#filsdfrank

Since watching "Where's My Gender?" (2025) for the first time a few days ago, I have become obsessed with trying to piece together the story behind Fils D Frank's videos on Youtube. I was shocked to see that nobody was posting any theories online, so I will amend that with this post, in which I will investigate the question of what Zender's gender actually is. I do not have a definitive answer yet, so i will instead discuss several different possibilities.

Zender is nonbinary.

This seems to be the most straightforward interpretation of the video. Zender is shown switching between male and female clothes, seems confused about the question of gender, and is referred to using different (and increasingly non-traditional) pronouns throughout the video. Therefore, it seems reasonable to assume that the video's chaotic and difficult to understand nature is a reflection of Zender's own struggle to fit into either male or female gender roles.

I am inclined to believe that this explanation is too simplistic, though. For one, the chorus refers to Zender as "her" repeatedly, which throws a wrench in the previous theory about the pronouns becoming less and less similar to "she/her" and "he/him." Additionally, the video seems to suggest that Zender's gender confusion is inauthentic, which I will elaborate on later.

Finally, there seems to be a common theme of "transformation" woven throughout Fils D Frank's videos. For example, the Peanut Butter Man's transformation into the Human Butter Man is another big point of emphasis in the story, as well as the death of Sarah and emergence of Fils. The title of "They Took My Gender" suggests that Zender's lack of gender is not voluntary but rather was forced. This claim is further substantiated by the fact that in that video, we see the male version of Zender on an operating table being cut to pieces in a quite literal sense. This suggests that Zender once had a gender, but they lost it for reasons outside of their control.

2. Zender is transfem.

This interpretation also seems highly plausible based on the videos. In "Where's My Gender," Zender starts off male, and the male version of them is seen being wheeled into a hospital on a gurney. "They Took My Gender" shows Zender on an operating table being cut to pieces and afterwards wearing the female clothes, suggesting that they underwent some kind of medical procedure to transition from male to female.

Another piece of evidence for this view is that in earlier videos such as "He Should've Ate Me," Fils appears to have a more masculine body, as they are shown shirtless without their chest being censored. However, in "They Took My Gender," Fils has a more feminine body. They are shown covering their chest and looking down into their underwear, presumably seeing nothing there. I believe that Zender is a representation of Fils due to the fact that they are shown with heterochromia in the beginning of "They Took My Gender," and Fils also has heterochromia. Additionally, Fils' body and movements seem to mirror Zender in both "They Took My Gender" and "Where's My Gender."

Finally, the continued use of she/her pronouns in both videos to refer to Zender suggests that they may have transitioned to female. The chorus of "Where's My Gender" says "gender bender / can't comprehend her / she's a gender bender."

This would also seem to explain the Gelatinous Jelly's question of "Why aren't you gay? Maybe there's a delay." One common response to people who come out as transgender is "why can't you just be gay?". Additionally, many people believe that being transgender is a phase that the person will eventually grow out of, which could be why the Gelatinous Jelly believes there's a "delay" and Zender should "give it 1, 2, 3."

Ultimately, though, I still do not think this captures the full picture. The main reason is that the videos suggest that Zender's gender presentation is not authentic. The clearest example of this is that when the "strawberry gender" appears on screen, it is accompanied by text saying "we're not sure that it's really strawberry." Additionally, the chorus in "Where's My Gender?" keeps repeating, "I want to send her out," and in "They Took My Gender," the text on screen says "gender end her end her end her." These lyrics potentially indicate that Zender is not really happy being a woman. Finally, when the surgeons are operating on Zender, they say, "let's break her," and afterwards Zender says, "I think something broke." A trans woman would be happy about having a more feminine body and appearance, but it seems that Zender does not feel that way. This is further supported by the fact that the text "Where is my body?" flashes on screen while Fils is looking down their pants, implying that the changes to Zender's body were unwanted.

3. Zender is transmasc.

This theory uses much of the same evidence as the "Zender is transfem" theory, but reversed. Perhaps the chorus' use of phrases like "end her" and "I want to send her out" indicates that Zender feels uncomfortable with being female. Additionally, when Fils appears in "They Took My Gender" with a more feminine body, they are wearing men's underwear, perhaps indicating that they are trying to present more masculine despite their body. When they look down their pants, perhaps they are experiencing dissatisfaction with the fact that they do not have a penis.

