. Joking. But no, seriously. [mumbles] Good actors." A good old fashioned joe-king, aww. Wants to acknowledge liking something homoerotic, maybe doesn't want it to be forever attached to his brand and inescapable to the point that he no longer even likes it because it's become more associated with his fandom in his mind than the thing it started out as being.
49:50 - Mentions the Google Pixel, jokes about spon, but is still using the iphone 7.
50:20 - Piano.
50:35 - Gets a compliment about the piano and is extremely dismissive. 'You're so good!' said Andrews. Oh my god, were those eleven notes that I played, some of which were wrong 'cause I forgot already, amazing? I am so amazing at piano. Can you believe how amazing I am? Honestly. Other people that play the piano should be really jealous of my ability to just pummel out those seven notes."
51:36 - Gets someone pointing out he got the notes wrong and responds equally dismissively/defensively to the critique as he did the compliment. "Melina, I was stood up, and I literally started learning it about half an hour ago. Am I amazing, or am I a dork? Welcome to the internet, people. Do you think you could survive this maelstrom? Imagine yourself, a dog - a peaceful person - a chill, swaggy human of the earth - at one with nature, but also an intellectual - purveyor of fine memes - decide hey, I'm just gonna learn this thing on the piano, why not? You're learning it. And then imagine, all of a sudden - thousands of opinions attack you. People are saying you're amazing! Then somebody else says, you're shit! How do you deal with that? How do I deal with that? And the answer is simple: I'm simply dead inside, and expect nothing. Not recommending that to you, but it really works for me. Just, the less attached you are to the physical universe, the less serious you take anything.But it requires many months of meditating face down on a carpet to really appreciate this perspective and reach that level of despondent enlightenment." I wonder if Dan is taking the opportunity to say some of these things because he does actually think it's a new audience, a chance for him to present himself to a group of people who don't normally watch the liveshows, and how much the chance to forge a new impression of himself outside of dinof appeals to him.
52:55 - "I'll keep the peace sign sometimes. But I should try to just do like, other faces." After what he said in the meme video about the peace signs being a coping mechanism, I love what this statement stands for. He's not under any illusion that he'll stop relying on convenient and familiar poses during settings where he's feeling anxious, but he wants to try to brand out a little.
53:18 - Yuri is his favorite YOI character. I hope someone who is more into YOI than me comes back and comments on what this could mean, and why Dan might identify with or like Yuri best.
54:15 - "I'm in my twenties and puberty just hasn't finished for me." Because he can't grow a beard, thinks he'll be thirty before he can. "Basically, me and puberty was like - congratulations, you're 6'3"... the rest will come."
55:06 - Anime opinions.
55:25 - Someone says they relate to his last video, and he asks what they relate to them goes on a tangent about how the people laughing at when he does something wrong comes hand in hand with lots of people who love and respect him. He describes it in a cyclic way, like realizing that his job is to make people smile makes him smile, but doesn't negate the negative feelings that come along with it either.
56:30 - "I don't want to know. The less I know the better, to be honest. Much like the meme video, there's a certain amount I should be aware of and just - not. So lets make sure we always keep on the right side of that thing." I genuinely believe that there are pockets of fandom that Dan and Phil both strive to avoid. I don't think his desire to keep tapped in relates to scrounging around in the dark corners of intense relationship speculation, or probably even sexuality speculation.
57:00 - Probably going to Vidcon LA. Not sure about Europe, because he and Phil just did Europe.
57:22 - Talks about Phil and Pokemon.
59:35 - Dan admits he is Slytherin, and Albus is now his favorite character so he doesn't feel bad about being Slytherin.
1:00:16 - Terrarium. He spent "nearly an hour" arranging moss, so it looked like a tiny garden inside the glass sphere. When hanging it, the moment he let go, the rope snapped.
