Dan & Phil Part 40: We like the cock

[fancybum]

I figured out why I hate this conversation. Or the recurring theme of it: "grow up/suck it up/do your job/boo hoo creativity Dan." He's made it abundantly clear that he overly stresses about what he puts on dinof. And to constantly be let down by the difference between what he puts out and what he says he wants to put out is frustrating, yes, agreed. The issue with his creativity though isn't about him going through a drought or being stifled or whatever, he's got that ever growing list of ideas after all. He's not hurting for creativity in theory. It's in practice (actually doing it and then more importantly: putting it out there) where he struggles because that's the terrifying part. That's where his idea, his art, is actually out there for other people's judgement. He cares what others think of him, he cares how he's perceived not just by his hardcore cavity-inducing adoring audience, but by outsiders as well (enter: those mythical edgy bros and their judgemental gaze). And to me it's pretty clear that all of that is a wordy way of saying "he has anxiety". And hey, no diagnosing going on here, he's used the word himself (because yes it's a word that describes a thing), and the thing about anxiety is: nobody asks for it, it's just there. So people just flippantly saying he should grow up about it is as useful as telling a depressive person to cheer the fuck up. And that's not an excuse (if he needed one) for subpar content, but it's a reason and is obviously an ongoing struggle with him that everybody is well aware of.

On top of all of that, he is doing his (chosen, self-imposed) job on 2 other channels (well, maybe 1.5) just fine. In previous years, with the radio, with tatinof, he managed to consistently do his job, while also struggling with dinof. Point being: dinof is part of his job, not the entirety of it. He's doing his job. This isn't about me coddling or excusing or claiming he can do no wrong. But calling somebody "not cut out for the real world" because he's too negative for your liking and can't throw away his irrational anxieties with the flip of a switch is just fucked up.

Anxiety is frustrating, both having it and dealing with someone who has it, nobody wins. Not everything is outside of his control; yeah, he could have thought twice about his tone when responding to people after dropping ISG (he also could have just warned everybody better before dropping ISG). Basically this was all quite avoidable several steps ago and that is majorly on him. So sure, criticize that shit all damn day. But the kind of criticism that just devolves into demanding he be better at being a person just strikes all the nerves. Because guess what: he'd probably love that too, not overthinking everything to the point of inaction, not worrying about every possible negative outcome or potential failure, letting even the least likely ones keep him up at night because 'what if'. What a world if everyone could just grow up and not let their own minds hold them back from doing what they want to do, or more importantly it seems, what other people want them to do. Damn, I'd love to live there.

(If i wasn't on mobile I'd properly quote people and post some Dan quotes but fuuuu)
And lurker I loved your post

This forum is all over the place with topics right now so I'm not sure where this fits in. But, it sounds like we're getting another horse prince video tonight.

I'll take anything right about now, so yay

[flarequake]

fancybum for this. Anxiety is a bastard, let him live.

Lol, horse prince video. I got quite into the story, heck I find all their content entertaining.

To answer thephandommenace's question, I had that thing where you just fall for someone (Phil followed by Dan) and just like them a lot. All their work with tatinof gave us more and the phandom is always active so there's plenty to watch, read and interact with. Also I haven't really disliked much of their content at all bar the first horse prince video till the story grabbed me, and Dan's self-deprecation in some live shows. Liking him as a person makes that harder so I only felt like that becaus I'm invested. I'm hoping that to see the day he can relax.

[uglyamerican]

Oh ffs, I was hoping My Horse Prince was destined for the glue factory.

[Birdie]

Okay, how do I say this? First off, this is not meant as an attack on anyone here but I don’t think dragging mental illness into this is okay. Like at all. No one was criticising Dan for having anxiety, fancybum. We were criticising him for dwelling on his creative slump and for the way he handled the situation. He was snippy, not only to people criticising him but also to some people who were nothing but nice and there was no need for him to be. The person who said he’s not cut out for the real world didn’t say people with anxiety weren’t cut out for the real world. It was about the way he handles situations and criticism.

