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DFTBA

motto · in 88 videos (2007–2026)

Don't Forget to Be Awesome, the Nerdfighteria motto and sign-off; John first says it on 2 October 2007, quoting his friend Katie's arm. The brothers credit Katie and in 2013 declined to trademark it. The brothers and viewers also made up other expansions, such as 'Darling, Fetch the Battle Axe' and 'Decepticons Fear the Brilliant Autobots'.

Spin-offs: DFTVA

Videos by year: 2007: 4 · 2008: 5 · 2009: 14 · 2010: 6 · 2011: 9 · 2012: 4 · 2013: 11 · 2014: 2 · 2015: 5 · 2016: 5 · 2017: 2 · 2018: 4 · 2019: 3 · 2020: 1 · 2022: 3 · 2023: 3 · 2024: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2026: 4

Also known as: Don't Forget to Be Awesome

In the lexicon: DFTBA

Threads

Also named in the threads: 'In your pants' suffix game (2007) · Hank asks viewers to put stuff on their heads (2007) · Stuff on Heads: viewers send pictures and videos of stuff on their heads (2007) · Song Wednesday: Hank performs a song on Wednesdays (2007) · Tour de Hank: Hank's tour of shows and Nerdfighter gatherings (2009) · The Harry Potter Alliance's Helping Haiti Heal raffle (2010) · John drives from Chicago to the Waupaca Book Festival, Wisconsin (2010) · Humpy Hank: Nerdfighter animations of Hank humping things (2011) · John: outstanding 2012 Kiva-deal punishment, ultimately an inkless tattoo (2012–2015) · An Evening of Awesome at Carnegie Hall (2013) · Birth of John and Sarah's second child, Alice (2013) · John's AFC Wimbledon FIFA series on HankGames, whose ad revenue sponsors the real AFC Wimbledon with Nerdfighter-designed ads (2013) · Dave Green: the imaginary third Green brother invented on Tumblr (2014) · John asks viewers to buy AFC Wimbledon Nerdfighteria scarves, proceeds to the club (2014) · John invites viewers to watch AFC Wimbledon v Liverpool on Fox Sports 1 (2015) · John decorates the blank blue wall behind him with objects from vlogbrothers history (2015) · John asks viewers for tattoo ideas for his inkless tattoo punishment, in comments (2015) · Hank's book tower challenge: beat his 155 cm tower (2015) · John's tattoo (2015) · John: go to Wembley to watch AFC Wimbledon if they reach the play-off final (2016) · AFC Wimbledon's play-off final against Plymouth Argyle at Wembley (May 30, 2016) · John's 36 hours from the Indianapolis 500 to Wembley and AFC Wimbledon's promotion party (May 2016) · Hank suggests viewers check out NerdCon: Stories 2016 at nerdcon.com (2016) · Hollywood, Ending book tour (2026)

Often together

What comes up in the same parts of the videos; the number is how many parts.

DFTBA Records (19) · AFC Wimbledon (12) · Nerdfighter Ning (6) · Peeps (6) · Hanklerfish (5) · The Beckoning of Lovely (2) · Sarah Urist Green (11) · world suck (6) · in your pants (5) · nerdfighter (4)

What the videos say

The most important statements of each year; all statements.

2007

Also named in: Dec 31: Goodbye Brotherhood 2.0

2008

  • 2008-02-08 · QUESTION TUESDAYS (On Friday) — John: If forced to get a tattoo, John would probably get DFTBA on his hand, to remind himself he is supposed to be awesome. (playful, hedged) — 00:03:36
  • 2008-05-18 · A CUTETACULAR INTRODUCTION! — John shows gifts Nerdfighters brought the brothers in Grand Rapids: a ceramic DFTBA cup and a book called 'Scruffy Teddy Likes to Play in Your Pants'. — 00:00:30
  • 2008-10-31 (said on 2008-10-30, implied) · Show 'n Tell Thursday — John: Book-related presents include a dreidel (John recalls the minivan is called that), a Black Santa with 'do not forget to be awesome' on his hand, and a 'real-life minivan' from Phoenix. (playful) — 00:00:00
  • …and 1 statement more in 2008 — all statements of 2008