1:02:17 - "And the thing was, Phil was like - Dan, you had a very intense week making the meme video, and then Harry Potter was really, really long, and then you watched the Sherlock episode, so Sunday wasn't the most relaxing. So you should enjoy this Monday, and I was like - well, I've got this terrarium, I'm just going to be calm and I'm going to make this little terrarium and it's going to be really relaxing. And I was like, la la la... I was listening to the La La Land soundtrack. Hung up this terrarium, and fucking - [shattering noise]. And I was like, I bought that. Cost like thirty quid. Spent an hour making it. Really excited. Every time I was going to look over to it, I was going to think - I made that with my bare hands, isn't that nice? It's just very aesthetically pleasing. Phil walked in and just saw me stood in silence - like, it was really the last thing that I was clinging to in life, was this terrarium. And then it was just metaphorically in a million pieces in the floor. Then Phil walked in and I was just staring at it and we looked at each other and laughed for like, an hour. Again, much like the end of my top Dan memes of 2016 video, it was one of those laughs like - this is so funny and yet I am waiting for death, physically, the man or genderless entity that is the spectre of death, to come if he wants to come collect me I'm open to it. I'm sat here. I built a Batman lego watch. I am badly learning to play a song from a musical on piano. If death wants to come and say, you wanna go? Then we can just go. Hashtag just dan things." This says so much about the calming/grounding role Phil has potential to play for Dan, and how much he lives up to that potential. He understood where Dan's stress levels were at, suggested Dan take the day off (possibly altering a schedule they'd already discussed?) and then when the terrarium broke, diffused what could have been a very frustrating/upsetting moment for Dan by laughing about it with him.
1:04:20 - The gas is fixed. The person drilling might have stopped.
1:04:50 - Someone comments on Dan being more energetic in liveshows, he explains that it's because this is on youtube. He's used to liveshows being more chill, but since he's aware it's going on youtube he has youtube-appropriate energy. It's interesting that Dan seems to have a definite concept in his head of what his liveshow audience is, and a different idea of what an audience watching on youtube is. He feels relaxed by younow, but judged by youtube. "I'm sure over time I'll chill more."
1:06:10 - New years resolution is to fix his tumblr layout, branding overhaul - he specifies youtube banner and facebook picture as far as "branding" which reminds me of him clarifying to someone on twitter once that by branding he meant aesthetics not content.
1:06:28 - Doesn't want to change his facebook because it'll be something people will comment on. Someone else pointed out that facebook might stand out to him in this regard because you can't subtly change a facebook picture, and people can literally comment on it, unlike twitter.
1:06:49 - Starts fidgeting with his watch and stops looking directly at the camera in advance of what he says next. Considering he's five minutes over, I feel like he had the low level of anxiety that comes with knowing he had a point he wanted to make and having procrastinated it as long as he could.
1:06:51 - "2016 was a crazy year for me and Phil, and we want 2017 to be a lot more chill, a lot more youtube focused. So now that I've done my first youtube video, Phil's done his, we're gonna do some gaming videos on Dan and Phil games. And then we're gonna just... do some life things." Some very weighted 'we' in that statement right there. He pairs doing his first video with Phil's first video, eradicating any lingering doubts that they don't conceptualize and film as a unit even for individual channels, and then continues on with the plural reference to doing 'life things.'
1:07:31 - "'Get some storage,' said Stevie." He immediately smiles, the same beaming-smile he has had in the past when people ask about storage. I don't doubt he knows what the word is code for at this point, and he's certainly not discouraging the idea. "Yes, get some storage, that literally is on the agenda." Looks down and laughs, still fidgeting with the watch. "Find out if there's a better way to live and have loads of crap at the same time."
1:07:32 - Starts talking about earrings. Resumes addressing the camera directly, stops fidgeting with the watch. His entire posture and how he's sitting changes completely as soon as he's done with the 'we' statement and he calms noticeably.
1:09:48 - Can't muster it with building a new terrarium.
1:10:06 - Reiterates what the liveshows are supposed to be, and how they differ from videos. I still get the impression he is viewing this as an opportunity to talk to people who don't know him without making a thing of it.
1:10:30 - Calm Dan liveshow ending, reassures audience that it's okay to laugh at him, wishes people luck, tries to give generic good advice.

[pilotlight]

I find the Myers-Briggs stuff interesting without necessarily believing in it being very accurate. If nothing else it can be a good conversation topic. I think I've gotten a different result every time I've ever taken the test, myself (ENFP most recently).

I don't remember ever seeing that vidcon video before but Michael Cera? Maybe Phil had watched the Scott Pilgrim movie recently?