This also offers an alternative perspective on the Gelatinous Jelly. I find it plausible that it represents Zender's "inner self" for a few reasons. Firstly, I have already discussed the fact that Zender is shown with heterochromia, but the Gelatinous Jelly also has heterochromia, which by this theory would suggest that it is also a representation of the same person. Additionally, Zender describes themself as a "gelatinous jelly" several times, suggesting that it is the jelly and not the bread that makes them who they are. We know already that there is something inauthentic about the strawberry jelly they wear, so the fact that the Gelatinous Jelly is purple suggests a different flavor - perhaps one that is more genuine. When it asks "Why aren't you gay?", maybe it is expressing the fact that Zender is internally male and their attraction towards the Peanut Butter Man is not actually heterosexual. Furthermore, its insistence on there being a "delay" may be evidence that Zender still has yet to come to terms with their identity.

One piece of evidence that contradicts this theory is the fact that Fils appears to have a male chest in "He Should Have Ate Me" while wearing a mask of clay. In the next video, "They Took My Gender," Fils is maskless with a female chest. This could mean that Fils was hiding their true identity while living in a male body and the mask could only be removed after transitioning to female, even if this change was somewhat jarring.

4. Zender's gender is immaterial and serves as a metaphor for Fils' creation.

Perhaps fixating on Zender's actual gender is missing the point of the videos in the first place. Transformations of various kinds seem central to the story of Fils D Frank. The channel's description alludes to the death of Sarah and the birth of the alter-ego Fils, and there is a video on the channel about Sarah's death (although the circumstances of it remain unclear). Other videos constantly allude to the idea of identity, so it seems reasonable to infer that one of the main themes of the story is Fils' "rebirth" process.

The Peanut Butter Man's transformation into the Human Butter Man could be one facet of Fils' identity formation, albiet a rather sinister one. There are a number of videos dedicated to the Peanut Butter Man's assimilation into the corporate world and loss of his own sense of self. Most notably, "I'm More Than Just A Slice Of Bread" shows the Peanut Butter Man insisting that he is his own person in the face of demands to "lose your face, become like paste" and repeated insistence that he's "just a slice of bread." In "Human Butter," the next video on the Peanut Butter Man playlist, we see the word "help" on screen as he is quite literally torn to pieces, and then we see the creation of the sinister Human Butter. Then, in "I Know Who I Am," he declares that he is the Human Butter Man, which indicates a shift in his identity.

There is some evidence that the Peanut Butter Man represents a facet of Fils. In "It's Just A Slice of Bread," Fils' voice says, "I'm the Peanut Butter Man, you know?" Additionally, videos such as "You Know, I'm Worried About You" have Fils outright saying to Peanut Butter Man, "You'll always be a part of me." This further supports the idea that the Peanut Butter Man turning into Human Butter Man serves as a metaphor for the Fils' own transformation of identity.

Given this connection between Fils and the Peanut Butter Man, it seems plausible that the same could apply to Zender, who is also a piece of bread and the second half of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Perhaps their confusion over gender represents the broader sense of internal struggle that Fils is going through while trying to find their identity, and the actual gender of Zender is less important than the journey of attempting to discover it.

N.b. The Gender of Peanut Butter Man

One detail worthy of consideration is the gender of the Peanut Butter Man. Although it may seem self-evident that this character is male based on his name, there are a few videos which suggest otherwise. Firstly, in "Where Is My Gender?", we see Zender standing next to the Peanut Butter Man with the text on screen reading, "Oh to be the guy she sees. It's not me. Is it me?" which is also repeated in the video's description. The question arises: who is saying this? The most obvious answer is the Peanut Butter Man, but then that raises the question of who he is instead. The simplest explanation is that he is talking about being the Human Butter Man instead of the Peanut Butter Man, although there is also the possibility that he doesn't feel like a "guy." This may seem like a stretch, but I have a few more details from other videos that increase the likelihood of this interpretation. Alternatively, this line could be said by Zender to the Peanut Butter Man, which would then raise the question of why they refer to this character as "she."

Fils D Frank's channel seems to follow two separate storylines: Zender's struggles with gender identity, and the Peanut Butter Man's descent into Human Butter Man. It's been a while now since we have seen any new videos about the Peanut Butter Man, but in this post I am going to offer an interpretation of his story based on the older videos. Ultimately, I think PB Man's storyline is a metaphor for content creation and losing a part of one's self in the process.