People’s criticism of his infrequent uploading is valid. And you can’t just shoot them down with “But he’s mentally ill, you monsters!” I have crippling social anxiety myself. It used to be so bad I couldn’t even go to work. I used to sit at home and hate myself for not going whilst at the same time feeling like if I did go outside, I would die, I was so scared. I know what it’s like and it’s a bitch, your mind working against you like this. But I can’t just use anxiety as an excuse when I’m mean to people or to disregard when people criticise me or my work. That's not how it works.

No one here criticised Dan for being anxious or for being afraid of what people think of his work. We criticised him for the lack of uploads, the way he doesn’t take criticism well and lashes out at fans, and the way he goes on and on about quality content being important to him and then uploading a hastily thrown together ISG. That’s all valid criticism and none of it has to do with his anxiety so dragging mental illness into this like people were horrid monsters hating on him for having anxiety… not cool.

I'm absolutely going to regret this post in a few minutes but whatever.

EDIT: Just wanted to add that I'm not expecting anyone to agree with me. This is a heavy topic and everyone feels different about it, especially people who have anxiety themselves. That post just got to me but it's nothing personal, I usually really like your posts, fancybum.

[SexyTrashCan]

welp

[fancybum]

Birdie read my post again and then yours. You're not responding to anything I actually said.

[missemma]

I think he does owe us something. We are subscribers. We watch his content and the ads that come with that. We like, we comment. We generate hits and ad revenue and traffic. And you know what all that is?? $$$$$$$$$
Maybe I do not pay for his content but I have paid for other things in the past (merch, books, etc.) because I want to support him & Phil. I pay for content when I watch ads, when I like every video he puts out, when I watch and share everything, and when I get other people I know to subscribe and watch.
Without us, Dan would not be what he is today. Youtube is literally his job. If he had a day job I'd be like okay whatever I understand why he does not upload. When they were doing the radio show I could excuse waiting for a new video for like... 3 months because he was providing me with some other content that I knew he was getting paid for. (And me watching that content live every week, listening to ads and songs I don't care about was also a way of 'paying' for his content.)
If you were watching a TV show and they suddenly stopped for about 2 months and then put out another episode, you'd probably be frustrated. I see no difference between that and Dan's videos. Sure, it's a more creator-driven process but still. He is an entertainer.

I kind of agree with the above, yes it is his job, you're right, but I don't personally think he owes us anything. Dan and Phil are very good to their fans, they interact much more than most do, for me that is enough than him churning out content that he isn't happy with. If people are unhappy with how he acts or his uploading schedule then it is very easy to unsubscribe and not follow him/his content anymore.

I'm interested to know why people here (especially the longtime fans) are so interested in/entertained by after so long that you still watch and support them so loyally? Could it be the interaction and feeling closer to them than you would with a TV show/other fandoms? Do you go to them when you're having a bad day?

I liked this question a lot, and the answered that followed *click imaginary thanks button*.
I haven't been a fan for long compared to some others, this is my third year of being in the phandom, and I can't imagine not being in it. If I'm having a shitty day then I'll stick on an old video (usually a DITL) and it'll cheer me up. I've made great friends through liking Dan and Phil, I've visited countries and cities that I've never been to because of tatinof. I love coming on IDB and reading all the posts, this little community we have here makes me very proud tbh. Dan and Phil make me laugh, they remove all the stresses of life when you're watching them scream in a gaming video, it's like a little bubble that makes real life seem okay again. Sometimes you just need a distraction from real life, and for me it's Deps that I go to. Even though there are times they don't upload that often, there is always something going on, be it phandom drama or just something hilarious ie phangate or busgate.

Liveshows:
Is there a channel that does "best of" snippets? I generally just read the review because they happen at an awful time and I never seem to actually be able to catch up.

I wish dinofvyou1 still did her highlights of the liveshows because I honestly keep forgetting that Phil changed his to Thursday and I'm always busy/have plans when he does them and I forget to rewatch them.