[Amiaw]

3500 words of timestamps, quotes, interpretations, and speculation. Maybe grab a cup of coffee or some tea before this one. (I did bold my favorite/most interesting parts, in case you want to skim.)

:42 - Dan clarifying that younow is who he will actually be interacting with. I'm so fascinated by how they're going about all of this multi-platform livestream integration. I wonder if younow stresses to them to try and drive people to the actual live feed or if that's just Dan wanting people watching it later on to understand that he's not live.
2:38 - New internet router. He starts talking about things that happened to disconnect the internet, and I immediately think of Dan accusing Phil is masturbating too enthusiastically and breaking it.
4:18 - "I said next to you for six hours, said Daisy. When? Oh - was that Harry Potter? Cool." Immediate recognition, neutral tone and swiftly moving on. How hyper aware of being by a fan was he? How much did that add to why Sunday was stressful to him?
5:27 - Starts talking about meme video. "And I only lost most of my sanity." Over one hundred thousand submissions. Beginning trend of how he talks about the meme submissions: "A rabbit hole of a kind to put your head down. I saw some shit in that inbox." I imagine this relates to what he says later about there being a line that he needs to stay on the right side of.
6:50 - Evan Peters jumper. Why would people be angry over him wearing it? Does he think people get angry with his crushes becoming memes? If so I think he has a skewed perception on that.
7:30 - We don't know if Pete Wentz unfollowed Dan because of the gaming tweet, but timing was right. "High percent chance that Phil did get me kinkshame unfollowed by one of my teen idols."
8:50 - Describes it as a "harrowing, emotional experience" - this sounds genuine. I think Dan in his meme video was reenacting genuine emotions, recreating what he genuinely felt when he saw it f. I don't know that I like that but I don't think his overacting is rooted in fabrication.
10:26 - "Slightly wanting death" as he looked at memes and laugh-wheezed. This is something he repeats throughout the liveshow, and I think in his mind the waiting for/wanting death is him laughing at a mindset that he's familiar with. I don't think it's 100% literal or 100% a joke. I think it is exactly what Dan says he does later in the liveshow, laughing at his own issues because that is healthy for him.
10:57 - "Not supposed to be interacting with you" in the youtube livechat.
11:33 - The last liveshow got 600k views. He seems to assume those people don't know liveshows exist and are mostly new viewers. My assumption would just be that those people would have rewatched it somewhere else later, and now go to his channel.
13:36 - Describing other people's reactions to the video. "Waiting for death" used as a signifier of someone's interpretation of his attitude, again not literal but also not completely dismissive.
14:28 - "Sometimes I forget that this sense of humor, this whole like, sarcastic all the time, self-deprecating, openly-laugh-at-all-of-your-mental-health-problems - which is a good thing that shows that we're all about being real with our problems, because some people say oh it can't be good for you, being all joking about yourself all the time, but I think it's the complete opposite. The people with these self-aware, self-deprecating sense of humors - just think about it, what does it say? If you can joke about your problems in a way that some people feel like 'am I allowed to laugh at this?' what this shows is that you're aware that you have issues, you acknowledge them, and you don't let them define you, and you're willing to talk about them and find them funny, and it's actually a very healthy attitude."
15:23 - "Therapy with Dan. Indeed."
16:32 - "My hair doesn't want to be straight. Insert jokes. So here I am. Wavy Dan is rising."
16:53 - "Just like you." His tiny grin here indicates he knows exactly what that person in the chat is responding to, but all Dan says next is "Thank you."
17:03 - "You're all saying in a way like, awww, don't be ashamed of your hideous flaw." Jesus, Dan. This - this is how Dan processes compliments. It's not just a compliment. He looks at it from all angles to figure out how valid the compliment is, how it can be interpreted as not really a compliment. I think his list of reasons why he shouldn't take a compliment to heart is probably extensive.
17:08 - "Not supposed to be looking." re: youtube chat, the promotes younow.
18:38 - dinof has returned, the next thing on his and Phil's agenda is gaming videos. Leads into promoting Phil's video. He makes a point to say they're true stories and the reenactments/storytelling aren't exaggerated.