Firstly, let's examine PB Man's origins. In "HE SHOULD'VE ATE ME," we see the Human Mind Diner, a restaurant that creates bizarre food that resembles American classics with some human characteristics: the Brain Burger is covered in eyes, and the Finger Fries include human fingers. We find out in a comment from Fils that this is also where peanut butter & jelly sandwiches come from. It is therefore likely that this is where the Peanut Butter Man was created, and it also seems as though he was at one point connected to Zender.

After his creation, it seems that he is quickly consumed by Fils. We see this happen in "I'm More Than Just A Slice of Bread," which begins with Fils saying, "let's go back in time to when the Peanut Butter Man was an itty bitty baby." The Peanut Butter Man insists that he is more than a slice of bread, but Fils and a character with heterochromia and a top hat insist that he is not. After being consumed, the Peanut Butter Man appears in an office, where his boss, "Mr. Pop," shows him around. There are multiple dead bodies on the floor, and he emphasizes that this job offers "low expectations" and "only frustrations." The Peanut Butter Man then states that he hates his job and wants to escape.

I believe that this video represents the business of creating content online. Firstly, the word "consume" is often used to refer to the way people engage with online content, so it makes sense that the content creators would be portrayed as food. When the Peanut Butter Man was created in the Human Mind Diner, that was the creation of his YouTube brand. After his channel starts to gain traction - he is "consumed" by Fils - he starts to realize that life as a content creator is not what he had hoped. He wanted to be creative and original, represented by his dancing and his insisting that he is more than a slice of bread. However, he is quickly met with the demand to "lose [his] face and become like paste" and told that he is replaceable - just like the rest of the loaf - by a character who I believe represents capitalism. The character has a top hat and animal-like features which are reminiscent of this cartoon often used to represent the bourgeoisie:

Mr. Pop, his boss, perhaps is a characterization of popularity. As an online creator, it is necessary to be popular so that your videos are recommended by the algorithm. Although PB Man originally wanted to create "peanut butter," original content that shows his personality, he quickly realizes that he must instead make artistic compromises to maintain his popularity. We can see attempts to capitalize on trends in videos such as "CRIME," which is ostensibly a review of the popular drink "PRIME;" "CEASTABLES," which parodies Mr. Beast's "Feastables;" and "LUNCH," which is clearly based on the infamous "Lunchly."

Eventually, Peanut Butter Man's capitulation to the demands of the algorithm corrupts him and turns him into Human Butter Man. Our first introduction to this is in "Human Butter," in which he declared that he is now the Human Butter Man, and we see a jar of the titular substance for the first time. It is a grotesque and horrifying mixture of human parts. This content is literally brainrot: in several videos, such as "I Know Who I Am," we see the image of a brain with large missing chunks. However, the Human Butter Man aggressively markets his product, even going so far as to interrupt other videos such as "Lobotomy Anatomy" to do so. This symbolizes the ways in which the desire for popularity and profit in the entertainment industry destroy the quality of art and force creators to give up a part of themselves to remain relevant.

There is, undoubtedly, a political element to the Human Butter turn as well. There are several references to the economy in these videos and the desire to escape poverty. For instance, in "Lobotomy Anatomy," the Human Butter Man claims that his product will help its consumers become rich and avoid poverty. The most overtly political video is "The Hypocrisy of Democracy," which starts off with the line "power to the people, but the people don't have power." Mr. Pop is shown packaged in plastic, and the singer repeatedly says "please don't hate me." I admittedly may be extrapolating a lot based on my prior interpretation of the Peanut Butter Man's arc, but I believe the central critique of the video is that the economic situation in America makes it impossible for the people to have a voice. If Mr. Pop represents popularity, then him being wrapped up in plastic suggests that popularity is a commodity to be bought and sold. The rich and powerful have a large sway in politics, as they control the media. After all, Mr. Pop isn't really the one who runs things - the true boss is Reality. The reality of the American economy is that some people control the majority of the wealth, and they can control what media everyone else is exposed to, influencing the outcome of elections. We see this happen in "Burdened By What Has Been," which satirizes "Hahala." The media has a clear political agenda, and as a result those who control the media also control politics.

