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It Hurts In My Toof: The 2010 Rules

2010-01-04 · John · watch on YouTube · Nerdfighteria · announcement promotion

John says his toothache (root canal tomorrow) comes from ignoring rules he thought arbitrary, like brushing and math; rules are useful, so the vlog gets 2010 rules: alternating Monday/Wednesday/Friday videos, the four-minute limit, Monday theme weeks and punishments for breaches.

What is said

00:00:00 — Toothache and root canal; ignoring the rules of dental hygiene and math as conspiracies; the hurdles analogy for rules that feel arbitrary

  • ★★ John says he has a terrible toothache and is going to the dentist; he must have a root canal tomorrow, possibly two. (hedged) — 00:00:00
  • ★★ John blames his teeth on not following dental-hygiene rules in high school and college: he thought brushing twice a day was a toothpaste-company conspiracy, and fear kept him from dentists for 10 years until 2002, when he had many cavities. (playful) — 00:00:00
  • ★★ John says he once thought math was an arbitrary conspiracy to make him suffer, but it is hugely helpful to adults, even writers; government invests in education because numerate citizens are useful. (playful) — 00:00:29 · education
  • ★★ John says he has long struggled to follow rules because deep down he believed them arbitrary and meaningless, like a hurdler thinking the race would go faster without hurdles. (playful) — 00:01:16

00:01:45 — Rules are useful, so the vlog needs rules: the four 2010 rules (schedule with paternity-leave exception, four minutes, theme weeks, punishments); the outstanding punishments; sign-off

  • ★★★ John argues professional hurdlers respect the utility of rules; rules stand between us and chaos, which is why he now brushes regularly and why their video blog needs rules. (playful) — 00:01:45 · Vlogbrothers
  • ★★★ John announces rule one: every Monday, Wednesday and Friday of 2010 the brothers alternate videos (Hank Wednesday, John Friday, Hank Monday...), except on major holidays and during John's paternity leave. — 00:01:45 · Vlogbrothers
  • ★★ John says his paternity leave will begin whenever the baby is born, which should be quite soon, and will last about three weeks. (hedged) — 00:02:09
  • ★★ John announces rule two: videos may not exceed four minutes, with the usual exceptions. — 00:02:09 · Four-minute rule
  • ★★★ John announces rule three: whoever has the Monday video may announce a theme, and that week's videos must follow it; this week has no theme. — 00:02:09
  • ★★★ John announces rule four: breaking any rule brings a punishment chosen by Nerdfighters and the other brother, to be completed within one week of being assigned. — 00:02:39 · Punishment, Nerdfighteria
  • ★★ John tells Hank the new rule means he has one week from today to spend 15 hours in a Target. — 00:02:39 · Target Corporation
  • ★★ John says he still owes a punishment too, which Hank has not yet given him; once Hank does, John will have a week to complete it. — 00:02:39 · Punishment

Humor (significant)

  • After ten years of avoiding dentists out of fear, John finally went to one in 2002. — 00:00:29 > «only to learn that I had more cavities than I have teeth»
  • John compares his view of rules to running the 110 m hurdles and getting an idea mid-race. — 00:01:16 > «this race would go so much faster if we just eliminated the hurdles»
  • John explains why rules matter. — 00:01:45 > «rules are all that stand between us and chaos and endless root canals»
  • Listing the consequences of breaking rules, John mentions not knowing long division. — 00:02:39 > «I know how to carry items, but I don't know how to carry numbers.»

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