I figured out why I hate this conversation. Or the recurring theme of it: "grow up/suck it up/do your job/boo hoo creativity Dan." He's made it abundantly clear that he overly stresses about what he puts on dinof. And to constantly be let down by the difference between what he puts out and what he says he wants to put out is frustrating, yes, agreed. The issue with his creativity though isn't about him going through a drought or being stifled or whatever, he's got that ever growing list of ideas after all. He's not hurting for creativity in theory. It's in practice (actually doing it and then more importantly: putting it out there) where he struggles because that's the terrifying part. That's where his idea, his art, is actually out there for other people's judgement. He cares what others think of him, he cares how he's perceived not just by his hardcore cavity-inducing adoring audience, but by outsiders as well (enter: those mythical edgy bros and their judgemental gaze). And to me it's pretty clear that all of that is a wordy way of saying "he has anxiety". And hey, no diagnosing going on here, he's used the word himself (because yes it's a word that describes a thing), and the thing about anxiety is: nobody asks for it, it's just there. So people just flippantly saying he should grow up about it is as useful as telling a depressive person to cheer the fuck up. And that's not an excuse (if he needed one) for subpar content, but it's a reason and is obviously an ongoing struggle with him that everybody is well aware of.

On top of all of that, he is doing his (chosen, self-imposed) job on 2 other channels (well, maybe 1.5) just fine. In previous years, with the radio, with tatinof, he managed to consistently do his job, while also struggling with dinof. Point being: dinof is part of his job, not the entirety of it. He's doing his job. This isn't about me coddling or excusing or claiming he can do no wrong. But calling somebody "not cut out for the real world" because he's too negative for your liking and can't throw away his irrational anxieties with the flip of a switch is just fucked up.

ps. I am skipping the horse video, I only watched the first 5 minutes of the first one and hated it, haven't watched the second one either, and this one is also not going to be watched.

[BSV]

Oh wow, this horse game is getting (well it already was lets face it) very odd, but I thought that video was pretty funny! I again love the inclusion of the artwork (yes! They even put that gif artwork of Dan riding the Phil horse haha) I also love that they know some people hate it and have left it up to the gods of the thumbs up/thumbs down buttons, looking forward to seeing the results!

[SquishPhan]

This was a pretty boring episode, except for the ending. Definitely not something that I would watch again.

Them referring to the cake scene in TATINOF was interesting though. I had forgotten about it, but now want them to upload it still.

Phil looked really good in that sweater. :lel:

[mio]

Finally I can talk about this stupid horse app!! I downloaded it after their last video.. purely for research *cough* and got kind of addicted to it, though it's sooooo stupid (please dont judge me).

I was already wondering how much they'd cut because without using actual money this literally taked hours to finish a level, because you have to wait 30min each time for new talks, and you have to do that quite a few times... I'm kind of disappointed they "cheated" though, if you do it the other way you get a lot more different questions and the various answers.

Anyway that video was hilarious, this level is just so disturbing (especially the end) and their reactions were priceless. I feel like Phil really got into it now and wants to continue
spoiler: it gets weirder.

also I am still waiting for somebody to explain to me what the hell is even happening in this game like

was this level supposed to be some kind of delirous dream? and some of the other levels too, what of this is part of the storyline and what is just some kind of weird alternative universe?? I'm so confused and yet I can't stop. help. I'm at the point now where they brought in the sports anime like awkward rivalry/sexual tension with that other horse WTF WHERE IS THIS GOING

[nephilimcat]

Damn, Phil in the same jumper he wore in that beautiful pic For, um, reference (without spoiler because ... Phil):



Tbh, I enjoy this series and I can't believe it. I actually "want more horse"
I love how they just keep cracking up because it's so ridiculous but keep going anyway. It's just so much fun. And I want to know how it ends. Will they marry or something or will it take a less disturbing turn (haha, as if).

Also, did I mention that Phil in this ladybird jumper makes him look even better than he usually does and he always looks amazing. Oh my, why does he do this to me!? Oh no, I'm that person

[SexyTrashCan]

Not much really happened, but their reaction to the sheer craziness of this game did make me chuckle. Still gonna watch this series though. I kind of want them to finish the game now so I don't actually have to play it.
Not as much... horse related attraction this episode.

[Ktn]

Bit of a boring episode plot wise, but Phil was in a really weird and entertaining mood and Dan's laugh at 14:07 gave me life.