The Human Butter Man's large platform puts him in a position to take advantage of others. We first see Zender in "Human Butter Mukbang," which suggests that they are a fan of the Human Butter Man's content. "I'm Having A Sexual Attraction" and depicts Human Butter Man inviting Zender to come to his laboratory so that he can "fix" them. In the following video, ominously titled "It's Just A Slice Of Bread," the Human Butter Man takes a bite out of Zender. After this, he questions, "what have I become?" and seems to have doubts about being the Human Butter Man. We see him in a laboratory accompanied by the text "The Peanut Butter Man doing Human Butter work." This shows that he regrets his departure from his original identity as the Peanut Butter Man and does not believe the Human Butter Man is who he truly wants to be. However, the damage has already been done. We see in "I Made This For You, And This Is What You Do?" That the Peanut Butter Man has exploited Zender's attraction to him and forced them to create the Strawberry Gender Jelly, only to take a bite of them.

This theory does leave a few lingering questions, which I will list here:

1. What does eating represent? If it originally refers to the consumption of content, what does it mean for the Peanut Butter Man or Papa Zen to eat Zender? Presumably they are not merely consuming Zender's content, as the videos heavily imply this suggests some form of physical or sexual abuse. That then raises the question of why Fils would say that their boss at the Human Mind Diner should have ate them, as presumably they did not want to be abused.

2. What is Zender's origin? If they were originally part of the same sandwich as the Peanut Butter Man, why did they separate, and what exactly is the connection between them? This is further complicated by the fact that Zender has a mother and father, which suggests that Zender has a life before they met the Peanut Butter Man. Does the Peanut Butter Man have a family as well?

3. Why does Fils tell the Peanut Butter Man that he needs to find "that gelatinous jelly" to escape in "HE SHOULD'VE ATE ME"? Presumably, this refers to Zender. However, the consistent use of he/him pronouns indicates that there is a possibility it refers to Papa Zen or Mr. Gellyayegay. Either way, it's not clear what role these characters play in PB Man's escape from the system.

4. What is the significance of eyes? Clearly they are an important part of the story, as references to eyes appear in most of the videos. Additionally, the color of the eyes is likely to represent something as well, since most characters' eye colors change. For instance, the Peanut Butter Man sometimes has two brown eyes, and other times he has one green and one brown eye, which matches the capitalism man and a mysterious blonde woman shown very briefly in a couple of videos. I'm not sure what to make of this yet.

One of the most entertaining, yet mysterious, recurring characters within the Fils D Frank universe is Mr. Gellyayegay, a blob of grape jelly with mismatched eyes and funky dance moves. Though little is known about this character so far, he seems to play an important role in the story of Zender. Despite this, he appears to have been intentionally excluded and sidelined in the videos, so in this post I will explore what is already known about Mr. Gellyayegay and attempt to explain why he is out of bounds.

Our first introduction to Mr. Gellyayegay is in "Why aren't you gay?", a short clip which later appears in "WHERE IS MY GENDER?". In this video, Mr. Gellyayegay asks Zender why they are not gay, insisting that there may be a "delay" and that Zender should "give it 1, 2, 3." He then begins to talk about his electrons and says, "I'm out of bounds / I don't know how / so let me in hey hey hey!" This raises the question of Mr. Gellyayegay's relationship to Zender as well as why he seems to have been banished from the realm Zender inhabits. In response, I will offer two opposite interpretations and examine the evidence for each.

#1: Mr. Gellyayegay Represents Zender's Homophobic Father

The first theory I will discuss is that Mr. Gellyayegay is a representation of Papa Zen, whose memory has been suppressed by Zender. The first and most obvious piece of evidence for this is that Mr. Gellyayegay and Papa Zen are the same purple color, suggesting that both are grape jelly. This parallel between them is emphasized in "Now I'm A Homeless Homosexual" when both characters are shown side by side with the text "Notice any similarities?" Furthermore, he is seen physically pushing Zender into the closet in "NOW IM GAY," which could be intended to show that he is unaccepting of Zender's sexuality.

This raises the question of why he insists that Zender is gay in "WHERE IS MY GENDER?" I propose that this questioning could be interpreted as denial about Zender being trans. People who are ignorant about trans issues often tell people who are trans that they should "just be gay" instead of trying to physically change to a different gender. Mr. Gellyayegay could be trying to persuade Zender to stop questioning their gender and just accept being gay because he is even less accepting of them being trans than he is of their homosexuality. This is further represented by the fact that even after Zender goes into the closet in "NOW IM GAY," Mr. Gellyayegay is shown inside with the door open and text that reads "I KNOW," potentially indicating that he still mistreats Zender even after they started concealing their queerness because he knows their secret.