18:36 - Third casual use of "I want death."
18:45 - Talking about photoshopping the selfie from Harry Potter, and celebrities photoshopping pictures.
20:05 - Proud of the thumbnail for the memes video.
20:55 - Describes the process of picking out memes as watching "an embarrassing slideshow of all the things that have happened."
21:22 - Dan is an introvert who needs to be alone to recharge. I appreciate him explaining introvert vs extrovert to anyone who might not quite get the concepts. Dan and Phil not going outside is a trope of their own making but when Dan speaks seriously about not leaving the house there's often a sense of pity or disbelief from people instead of awareness that it's just their (Dan, especially) version of recharging.
21:55 - "Don't live in a black and white universe. You can be all over the place."
22:50 - He did a quiz that said he's an INFJ, and seems to be trying to make a point that the kind of person who would take the quiz to begin with is usually that personality type.
23:45 - La La Land talk.
24:48 - Whiplash is one of his favorite movies.
25:37 - "My earrings! They're gone."
26:25 - Actually crying in the video? It was the triangle of tiredness, happiness, sad. "That g-spot of emotion, that's what I hit at the end of that video."
26:41 - Loved La La Land, but not as much as Moulin Rouge or Book of Mormon.
27:20 - He cried at the end of La La Land.
28:00 - Disneyland story, about his mum getting him out of school for a week in January and Disneyland Paris being completely empty. "I had like, the best time ever." His parental mentions have been positive two weeks in a row, I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop.
29:48 - He got an unconditional for Manchester because he got a really great personal statement. I enjoy when he relates something positive back to university, as opposed to when he talks about leaving it.
31:30 - Lego box story. "LEGO sent me and Phil each - even though we live at the same address - some LEGO Batman merch." Dan's disdain for getting LEGO merch is interesting, considering he spent four hours putting together iron bead art a couple weeks ago.
34:30 - Sherlock talk
35:00 - "[reading from chat]'Johnlock, ffs.' Really, really? Okay, lets not go there."
36:15 - Dan giving his stance on why he can't really go into detail on controversial topics: "What are other topics that are risky? Ooh, politics. You know, you can give top level things, but I can't really go into depth. Dan, do you agree with this politician? I go yes or no. Well, the world's not as simple as that. Maybe you disagree with some policies, maybe you agree with some ways that they conduct themselves, maybe you think that Obama is a good person, you think that he's a good politician [but] disagree with some other things, but if you just go like - if someone was go to 'I like Hillary' 'I like Trump' then it's like [blargh noise at the screen]. Know what I mean?"
37:50 - "Is your first video a sensitive topic? I am a sensitive topic, because apparently it'll make me cry."
38:10 - Answers a question by someone who doesn't care about politics by explaining that they should appreciate life until they start, because they'll be in a state of perpetual screaming. Accurate.
39:06 - Says Black Butler is okay.
39:23 - Cursed Child conversation begins.
42:03 - Dan finds stories about time travel annoying because it's pointless. I agree, but I also like this insight into what he likes in a story - progression, narrative, maybe more than characters. Phil seems to be the opposite, he's expressed how he likes relationships in shows more than action.
42:31 - "That's legit your stage show." That he laughs at this made it such a cute moment.
43:37 - "'Dan you're so boring.' Well, stop watching." Honing in on the negative amidst overwhelming praise. #justdanthings
43:40 - Black Mirror reference.
43:48 - Mentions side channel video he was going to make, but Alfie did it first. Why was Dan going to do an unboxing on his side channel? Is this indicative that he's actually trying to use it, maybe for more than just a home for liveshows?
44:40 - He will be surprised if the world is still functional in fifty years. I wonder how Phil, with his aversion to talking about death and attachment to the people he love not aging, feels about Dan holding opinions like that?
45:18 - Dan eager to point out how his mindset has changed from 18 to 25. "In 2017, you kind of stop being a dick."
47:45 - "Many colors really suit me, but that's on the outside. On the inside, the only color that suits me is black."