Also named in: Your Spying Thieving Valentine: Hank

2009

  • 2009-03-24 · Peeps! Prom! Puppy! — John is encouraged when commenters ask what DFTBA means, because it means 'we're recruiting'. — 00:01:47
  • 2009-03-29 · Tiny Chickens Cause Epic Fail — John shares his favourite DFTBA expansions other than 'Don't Forget to Be Awesome': Did Four Teletubbies Blind America, Decepticons Fear the Brilliant Autobots, Drink Fruity Tang Before Alcohol, Don't Forget That Bunnies Attack, Dead Frogs Teach Bored Anatomists, Dorks Form the Best Alliances, Darling Fetch the Battle Axe and Dude Find the Best Acronym. — 00:01:44
    • John invites Nerdfighters to upload illustrations of their favourite DFTBA acronym to the Ning. — 00:01:56
  • 2009-04-01 (said on 2009-03-31, implied) · A Few Of My Favorite Things — Hank calls Nerdfighteria his favourite thing and shows Nerdfighters' illustrations of favourite DFTBA acronyms made after John's Sunday request, thanking them. — 00:02:40
  • 2009-04-23 · DFTBA — Hank raps a song, performed with Michael Aranda, made of Nerdfighter-suggested alternative expansions of DFTBA, framed by the refrain asking what DFTBA means. (playful) — video description
    • Hank says the song was not all his work and thanks the Nerdfighters who suggested DFTBA acronyms and those who illustrated them. — 00:04:13
  • 2009-04-25 · Saturday Video?!?!?! — John: Asked who created the original DFTBA acronym, John credits his friend Katie (surname heard as 'Els'). — 00:01:04
  • 2009-06-23 (said on 2009-06-22, implied) · Fighting the Flame War! — Hank explains 'don't forget to be awesome', shortened to DFTBA, as a saying of the community: people sometimes forget to be awesome, so they remind each other. — 00:01:59
  • 2009-07-01 · Most Subscribed: A Song — announcement: Hank says the DFTBA shirt he wore in the song is on sale at DFTBA.com; only 200 were made and about 50 sold before he mentioned it. — 00:02:29
  • 2009-07-30 · Mules are so Half-Ass — Hank shows a rap in which every line is an acronym for DFTBA, which people who were not at LeakyCon have never heard in acoustic version. (playful) — 00:03:13
  • 2009-12-02 (said on 2009-12-03, implied) · This Machine Pwns n00bs: A Song — Hank shows gifts from the tour's final part: a 3D-printed ten-sided die, Kinder Eggs from Canada (after he complained they're unavailable in America), a duct-tape wallet, a bass-amp maker's shirt, a DFTBA headband. — 00:02:44
  • 2009-12-27 · How To Be a Nerdfighter: A Vlogbrothers FAQ — Hank: After John insists DFTBA is an initialism, not an acronym, Hank says it stands for Don't Forget To Be Awesome. — 00:01:13
  • …and 2 statements more in 2009 — all statements of 2009

Also named in: Five Parts, HAPPY JOHN DAY!!!, THE 2009 PROJECT FOR AWESOME!!!

2010

  • 2010-04-26 · Nerdfighters, They Named a PLANE After Us — announcement: John: Nerdfighters with the HP Alliance raised enough to fill four planes with medicine and water for Haiti; the fourth and final plane leaves Thursday, and Partners in Health calls it the SS DFTBA. — 00:01:38
  • 2010-10-04 · The Terrible Burden of Destiny: Chicago and Waupaca — John speaks at Waupaca High School and is given a cheesehead; after 10 hours alone talking to people felt weird, but a handmade DFTBA shirt always makes him happy. — 00:01:28
  • 2010-10-13 · On Hope and Chile — John met many Nerdfighters, several of whom have permanent reminders not to forget to be awesome on their bodies. — 00:01:05
  • 2010-10-20 · Strange Charm: A Song about Quarks — announcement: Hank says the song is at dft.ba/quarks, made possible by his friends Sam and Alan, who created dft.ba, a URL shortener that reminds people not to forget to be awesome. — 00:01:48
  • 2010-12-27 · To: You - - From: The Vlogbrothers — ask: Hank asks anyone who got or bought vlogbrothers, DFTBA or Nerdfighter t-shirts to send photos of themselves wearing them to hankandjohn@gmail.com, which may go on the website. — 00:00:39