Perhaps as a result of this bigotry, Mr. Gellyayegay is shown behind a door that has "This Door Leads Nowhere" written on it in several videos, including "THEY TOOK MY GENDER" and "NOW IM GAY" accompanied with the caption "but even knowhere is somewhere." It is likely that Zender is the one who wrote the caption on the door as a way of suppressing the memory of their homophobic father, who they no longer maintain contact with. Despite Zender's attempts to forget and move on with their life, Mr. Gellyayegay is still buried in their subconscious.

Zender's decision to cut off Papa Zen has caused him to feel some regret, as we see in "AND SO I DEVOURED HER." He feels lonely n after isolating himself from his family and says "I want my son back," which could be the reason why Mr. Gellyayegay insists that Zender lets him in. He represents Papa Zen's desire to reconnect with his child, even though he is still homophobic and unaccepting of Zender's gender.

#2: Mr. Gellyayegay is Zender's Subconscious

Although it contradicts the theory outlined above, I believe there is also the possibility that Mr. Gellyayegay represents Zender's "true" or inner self. He seems to have clarity on Zender's identity even when they are unsure, but his attempts to confront them directly resulted only in suppression - either on the part of Zender or by some other force, perhaps the Machine.

Firstly, it seems as though Mr. Gellyayegay has a unique insight on Zender's sexuality even in the face of confusion and unacceptance. In "WHERE IS MY GENDER?", he directly asks Zender why they are not gay, and later he is vindicated by the video "NOW IM GAY." He seems to know Zender is gay before they admit or accept it, which is why he suggests that there may be a "delay" - in other words, he knew that with time, Zender would discover that he was right all along.

Another indication that Mr. Gellyayegay is a more authentic representation of Zender is that he appears to be made of grape jelly. In "WHERE IS MY GENDER?", Zender first introduces themself as a "gelatinous jelly," suggesting that it is the jelly and not the bread that defines them. Mr. Gellyayegay is a glob of pure jelly, no bread, and he is also purple. Videos such as "I Made This For You, And This Is What You Do?" and "WHERE IS MY GENDER?" cast doubt on the authenticity of the strawberry gender jelly, and it is revealed in "NOW IM GAY" that it is actually Human Butter. Although the grape jelly remains a mystery, it is possible that it is Zender's true gender.

This makes Mr. Gellyayegay's shoving of Zender into the closet seem rather odd, considering that he is the one who insists that Zender is gay in the first place. However, it can perhaps be understood as his attempt to help them protect their safety in a homophobic household. Because Papa Zen threatens to kick Zender out of his house if they not stop with their "homosexual behavior," Mr. Gellyayegay might be attempting to prevent Zender from becoming homeless. However, the fact that he is shown several times in the closet with "I Know" scrawled above him shows that he is not trying to suppress Zender's sexuality and is still aware that it cannot be changed, even if he is trying to get them to conceal it from Papa Zen.

One complicating detail is that Papa Zen and Mr. Gellyayegay are both purple. Papa Zen is portrayed in a clearly negative light within the series, whereas Mr. Gellyayegay's role is made much more ambiguous. This makes it unclear exactly what similarities the viewer is supposed to notice (except the obvious that both are purple) and leaves it uncertain what the grape jelly actually represents. In the previous section I offered the explanation that both are homophobic, but this is not the only possibility. The grape could simply represent gender (after all, strawberry is considered to be its own gender) and it is about Zender's failure to come to terms with being male. It could also represent family ties, showing that Zender and Papa Zen are still family despite their differences, hinting at a future arc in which they reconnect. Perhaps it indicates something else entirely which has yet to be revealed. Regardless, there is the possibility that the comparison between Papa Zen and Mr. Gellyayegay is not intended to suggest that they are literally the same person.

In this interpretation, Mr. Gellyayegay being out of bounds and asking Zender to let them back in could be emblematic of Zender's true/inner self being repressed due to having an unaccepting environment. Although Zender does not want to accept their sexuality and gender and tries to suppress it for the sake of their father, Mr. Gellyayegay is still somewhere in Zender's subconscious and cannot be hidden away completely.

Conclusion