[koalaselfie]

From 13:55 when Dan says "Look at the girth on that" to 15:00 ish ... wow guys Edit out the laughing and there's a couple additions to those Dan and Phil moaning compilations
These horse game episodes are waay too long, imo. If they were shorter I definitely wouldn't find them as boring (which I do) but hey, I'm a sucker and will watch the whole thing anyway

[pilotlight]

I almost skipped the video because I found the previous horsey vids really dull, but I'm actually glad I didn't. Definitely not my favourite gaming video but I found this one a little more entertaining the others. Still wouldn't be sad if they never played it again but Susan-kun being force-fed gigantic pieces of green onion was funny. Also that sweater of Phil's . I think it looks more like lobster-meets-dalmatian than coccinelle but either way, damn.

I'm interested to know why people here (especially the longtime fans) are so interested in/entertained by after so long that you still watch and support them so loyally? Could it be the interaction and feeling closer to them than you would with a TV show/other fandoms? Do you go to them when you're having a bad day?

I haven't been a fan for very long, only since last summer, and I do wonder how long I'll stay interested in them. I don't really follow any other youtubers or entertainers this much so I don't really have anything to compare it to except maybe musicians? But even then I never really cared about the bands I liked beyond their music and shows.

I think part of the appeal for me is that I got introduced to them at a time when I was kind of missing my friends, so it was like a vicarious hanging-out-with-friends thing at first. They make me laugh and I like their bants, and their videos do cheer me up if I'm having a rough day. After I started watching more videos, I got curious about them as people and ended up finding GG and then this place and it turns out that I really like reading all the theorizing about them.

Their videos are also something I enjoy with my husband. He was the one who introduced me to deppy in the first place, and it's become kind of a "thing" for us to watch them together. In some ways, they remind me of us, so I guess #relatabie is a factor too.

[glitterintheair]

I really enjoyed the new video, definitely more than the Horse Prince vid they did before this one. Especially the choking part was hysterical, this game is just gettin' more and more absurd, I cannot believe it.
But I'm easily pleased - as long as dnp are entertaining and seem interested in the game they're playing, I will be happy.
Actually, now I'm curious to know what's gonna happen next to SusanKun. I hope they'll continue the series.

Also, I wondered for weeks when we were gonna see Phil wearing that red sweater on the channel. THANK YOU,PHILIP. YOU LOOK GREAT.

[Birdie]

I've skipped all the horse videos. I just don't care for them at all because the game is too weird for me. I usually don't watch the gaming channel for the games but this game is just too weird. But I'm glad people are enjoying it!

fancybum: I put my answer under a spoiler because the conversation has moved on and I don't want to bring it back again. But I wanted to explain what I meant a bit better.

And hey, no diagnosing going on here, he's used the word himself (because yes it's a word that describes a thing), and the thing about anxiety is: nobody asks for it, it's just there. So people just flippantly saying he should grow up about it is as useful as telling a depressive person to cheer the fuck up.

This isn't about me coddling or excusing or claiming he can do no wrong. But calling somebody "not cut out for the real world" because he's too negative for your liking and can't throw away his irrational anxieties with the flip of a switch is just fucked up.

Anxiety is frustrating, both having it and dealing with someone who has it, nobody wins.[...] So sure, criticize that shit all damn day. But the kind of criticism that just devolves into demanding he be better at being a person just strikes all the nerves.

I did read your post carefully and I do feel like I was responding to what you said but I don’t always have an easy time articulating what I mean in English when I’m upset. I shouldn’t have posted anything at all until I felt a bit better but here we are. Sorry for not being clear the first time around. What bothered me so much were basically the bolded parts. I felt like you were accusing everyone with an opinion on Dan’s infrequent uploading and his attitude towards fans on Twitter of erasing his anxiety.