Also named in: Giant Tortoise Coitus

2011

  • 2011-01-07 · CONCUSSED Question Friday — recommendation: John: To find other Nerdfighters at school, John recommends getting or making a DFTBA shirt; DFTBA means Don't Forget To Be Awesome. — 00:00:59
  • 2011-02-09 · NERDFIGHTERS UNITE! (in your pants) — John sets two rules, for Nerdfighteria and for human existence generally: number one, don't be mean; number two, DFTBA. — 00:01:07
  • 2011-05-20 · How to Vlog: From the Vlogbrothers — Hank: Besides Don't Forget To Be Awesome, Hank gives a vlogging rule: Don't Forget To Be Interesting; he sometimes writes scripts so what he says isn't dull. — 00:01:22
  • 2011-05-23 · Eating the Unicorn — John says Tumblr seems to be the top destination for Nerdfighter jokes, Looking for Alaska quotations, DFTBA tattoos, Pizza John jokes and Humpy Hank sites. (hedged) — 00:02:50
  • 2011-09-09 · 10 Years after September 11th, and Diablo III — Hank says anything anyone does with the letters DFTBA, however impermanent, might be seen by another Nerdfighter and make their day. — 00:03:36
  • …and 1 statement more in 2011 — all statements of 2011

Also named in: Happy Birthday To Me!, Awesome Bankers?, Greek Phallic Disco Golf Balls: A Free Association Game

2012

  • 2012-04-27 · Hank Talks to Charlie McDonnell — Charlie McDonnell: Offered Pinkie Pie on his bicep or DFTBA inside his lip, Charlie says he wants no tattoos: an hour of extreme pain for something no one will see. (playful) — 00:02:05
  • 2012-07-20 · The Universe is Weird: A Song — ask: Hank wants to collect DFTBA license plates from all 50 states and asks viewers who have one, or get one, to send a picture to hankandjohn@gmail.com. — 00:03:10
  • 2012-08-14 · To Be Anything At All: Thoughts from Places, Chicago and LeakyCon 2012 — John shows gifts from Brazilian Nerdfighters at LeakyCon: a Brazilian soccer jersey signed by Pelé, who wrote DFTBA on it, and a book hundreds of them read and annotated. — 00:00:00
    • Just then a Dutch Nerdfighter and author, Buddy, visiting the Bean because part of Will Grayson, Will Grayson is set there, ran into its co-author; he gave John his book and they exchanged DFTBAs. — 00:02:54