49:00 - "Do you ship scorbius?" "Yeah. I do. And all of you that think you ship scorbius and then haven't seen the stage show, your life is tragic. I saw the hug irl. Joking. But no, seriously. [mumbles] Good actors." A good old fashioned joe-king, aww. Wants to acknowledge liking something homoerotic, maybe doesn't want it to be forever attached to his brand and inescapable to the point that he no longer even likes it because it's become more associated with his fandom in his mind than the thing it started out as being.
49:50 - Mentions the Google Pixel, jokes about spon, but is still using the iphone 7.
50:20 - Piano.
50:35 - Gets a compliment about the piano and is extremely dismissive. 'You're so good!' said Andrews. Oh my god, were those eleven notes that I played, some of which were wrong 'cause I forgot already, amazing? I am so amazing at piano. Can you believe how amazing I am? Honestly. Other people that play the piano should be really jealous of my ability to just pummel out those seven notes."
51:36 - Gets someone pointing out he got the notes wrong and responds equally dismissively/defensively to the critique as he did the compliment. "Melina, I was stood up, and I literally started learning it about half an hour ago. Am I amazing, or am I a dork? Welcome to the internet, people. Do you think you could survive this maelstrom? Imagine yourself, a dog - a peaceful person - a chill, swaggy human of the earth - at one with nature, but also an intellectual - purveyor of fine memes - decide hey, I'm just gonna learn this thing on the piano, why not? You're learning it. And then imagine, all of a sudden - thousands of opinions attack you. People are saying you're amazing! Then somebody else says, you're shit! How do you deal with that? How do I deal with that? And the answer is simple: I'm simply dead inside, and expect nothing. Not recommending that to you, but it really works for me. Just, the less attached you are to the physical universe, the less serious you take anything.But it requires many months of meditating face down on a carpet to really appreciate this perspective and reach that level of despondent enlightenment." I wonder if Dan is taking the opportunity to say some of these things because he does actually think it's a new audience, a chance for him to present himself to a group of people who don't normally watch the liveshows, and how much the chance to forge a new impression of himself outside of dinof appeals to him.
52:55 - "I'll keep the peace sign sometimes. But I should try to just do like, other faces." After what he said in the meme video about the peace signs being a coping mechanism, I love what this statement stands for. He's not under any illusion that he'll stop relying on convenient and familiar poses during settings where he's feeling anxious, but he wants to try to brand out a little.
53:18 - Yuri is his favorite YOI character. I hope someone who is more into YOI than me comes back and comments on what this could mean, and why Dan might identify with or like Yuri best.
54:15 - "I'm in my twenties and puberty just hasn't finished for me." Because he can't grow a beard, thinks he'll be thirty before he can. "Basically, me and puberty was like - congratulations, you're 6'3"... the rest will come."
55:06 - Anime opinions.
55:25 - Someone says they relate to his last video, and he asks what they relate to them goes on a tangent about how the people laughing at when he does something wrong comes hand in hand with lots of people who love and respect him. He describes it in a cyclic way, like realizing that his job is to make people smile makes him smile, but doesn't negate the negative feelings that come along with it either.
56:30 - "I don't want to know. The less I know the better, to be honest. Much like the meme video, there's a certain amount I should be aware of and just - not. So lets make sure we always keep on the right side of that thing." I genuinely believe that there are pockets of fandom that Dan and Phil both strive to avoid. I don't think his desire to keep tapped in relates to scrounging around in the dark corners of intense relationship speculation, or probably even sexuality speculation.
57:00 - Probably going to Vidcon LA. Not sure about Europe, because he and Phil just did Europe.
57:22 - Talks about Phil and Pokemon.
59:35 - Dan admits he is Slytherin, and Albus is now his favorite character so he doesn't feel bad about being Slytherin.
1:00:16 - Terrarium. He spent "nearly an hour" arranging moss, so it looked like a tiny garden inside the glass sphere. When hanging it, the moment he let go, the rope snapped.
