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Nerdfighter

The word for a member of the community around the brothers' videos: people who fight for awesome, love learning and celebrate unironic enthusiasm; anyone who wants to be one is one. It comes from an airport arcade game John found in 2007, Aero Fighters, which Hank gave him for his birthday in 2013.

Origin on the channel: John finds an airport arcade game that 'seems to be called Nerd Fighters', his 'favorite kind of fighters', and plays a Viking nerd killer. — Brotherhood 2.0, February 1, 2007 00:00:54

in-group term (coinage) · in 72 videos, 2007–2024 · peak 2007 (33 videos) · last heard 2024

Videos per year: 2007: 33 · 2008: 13 · 2009: 8 · 2010: 4 · 2011: 2 · 2012: 1 · 2013: 2 · 2014: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 4

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
“nerd fighters” 1 2007-02-01 · Brotherhood 2.0, February 1, 2007 00:00:54
“nerdfighters” 13 2007-02-15 · Brotherhood 2.0: February 17, 2007 00:00:14 2024-11-01 · Working Through a Crisis with My Brother 00:00:29
“nerdfighter” 38 2007-03-14 · March 14: Becoming a NerdFighter 00:01:17 2024-05-28 · A Midlife Crisis 00:01:56
“nerdfightery” 1 2007-08-08 · August 8th: The Lawn and the Fury 00:00:37
“nerdfighterness” 1 2007-10-23 · October 23rd: Some Explaining to Do… 00:03:19
“nerdfighting” 11 2007-10-24 · October 24th: RANDOM NERDFIGHTING 00:00:09 2011-08-05 · Vidcon: Thoughts from Places 00:02:20
“nerd fighting” 1 2008-08-15 · Metric Sabbath 00:02:05
“nerd fighter” 1 2008-10-08 · J Scribble Goes to Borders 00:01:17

