Giant squid of anger
John's image for people overwhelmed by anger in an argument (2009: political partisans, YouTube commenters; Hank in the 2009 FAQ: basically a YouTube troll), later John's own theatrical rant persona; Vondell Swain's 2010 shirt; Giant Squids of Love (2010).
Origin on the channel: John says that at the word 'scandal' both Palin's supporters and detractors basically become giant squids of anger. — Sarah Palin Resigning! Four Possible Reasons Why 00:02:13
in-group term · in 18 videos, 2009–2023 · peak 2010 (7 videos) · last heard 2023
- First in the videos: 2009-07-05 · Sarah Palin Resigning! Four Possible Reasons Why 00:02:13
- Last in the videos: 2023-12-24 · John and Hank Hanging Out but they Keep Getting Younger and More Pixelated 02:16:13
- Running bit: John's 'giant squid of anger' (2009) — 1 origin, 16 callbacks
- Related: DFTBA (4) · doobly-doo (4) · French the llama (3) · in your pants (3) · nerdfighter (3) · puppy sized elephant (3)
Videos per year: 2009: 4 · 2010: 7 · 2011: 4 · 2012: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2023: 1
Forms heard
How the speakers say this one item, as transcribed from the videos, in order of first appearance.
| form | videos | first heard | last heard |
|---|---|---|---|
| “giant squids of anger” | 2 | 2009-07-05 · Sarah Palin Resigning! Four Possible Reasons Why 00:02:13 | 2009-11-08 · H1N1 Vaccine Fears 00:02:18 |
| “giant squid of anger” | 11 | 2009-12-27 · How To Be a Nerdfighter: A Vlogbrothers FAQ 00:02:18 | 2023-12-24 · John and Hank Hanging Out but they Keep Getting Younger and More Pixelated 02:16:13 |
Every video
2009
| date | video | use | what is said |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-07-05 | Sarah Palin Resigning! Four Possible Reasons Why 00:02:13 | origin | John says that at the word 'scandal' both Palin's supporters and detractors basically become giant squids of anger. |
| 2009-07-12 | On Iran, Islam, and Amazingly Stupid Comments 00:00:29 | callback | John says the non-Nerdfighters who show up in YouTube comments are all giant squids of anger. |
| 2009-11-08 | H1N1 Vaccine Fears 00:02:18 | callback | John says he is not trying to enter the vaccine debate, because he fears the 'giant squids of anger'. |
| 2009-12-27 | How To Be a Nerdfighter: A Vlogbrothers FAQ 00:02:18 | callback | Hank says a giant squid of anger is basically like a YouTube troll. |
2010
| date | video | use | what is said |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-05-10 | Advice on Dumb Boyfriends, Going to College, and More 00:02:03 | callback | Hearing 'my boyfriend thinks I'm too smart for him', John turns into a giant squid of anger. |
| 2010-09-06 | I HATE PENNIES!!!! (Also Nickels.) 00:02:16 | callback | Mid-rant, John shouts that he is turning into a giant squid of anger, his recurring anger image. |
| 2010-09-20 | Life Is Like Pizza 00:02:07 | callback | John acts out the shouting style of discourse as a 'Giant Squid of Anger' that does not listen. |
| 2010-11-26 | p4a, Space Pasta, and Giant Squids of Anger 00:03:18 | callback | The new Giant Squid of Anger shirt, designed by Nerdfighter Vondell Swain, carries John's 'giant squid of anger'; it also titles the video. |
| 2010-11-29 | Giant Tortoise Coitus 00:02:50 | callback | John says Friday's giant squids will be 'not of anger, but of love', then plugs the Giant Squid of Anger shirt. |
| 2010-11-29 | John and Hank: The Out-Takes 00:02:16 | callback | John says he feels he invented the giant squid of anger so that Vondell could make the shirt image. |
| 2010-12-03 | Giant Squids OF LOVE 00:00:20 | callback | John declares himself a giant squid of anger, then puts the giant squid of anger in his heart aside for giant squids of love. |
2011
| date | video | use | what is said |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-02-09 | NERDFIGHTERS UNITE! (in your pants) 00:02:02 | callback | John praises Nerdfighters for drawing 'regular squids of rational debate and source citation'. |
| 2011-05-18 | The Education Continuum WARNER CHILCOTTED 00:02:03 | callback | John declares himself a giant squid of anger over the claim that every answer in literature is equally correct. |
| 2011-08-17 | Hank's Question Tuesday DEBUT! 00:00:44 | callback | Hank says the giant squid of anger and the Star Wars sarlacc cannot share an evolutionary link, since genetic material cannot travel between galaxies. |
| 2011-12-05 | 5 Worst Typos of History 00:00:01 | callback | John opens holding the giant squid of anger, which he says is reading his collected works. |
2012
| date | video | use | what is said |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-04-03 | Idiotic Governance: How Our Political Discourse Hurts Our Economy 00:01:31 | callback | John declares himself a giant squid of anger over airlines keeping the lapsed FAA tax. |
2018
| date | video | use | what is said |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-08-24 | The Top 10 John Green GIFs 00:00:31 | callback | Number 10 is John doing the giant squid of anger, probably posted by many people who have no idea who he is. |
2023
| date | video | use | what is said |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-12-24 | John and Hank Hanging Out but they Keep Getting Younger and More Pixelated 02:16:13 | callback | For Black Friday, DFTBA Records lowers prices on new and old shirts, including the giraffe love, DFTBA University and Giant Squid of Anger shirts. |