You do basically say that the criticism was valid and I realise that but you also seemed to equate big chunks of people’s detailed explanations of their criticism to mocking Dan for having anxiety, erasing his anxiety or not taking it seriously. I just didn’t see that happen. The discussion was civil, no one was flippant and people explained why they felt the way they felt. No one attacked him for his insecurities or his self-doubts but for the way he dealt with them where it concerned other people. Basically my issue was you saying the criticism was valid but at the same time equating it to erasing his mental illness. Maybe I did misunderstand you there but no matter how often I read your post, especially the bolded parts, I can’t shake that impression.

Maybe it’s because I was one of the people criticising Dan whilst having severe anxiety myself but I got uncomfortable reading your post and I’m pretty sure that wasn’t because I didn’t understand what you were saying. I did understand. I just don’t really agree with everything. Like I said, I usually agree with most of your posts and this isn’t an attack on you or anything. You said you didn’t mean to use his anxiety as an excuse for everything but at the same time I felt like you were. But whatever, it’s time to let this go since that wasn't your intention anyway and I should've just shut up. The discussion has thankfully moved on and it’s not really that important anymore.

[pastelspectre]

watched the new horse video and it was weird.. good weird not bad weird. the face dan makes after he says the girth comment though i love those faces when he says something wrong and then realizes what he said a few seconds after. it was a cute video, i liked their reactions and the comments even if not much happened plot wise.

also @fancybum for the anxiety comment for Dan

[heart eyes howell]

Did anybody notice that in the new gaming video Dan said "it's literally the cake situation" and then Phil said "have another mouthful for philly!"?

But seriously, I really wish we got a HQ clip of the cake scene from tatinof..

[misakichan274]

Loved the video, I liked it loads better than the previous one, just in terms of their interest levels and banter. They were both cheerful, interested and hilarious in their reactions (Phil especially) and that is always a plus for me as watching them love what they play makes me happier than the gameplay
Couldn't stop staring at Phil in that jumper, had to watch it twice because I hardly looked at Dan and missed some stuff on my first watch
Their synchronised laughs, weird innuendos and the singular 'our life' had me

to fancybum, you articulately worded why I didn't wish to discuss my thoughts regarding it.

As to why I watch them, I'm relatively new to the fandom as well and as so many mentioned already, I really admire, respect and like the people that they are and the content they put out. As someone completely new to the YTer culture, I cant think of anyone else who I morally and just personally engage with on such a deep level. As intriguing as the ambiguousness of their relationship is, I believe them to be together so I enjoy their interactions for what they are more than the 'suspense'. And although I love them both dearly, I'm a bigger stan of Phil because I relate too much with Dan and can only weep in hopes of having myself a Phil

[gnostic]

I love Dan and Phil's genuine confusion at why their subscribers don't like the series that have them voice acting the roles of a love stricken girl and a dreamy prince in domestic and kinky relationship

I am also confused lol

[human]

.

[malday]

[offtopic]I saw people freaking out about the #youtubeagegate thing and i decided to turn on restricted mode just to see how it affects DAPG.
And i only see 30 of the videos and only Phil's channel shows up in the featured channels section lol[/offtopic]

[PolarFox]

So, I kind of loved the video I have loved this series since ep one because deppy playing a dating sim? And a satire one like this one? Sign me the heck up. What even was the fanart. Just amazing. I laughed the most from Dan's grith comment forward. It's so ridiculous and I must say... I want more horse acrion
I wonder if it gets more sexual than this tho, feel free to spoil me

[offtopic]I saw people freaking out about the #youtubeagegate thing and i decided to turn on restricted mode just to see how it affects DAPG.
And i only see 30 of the videos and only Phil's channel shows up in the featured channels section lol[/offtopic]

[offtopic]what's that about?[/offtopic]

[Catallena]

This video gave me the opportunity to see Phil in movement wearing that jumper so despite the horse shit I was pretty down with it.

Other things I enjoyed:
- Them being cheeky about their audience being so divided about this game.
- Phil being in a very entertaining mood.
- Dan apparently being into lads who make breakfast the morning after.
- Phil fondly laughing at Dan sounding super posh.
- Dan needing someone who tells him to rest. Which Phil literally did a while ago. #relationshipgoals
- Phil sticking out his tongue when laughing aka his cutest quirk.

The game itself remains boring, but whatevz I'll watch.