Every video

2007

date video use what is said
2007-02-01 Brotherhood 2.0, February 1, 2007 00:00:54 origin John finds an airport arcade game that 'seems to be called Nerd Fighters', his 'favorite kind of fighters', and plays a Viking nerd killer. · “nerd fighters”
2007-02-15 Brotherhood 2.0: February 17, 2007 00:00:14 variant At the Columbus Airport John finds 'Nerdfighters' again and turns it into a theory of nerds fighting popular people, an imagined video game and a theme song. · “nerdfighters”
2007-02-27 Brotherhood 2.0: February 27, 2007: Horseradish Challenge 00:00:35 mention John is tired because he stayed up way past his bedtime cataloguing his books on librarything.com. · “nerdfighters” → John catalogues his home library (2007) (followed over 5 videos (2007), 2007-12-10)
2007-03-13 Brotherhood 2.0: March 13, 2007: Denver 00:00:36 mention The day before, John spoke in front of a large crowd of Borders managers, whom he thanks for participating. · “nerdfighters”
2007-03-14 March 14: Becoming a NerdFighter 00:01:17 mention First task: figure out what kind of nerdfighter you are; second: write a lyric for the nerdfighter song from that nerdfighter's perspective. → Tasks for becoming a nerdfighter (2007) (last documented in 2007, 2007-08-30)
2007-03-15 Brotherhood 2.0: March 15: Decreasing Suck 00:02:15 mention Everyone will accidentally increase suck levels at times; John says a true nerdfighter admits the mistake, apologises and changes course to decrease suck in future.
2007-03-20 March 20th: Dancing and the Idiocy of Age 00:00:58 mention Watching with Katherine, Hank keeps telling her how much he likes Pam, justifying it by listing celebrities she has crushes on but has never met.
2007-04-06 Brotherhood 2.0: April 6: Nerdfighters Never Surrender 00:00:56 mention John calls himself an English literature nerdfighter who needs no days off to recharge: a couple of stanzas of The Waste Land and he's good to go.
2007-05-01 May 1st: Neil Gaiman in Helena 00:00:12 mention Hank opens with Neil Gaiman, whom he calls a New York Times best-selling, Hugo- and Nebula-winning 'nerdfighter guy', saying hi to John after Hank waited in a very long line.
2007-06-20 Brotherhood 2.0: June 20: Moving 00:01:41 mention John asks Hank what the opposite of a nerdfighter is.
2007-07-02 Brotherhood 2.0: July 2nd: The Law of Compound Nerdfighting 00:01:57 mention John says the Nerdfighters are probably getting tapped out, so what is needed is more nerdfighters: there is an 'acute nerdfighter shortage', and many are nerdfighters without knowing the term. · “nerdfighters”
2007-07-03 July 3: Decepticons 00:01:17 mention Recalling fans' nerdfighter knuckles, an Easter egg and driveway chalk, Hank asks nerdfighters to do things with the word 'nerdfighter' and send them in, likely to appear on the show.
2007-07-06 July 6: Ooooooops 00:01:39 mention Hank relays their email: police came by about the sign, but they convinced the officers that 'nerdfighters' is not a bad word and has nothing to do with terrorism. · “nerdfighters”
2007-07-25 July 25: Brotherhood 2.0's Youtube Comments Are Answered! 00:01:40 mention John defines a nerdfighter as a regular person made out of awesome instead of tissues, cells and organs; nerdfighters hang out on the forum 'in my pants' and embroider pillows.
2007-08-06 August 6th: JK Rowling and I Will ... Be Punished 00:00:00 mention John jokes that Arthur Levine is kind of a nerdfighter, and since Arthur knows J.K. Rowling, maybe they can talk 'Jo' into being one.
2007-08-08 August 8th: The Lawn and the Fury 00:00:37 mention But the only thing John hates more than wasting water, energy and time on the lawn is being ostracized by his peers, which he admits is not very nerdfightery. · “nerdfightery”
2007-08-20 August 20th: Winner, South Dakota 00:02:58 mention For the first time John feels the world may contain more nerdfighters than nerdhaters; having long thought himself suited to 'Loser, South Dakota', he now thinks maybe nerdfighting is for winners. · “nerdfighters”
2007-08-24 August 24th: John's Secret Project Part 2 00:03:34 mention The video closes by congratulating John on living and being a Nerdfighter for 30 years, then sings Happy Birthday.
2007-08-28 August 28th: Starring Mom 00:02:16 mention Mom tries the Nerdfighter sign on camera, and John declares her 'such a nerdfighter'.
2007-08-30 August 30th: A Secret Project for Nerdfighters 00:01:14 mention Anyone who wants to become a nerdfighter probably already is one; technically you should go to Brotherhood2.com and write a song.
2007-09-25 September 25th: TMBG and NYT 00:00:46 mention Hank's footage shows John Linnell being struck by a black bra during 'The Sun Is a Mass of Incandescent Gas' and pushing it away from his instruments. → Hank films a bra hitting John Linnell at a They Might Be Giants concert (2007)
2007-10-12 October 12th: Carbon Re-Neutralizing Brotherhood 2.0 00:03:14 mention Because he is a nerdfighter, John is spending $63 at carbonfund.org to offset Brotherhood 2.0's carbon emissions.
2007-10-23 October 23rd: Some Explaining to Do… 00:03:19 mention Hank says nerdfighterness is about joining up rather than fighting, and he doesn't want people angry about his beliefs, since it is just him talking to John. · “nerdfighterness”
2007-10-24 October 24th: RANDOM NERDFIGHTING 00:00:09 mention John thanks Hank for reminding him in yesterday's video that nerdfighting isn't about tearing people apart but about bringing people together.
2007-10-29 October 29th: It Just Isn't Fair 00:02:44 mention Hank concludes from the book that John was a Nerdfighter from birth.
2007-10-30 Oct. 30th: My Name Is John Green. And I'm a Nerd. in the description
2007-12-04 December 4th: Question Tuesday!!!! 00:01:38 mention Asked whether an SUV owner can be a nerdfighter, John says clearly yes.
2007-12-12 Dec. 12th: w00t is the WORD OF THE YEAR?! 00:01:04 mention In a comic letter to Merriam-Webster's editors, John laments an 'unwoot day' for young people and argues the word they should have picked was 'Nerdfighter'.
2007-12-13 December 13: Mailing Shopping Thanking. It Must Be Christmas 00:02:34 mention Hank reads a Merriam-Webster reply forwarded by a Nerdfighter: many letters came in about 'Nerdfighter'; the word-of-the-year poll is closed, but they hope Nerdfighter and Nerdfighting go in their open dictionary.
2007-12-17 Project for Awesome: Explanation and Humane Societies 00:00:00 mention Hank explains 'Nerdfighter' as, in John's phrase, a person made of awesome inside, and 'Power' as the Nerdfighters' strength in being many and working together.
2007-12-26 Dec. 26th: Christmas, Manga, and Goat Poop 00:01:47 mention Adapting a T. S. Eliot line ('Light is the visible sign of invisible light'), John calls argyle socks the visible sign of the invisible nerdfighter.
2007-12-28 Dec. 28th: John's Last Brotherhood 2.0 Video 00:02:03 mention Searching the Brotherhood 2.0 archives, John finds the first viewer the brothers mentioned was on about January 4th, a viewer who had just had a baby, before Nerdfighters called themselves Nerdfighters. · “nerdfighters”
2007-12-31 Dec 31: Goodbye Brotherhood 2.0 00:03:00 mention Addressing all of YouTube, the song says hello to whatever comes next, toasts a thousand more secret projects, says they fell in love with nerdfighting, and greets 2008.

