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May 17th: Wikeeeeeepedia...and Happy Birthday Katherine

2007-05-17 · Hank · watch on YouTube · History & curiosities · comedy performance

On Katherine's birthday Hank keeps it short, asks John how to write a book proposal for fiction, and argues from the word 'wiki' and Wikipedia's own article that his pronunciation of Wikipedia is right and John's is wrong.

What is said

00:00:00 — Greeting; happy birthday Katherine; same age again; party tonight, France-themed, present kept secret

  • ★★ Hank wishes Katherine a happy birthday; they are the same age again after the 12 days a year when their ages differ. (playful) — 00:00:03 · Katherine Green
  • ★★ Hank keeps the video quick for Katherine's birthday: a France-themed party tonight, for which he'd rather she not clean, and a present he can't reveal because she'll watch this. — 00:00:34 · Katherine Green, France

00:01:03 — The proposed book proposals: Hank doesn't know how to propose fiction and asks John for help

  • ★★ On the proposed book proposals, Hank says so far he has only stories in his head, which are getting better, funnier, cooler and more intense. — 00:01:03 · Evil Baby Orphanage
  • ★★★ Hank says he has no idea how to write a book proposal for fiction (list characters? propose situations?) and asks John for help, feeling John must know. (hedged) — 00:01:03 · John Green

00:01:32 — 'Wiki' and the right pronunciation of Wikipedia, per Wikipedia's own page; commenters switched because John was wrong; text hides pronunciation; sign-off

  • ★★ Hank says 'wiki' is a word for a collaborative website with its own pronunciation, and Wikipedia blends 'wiki' and 'encyclopedia', joined after 'wiki'. — 00:01:32 · Wikipedia
  • ★ Hank insists he is right about Wikipedia, though wrong about many things, such as once mispronouncing 'façade' in a Renaissance presentation. (playful) — 00:02:02
  • ★★ Hank says Wikipedia's own article on Wikipedia lists two pronunciations, and its audio button pronounces it his way. — 00:02:02 · Wikipedia
  • ★★ Hank says people in the comments were changing how they pronounce Wikipedia because John was wrong. (playful) — 00:02:29 · Nerdfighteria
  • ★★ Hank calls it an interesting side effect of text-based communication that you never learn how words are pronounced; without text, he can now catch and correct John. — 00:02:29 · No textual communication

Humor (significant)

  • Hank says he and Katherine are the same age again and their 12 days of different ages throw him off. — 00:00:34 > «No, it doesn't. It doesn't really.»
  • Hank cites Wikipedia's own article to settle how to pronounce Wikipedia. — 00:02:02 > «And if Wikipedia is right about anything, it's right about itself.»
  • Hank admits he has been wrong before, mispronouncing a word in a presentation on the Renaissance. — 00:02:02 > «I was wrong. But about Wikipedia, I am right.»
  • Since the brothers now talk only by video, Hank gets to hear John's mistakes. — 00:02:58 > «And thus I can correct you. And rub your face all in it.»

Threads in this video

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