1:02:17 - "And the thing was, Phil was like - Dan, you had a very intense week making the meme video, and then Harry Potter was really, really long, and then you watched the Sherlock episode, so Sunday wasn't the most relaxing. So you should enjoy this Monday, and I was like - well, I've got this terrarium, I'm just going to be calm and I'm going to make this little terrarium and it's going to be really relaxing. And I was like, la la la... I was listening to the La La Land soundtrack. Hung up this terrarium, and fucking - [shattering noise]. And I was like, I bought that. Cost like thirty quid. Spent an hour making it. Really excited. Every time I was going to look over to it, I was going to think - I made that with my bare hands, isn't that nice? It's just very aesthetically pleasing. Phil walked in and just saw me stood in silence - like, it was really the last thing that I was clinging to in life, was this terrarium. And then it was just metaphorically in a million pieces in the floor. Then Phil walked in and I was just staring at it and we looked at each other and laughed for like, an hour. Again, much like the end of my top Dan memes of 2016 video, it was one of those laughs like - this is so funny and yet I am waiting for death, physically, the man or genderless entity that is the spectre of death, to come if he wants to come collect me I'm open to it. I'm sat here. I built a Batman lego watch. I am badly learning to play a song from a musical on piano. If death wants to come and say, you wanna go? Then we can just go. Hashtag just dan things." This says so much about the calming/grounding role Phil has potential to play for Dan, and how much he lives up to that potential. He understood where Dan's stress levels were at, suggested Dan take the day off (possibly altering a schedule they'd already discussed?) and then when the terrarium broke, diffused what could have been a very frustrating/upsetting moment for Dan by laughing about it with him.
1:04:20 - The gas is fixed. The person drilling might have stopped.
1:04:50 - Someone comments on Dan being more energetic in liveshows, he explains that it's because this is on youtube. He's used to liveshows being more chill, but since he's aware it's going on youtube he has youtube-appropriate energy. It's interesting that Dan seems to have a definite concept in his head of what his liveshow audience is, and a different idea of what an audience watching on youtube is. He feels relaxed by younow, but judged by youtube. "I'm sure over time I'll chill more."
1:06:10 - New years resolution is to fix his tumblr layout, branding overhaul - he specifies youtube banner and facebook picture as far as "branding" which reminds me of him clarifying to someone on twitter once that by branding he meant aesthetics not content.
1:06:28 - Doesn't want to change his facebook because it'll be something people will comment on. Someone else pointed out that facebook might stand out to him in this regard because you can't subtly change a facebook picture, and people can literally comment on it, unlike twitter.
1:06:49 - Starts fidgeting with his watch and stops looking directly at the camera in advance of what he says next. Considering he's five minutes over, I feel like he had the low level of anxiety that comes with knowing he had a point he wanted to make and having procrastinated it as long as he could.
1:06:51 - "2016 was a crazy year for me and Phil, and we want 2017 to be a lot more chill, a lot more youtube focused. So now that I've done my first youtube video, Phil's done his, we're gonna do some gaming videos on Dan and Phil games. And then we're gonna just... do some life things." Some very weighted 'we' in that statement right there. He pairs doing his first video with Phil's first video, eradicating any lingering doubts that they don't conceptualize and film as a unit even for individual channels, and then continues on with the plural reference to doing 'life things.'
1:07:31 - "'Get some storage,' said Stevie." He immediately smiles, the same beaming-smile he has had in the past when people ask about storage. I don't doubt he knows what the word is code for at this point, and he's certainly not discouraging the idea. "Yes, get some storage, that literally is on the agenda." Looks down and laughs, still fidgeting with the watch. "Find out if there's a better way to live and have loads of crap at the same time."
1:07:32 - Starts talking about earrings. Resumes addressing the camera directly, stops fidgeting with the watch. His entire posture and how he's sitting changes completely as soon as he's done with the 'we' statement and he calms noticeably.
1:09:48 - Can't muster it with building a new terrarium.
1:10:06 - Reiterates what the liveshows are supposed to be, and how they differ from videos. I still get the impression he is viewing this as an opportunity to talk to people who don't know him without making a thing of it.
1:10:30 - Calm Dan liveshow ending, reassures audience that it's okay to laugh at him, wishes people luck, tries to give generic good advice.

I knew it was a good live show but I didn't realize how MUCH content there really was. Great time stamps- my favorite was your take on 1:06 where he stops looking at the camera- your explanation of that was what I thought too- he had something to say and was anxious about it. I don't know if my thoughts have completely settled about the live show- I'll have to think about it a little more but I appreciate your hard work