2008

date video use what is said
2008-03-21 Twitter After School Time 00:02:12 mention Hank admits he cannot complain, since this is largely what Brotherhood 2.0 and Nerdfighting are about, but finds it confusing and asks whether this is how we define ourselves now.
2008-05-18 A CUTETACULAR INTRODUCTION! 00:00:54 mention John wanted to name the puppy 'Bubbles the Nerdfighting Puppy', but the Yeti said a boy named Bubbles would be weird to explain; John adds people would ask if Nerdfighters are for or against nerds. · “nerdfighters”
2008-05-20 Guys Love Giraffe Love 00:01:10 mention Asked the key to YouTube popularity, John says YouTube's new demographics feature shows Nerdfighters are extremely loyal, which he thinks is because nerdfighting is something they all do together.
2008-06-16 Maine Inspires Deep Thoughts 00:00:40 mention Hank says he is 100% in favour of there being Republican nerdfighters.
2008-06-27 Marion the Nerdfightarion in the title Marion the Nerdfightarion
2008-07-30 Audiobooks and 8 8 08 00:01:17 mention John shows himself recording the dedication, author's note and acknowledgements of Paper Towns for the audiobook, including Hank's name and the word Nerdfighters. · “nerdfighters”
2008-08-15 Metric Sabbath 00:02:05 mention Hank admits missing Terminus is a little pathetic, but says that's part of life: every week can't be the awesomest week ever. · “nerd fighting”
2008-08-21 INTERNET SENSATION B$%CH 00:02:08 mention The report says John was already a successful teen author whose fame skyrocketed through the internet, and that he was back in Chicago, where he once lived, promoting his books at the library. · “nerdfighters”
2008-09-25 Obama llama Duck 00:02:08 mention For newcomers, Hank explains that he is Hank, his brother John writes books, and anyone enjoying the video is probably a nerdfighter, made of awesome.
2008-10-06 Berlin and Let it Snow (in Your Pants) 00:03:18 mention John got far too many author copies of Let It Snow and will give five away to random commenters on this video. → John: give five Let It Snow author copies to random commenters on this video (2008)
2008-10-08 J Scribble Goes to Borders 00:01:17 mention John's cards invite readers to meet the author at the store on October 18, say they may be a nerdfighter, which is a good thing, and are signed 'Jay Scribble'. · “nerd fighter”
2008-11-27 Thanksgiving in Asheville 00:00:00 mention John says it is weird what can become normal: talking to his brother by video blog before thousands, crowds singing Hank's songs, caring for people in Bangladesh like family, being a nerdfighter.
2008-12-29 Comment Haters and Christmas 00:00:00 mention Hank explains Nerdfighters: people who watch John, Hank and other Nerdfighter programming, made of awesome inside, fighting for nerds' rights, intellectualism and accepting people.

2009

date video use what is said
2009-01-01 Brotherhood 2.0.0.9 in the description
2009-02-03 Five Parts 00:01:20 mention Hank says he thinks the book has a lot to say about nerdfighting, in several different ways.
2009-03-08 PEEPS for Bangladesh 00:02:15 mention John jokes that nerdfighting is a full-service emotional operation that takes you to all the possible feelings.
2009-04-21 Question Tuesday 00:00:00 mention Asked what a Nerdfighter is, John jokes that people haven't spent the 24 hours needed to watch all 465 videos, and says Nerdfighters are made out of awesome instead of bones and organs.
2009-06-23 Fighting the Flame War! 00:02:54 mention Hank defines Nerdfighters as people who fight for awesome, love learning and discovering, and try to understand others complexly; anyone who wants to be one probably is.
2009-07-14 Sell Outs! 00:03:36 mention John tells Nerdfighters they never have to buy anything to be a nerdfighter.
2009-08-30 100 QUESTIONS ANSWERED!!!!!!! 00:01:58 callback Asked his favorite arcade game, John answers 'Nerdfighters', recalling the 'Nerd Fighters' arcade game.
2009-12-27 How To Be a Nerdfighter: A Vlogbrothers FAQ 00:00:14 mention John defines a Nerdfighter as a person made entirely of awesome instead of bones, skin and tissue; Nerdfighters don't fight nerds but are pro-nerd.