Also named in: Nerd Olympics

2013

  • 2013-01-11 · On the Ownership of Ideas — Hank says that in 2007 John's friend Katie put DFTBA at the end of her to-do list; the brothers took it, popularized it through the vlog, and Hank is proud of and identifies with it. — 00:00:52
    • Many people make DFTBA stuff, from crafty people on Etsy to big global corporations; Hank asks whether they are stealing from the brothers, from Katie, or from no one. — 00:01:05
    • Hank distinguishes having a sense of ownership over something, as he does over DFTBA, from actually owning it, and says he does not want to give in to the desire for control. — 00:01:36
  • 2013-02-12 · Talking to the President — John says that on Thursday he will be in a Google+ Hangout with President Barack Obama, and will probably have a cold sore, which he has begun to develop. (hedged) — 00:00:37
    • Someone at Google called John a couple of days earlier asking whether he wanted to be in a Google Hangout with President Obama and ask him a few questions. — 00:01:04
  • 2013-02-15 · Baby, Harlem, Obama, Dance Crazes, Big Week — Hank reports that John got to interview the President a bit this week (14 February 2013), and shows a highlight. — 00:01:47
    • Barack Obama (quoted): Obama tells John that the main thing is to tell the child, whichever name they choose, not to forget to be awesome. — 00:02:49
  • 2013-02-19 · Doing Things, On the Importance of — John and his wife are expecting their second child, whom the President told not to forget to be awesome. — 00:00:05
  • 2013-06-11 · How To Be John Green — Craig Benzine: Craig makes a 'Nerdfighter clone' to practise talking to Nerdfighters; the clone says DFTBA and is sent to decrease worldsuck in the bathroom with a mop. (joke) — 00:01:43
  • 2013-12-03 · Who Owns DFTBA? An Introduction to Trademarks — announcement: John says Nerdfighters ask about the 'Don't Forget to Be Awesome' rug at Urban Outfitters: the brothers didn't license it, aren't paid, aren't happy, could stop it but won't. — 00:00:00
    • John lists other companies using DFTBA: a Kate Spade wallet, a Hobby Lobby poster, a dELiA*s T-shirt, an Aeropostale ad, items from Pier One and Ron Jon Surf Shop. — 00:00:17
    • John says the phrase belongs not to the brothers but to Nerdfighteria, so they won't trademark it, since that would claim ownership of something not really theirs. — 00:02:07
  • …and 9 statements more in 2013 — all statements of 2013

Also named in: Cooking with a 3-Year-Old: The Mac & Cheese and Communist Celery Edition, The Perks of Being John's Assistant, Million Dollar Ideas

2014

  • 2014-10-14 · A Minor Crisis — John says HankGames ad revenue sponsors the real AFC Wimbledon, a fourth-tier club formed by fans after their club was moved to Milton Keynes, and this year (2014) the sponsorship is on the team's shorts. — 00:01:58
    • John reports that last week (week of 6 October 2014) the real AFC Wimbledon beat the real Milton Keynes, with the ball coming to Akinfenwa, as the crowd chanted 'who were you when you were us'; he jokes DFTBA on the shorts brings success. (playful) — 00:02:26

Also named in: Question Tuesday: TFIOS Movie, Existential Crises, and Symbolism

2015

  • 2015-01-04 · The Best Worst Thing — announcement: John says the AFC Wimbledon scarves with DFTBA on them are back in stock at dftba.com, with all royalties going to the club. — 00:00:45
  • 2015-01-06 (said on 2015-01-05, implied) · AFC Wimbledon v. Liverpool: Thoughts from the Greatest Game on Earth — John thanks everyone at Wimbledon for hosting them, and everyone who watched the game and sent pictures of the DFTBAs and Nerdfighterias all over the pitch. — 00:02:54
  • 2015-08-21 · Book Towers for Miles — announcement: Hank: Choosing the most stylish was hard and subjective; winners include a Nerdfighter sign and DFTBA, a Christmas tree of books, an arched tower of twists, a rocket, and a recreation of Minas Tirith (one of several). — 00:01:47
  • 2015-09-15 · John Gets a Tattoo — John chooses to have the tattoo say DFTBA on his upper arm. (hedged) — 00:00:34
    • Laura made John's DFTBA tattoo with water instead of ink, so it will go away in about a month. — 00:01:26
    • John says he really loves the tattoo, especially in all its impermanence; DFTBA are the five most important letters in his life, then jokingly corrects himself: his children's names also have five letters. — 00:01:38
  • 2015-09-29 · Writing, Walling, Racing, and Wizard Schooling — John tours the wall's relics: Willy, a puppy-sized elephant, a card of Hank humping Peeps, Daniel Biss's 'bloated triangles' paper, an Agloe road map, An Imperial Affliction 'stolen' from the movie set. (playful) — 00:01:35

2016

  • 2016-05-24 · Easier Than IKEA: A Video in Two Parts — John says that on May 30 AFC Wimbledon, wearing DFTBA on their shorts, will play a one-game playoff against Plymouth Argyle at Wembley, a 90,000-seat stadium. — 00:02:46
  • 2016-09-16 · Let's Talk about Failure — ask: Hank invites viewers to attend or check out the event in Minneapolis, offering discount code DFTBA for 20 percent or 20 dollars off. — 00:02:01
  • 2016-11-15 · Good News/Bad News: A Pizzamas Video in Nine Slices — John reports AFC Wimbledon, the fan-owned club with DFTBA on their shorts, are three points from a playoff spot seventeen games into their first third-tier season, while the Milton Keynes franchise is in the relegation zone. — 00:01:16

Also named in: My Body Is a Broken Temple, P4A 2016 Hilarity Reprise - OVER $2M RAISED!!