2010

date video use what is said
2010-02-19 Henry's Pee and My Gut 00:02:52 mention John concludes the world can celebrate emotionalism and gut instincts, but he will be a nerdfighter by getting fit and avoiding pee with his brain.
2010-04-16 The Patron Saint of Youtube 00:00:00 mention John thanks Hank for his video reminding them that nerdfighting is important but needs to be fun; it inspired him to make a fun video, about saints.
2010-06-21 You're Gonna Die 00:01:36 mention John chooses nerdfighting, books and, though it's silly, the World Cup, because it transcends geography, ethnicity, wealth and politics and puts the world on the same grass.
2010-12-27 To: You - - From: The Vlogbrothers 00:00:39 mention 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. · “nerdfighters” → Hank asks viewers to email photos of themselves in vlogbrothers/DFTBA/Nerdfighter t-shirts (2010)

2011

date video use what is said
2011-02-09 NERDFIGHTERS UNITE! (in your pants) 00:02:59 mention John argues no one can tell you whether you're a Nerdfighter, nor you anyone else: it is a chosen identity, collectively defined by living it, not by talking about it.
2011-08-05 Vidcon: Thoughts from Places 00:02:20 mention John says that through nerdfighting, DFTBA Records, helping YouTubers and planning conferences, Hank has built a career making places where people can fall and get caught: he builds communities for a living.

2012

date video use what is said
2012-07-31 Nerd Olympics 00:00:29 mention John says there is at least one known Olympian Nerdfighter, British gymnast Jennifer Pinches, who did the Nerdfighter sign in front of the world after her floor exercise.

2013

date video use what is said
2013-09-10 Secrets of the Movies: Thoughts from The Fault in Our Stars Set 00:00:04 callback John receives 'Nerd Fighters, the actual original video game' - the arcade game behind the word nerdfighter - and plays it.
2013-10-15 Thoughts for Nerdfighteria 00:02:56 mention According to Our Pants both brothers already owe punishments, so both are punished and John doubly. · “nerdfighters”

2014

date video use what is said
2014-01-28 Question Tuesday! TFIOS Movie Trailer, Penguin Knees, and Backflips 00:03:02 mention John says that if you want to be a Nerdfighter, you probably already are one.

2016

date video use what is said
2016-02-26 Things You Don't Know About Us (REUNION!) 00:02:21 mention Asked for a Nerdfighter emoji, Hank shows the one he uses, the gesturing lady.

2018

date video use what is said
2018-04-17 John Green Answers Your John Green Questions 00:03:08 mention Hank and John have made Vlogbrothers videos for more than 11 years; the community around them calls themselves nerdfighters because they fight for intellectual engagement and celebrate unironic enthusiasm.

2021

date video use what is said
2021-11-05 We Have Invented Something Marvelous 00:03:18 mention Hank says the community didn't invent socks but, with its values and excitement, a new way to do socks: expert-picked monthly surprises, compostable packaging and all profit for a better world, instead of an awkward Target aisle.

2023

date video use what is said
2023-12-24 John and Hank Hanging Out but they Keep Getting Younger and More Pixelated 02:17:44 mention In an FAQ, the brothers say a nerdfighter is made of awesome, and Nerdfighteria is the community around their videos doing awesome things and fighting world suck.

2024

date video use what is said
2024-02-16 How Much Does it Cost to be a Nerdfighter 00:03:53 mention Hank repeats words they used to say often: wanting to be a nerdfighter makes you a nerdfighter, and signing up costs zero dollars.
2024-04-30 Not Doing That Great 00:02:26 mention John says the film is better if you are a nerdfighter, because it has so many little love songs to the community.
2024-05-28 A Midlife Crisis 00:01:56 mention John says making these videos for 18 years and posting in Nerdfighter spaces is super important to him: it fosters important connections between people, and they do amazing things together.
2024-11-01 Working Through a Crisis with My Brother 00:00:29 mention John says it was cool to see the word nerdfighters in the article's subhead in the New York Times. · “nerdfighters”