2017

  • 2017-01-03 · 10 Years on YouTube (...and MORE GREAT NEWS) — John notes Wimbledon players wear DFTBA on the back of their shorts, visible live in high definition on Saturday. — 00:02:41
  • 2017-06-27 · UNBOXING — John: Most sheets are just signed, but about 3% carry a DFTBA, some have yetis drawn by Sarah, a few were circled in hot pink by Alice and several hundred bear Henry's Pokéballs: a family affair. (hedged) — 00:03:08

2018

  • 2018-04-17 · John Green Answers Your John Green Questions — John says DFTBA is an initialism for several phrases, including Don't Forget To Be Awesome, Darling, Fetch The Battle Axe, and Dave: Forgotten Through Brotherly Adventures. (playful) — 00:01:20
  • 2018-06-19 · My Signature Move — John: On the other half John writes DFTBA in the infinite shadow created by the Carl, which strikes him as an extremely metaphorically resonant infinite shadow. — 00:02:35
  • 2018-07-24 · Other John Greens — John reminds viewers that their catchphrase, 'Don't forget to be awesome', was invented not by the brothers but by his friend Katie Else in 2007. — 00:03:39
  • 2018-11-23 · Four Jokes from a Two year Old — announcement: Hank: The first 1,000 items bought from Black Friday on come with a challenge-coin token reading 'Don't forget to be awesome'. — 00:03:08

2019

  • 2019-01-29 · Do You Believe in Miracles? — John: The urge to find and share hope is why John writes books, makes videos, gardens and sponsors AFC Wimbledon, the third-tier English team wearing DFTBA on their shorts. — 00:01:55
  • 2019-11-19 · Kylie Jenner Shows Me What's Wrong with Reddit — John says this is why he and Hank have never trademarked 'Don't forget to be awesome' or DFTBA. — 00:03:15
  • 2019-12-17 · The Best Days of My Decade — John: Next favorite day: May 30, 2016, when AFC Wimbledon, with DFTBA on their shorts, played a play-off final at Wembley for promotion to the third tier. — 00:01:07

2020

  • 2020-10-20 · How to Sign Your Name 150,000 Times — recommendation: John's technique: hold the marker loosely (the Sharpie does the work), relax shoulder and neck, and occasionally draw a spiral or write DFTBA to vary the motion and avoid cramping. — 00:00:24

2022

Also named in: The 2022 P4A Meme Review!!!

2023

Also named in: The P4A 2023 is The Hottest Club on the Internet

2024

2025

  • 2025-05-20 · The Double — John loves fan-owned fourth-tier AFC Wimbledon even more than the Indy 500; the club wears DFTBA on the back of its shorts, between left thigh and buttock. (playful) — 00:01:27
  • 2025-11-14 · The End of The Penny (and of Congress??) — Hank recalls that when John interviewed Obama on a Google+ Hangout about the penny, Obama said many small things that should be done are blocked by entrenched structures or the interests of a few. — 00:00:56

2026

  • 2026-03-17 · Tuberculosis and Hank's Shingles — John says Wimbledon wear DFTBA on the back of their shorts between left thigh and buttocks, because when you are in love you do strange things, and he loves AFC Wimbledon. (playful) — 00:03:24
  • 2026-07-21 · One Must Imagine Sisyphus Happy — ask: The description tells New York City viewers that a nerdfighteria presale for the Brooklyn tour show starts Wednesday July 22 at 10 AM eastern, with the password dftba, and asks them to spread the word. — video description
  • …and 2 statements more in 2026 — all statements of 2026