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Sell Outs!

2009-07-15 · John · watch on YouTube · Internet & YouTube · reflection essay

Prompted by absurd ads next to his videos, John argues that selling their work and accepting ads is not selling out, but paid product placement or implying Nerdfighters must buy things would be, and polls viewers on money transparency.

What is said

00:00:00 — Suit-for-advertisers gag; ads on the Sunday video for Scientology and mail-order brides

  • ★★ John reports many Nerdfighters commented that almost all ads beside his Sunday video were for Scientology or mail-order brides. (playful) — 00:00:00 · Nerdfighteria, online advertising
  • ★ John says the brothers do not want Nerdfighters buying mail-order brides online: buying a wife on the internet is immoral. (playful) — 00:00:00 · Nerdfighteria

00:00:46 — Other humiliating ads: Hank mocked, a gay-husband test; John's free "test"

  • ★ John says ads on their videos have been hilarious or humiliating before, including one that seems to mock Hank and one selling a test to tell if your husband is gay. (playful) — 00:00:46 · Google, online advertising

00:01:30 — What isn't selling out (books, Hank's CD, Derek Jeter) and what would be; no paid product placement (Wacky String)

  • ★★ John says arranging his bookshelves 'to look like that' (shown on screen) in every video wouldn't be selling out, only a bit unseemly, so he doesn't, though he says his publishers always ask. (playful) (hedged) — 00:01:30
  • ★★★ John doesn't think making an awesome CD you work hard on, as Hank did, and telling people they can buy it is selling out, nor sharing his books, any more than Derek Jeter hitting hard. (hedged) — 00:01:30 · Hank Green
  • ★★ John calls Hank's album brilliant and life-changing, with a link in the sidebar. (playful) — 00:01:30 · Hank Green
  • ★★★ John thinks it would be selling out to tell or imply that people couldn't be Nerdfighters unless they bought the brothers' stuff. (hedged) — 00:02:07 · Nerdfighteria
  • ★★★ John says the brothers don't do paid product placement, not because it's inherently wrong but because it isn't right for them: if a brand paid him, his praise would be for pay, not truth. — 00:02:07

00:02:37 — Money from ads and t-shirts; not wanting selling-out questions to split the community; A/B/C poll and bonus question

  • ★★ John says the brothers do make money from advertising and from selling t-shirts. — 00:02:37 · online advertising
  • ★★★ John says YouTube can't survive without advertising, and as vlogging becomes more their job neither can they, since he assumes no one wants to pay for Vlogbrothers videos. (hedged) — 00:02:37 · YouTube, online advertising, Vlogbrothers
  • ★★ John says the Nerdfighter community is so tight-knit and focused on making the world suck less that he doesn't want selling-out questions pulling it apart. — 00:02:37 · Nerdfighteria, world suck
  • ★★★ John asks Nerdfighters to say in comments whether they (A) trust the brothers and find money talk gross, (B) want a fuller, transparent accounting of money to them versus charity, or (C) want a shareholder-style vote on their compensation; bonus: define selling out. — 00:03:06 · Nerdfighteria

00:03:36 — You never have to buy anything to be a nerdfighter; mail-order bride ad joke; sign-off; P.S. Chicago gathering

  • ★★★ John tells Nerdfighters they never have to buy anything to be a nerdfighter. — 00:03:36 · Nerdfighteria, nerdfighter > «you never have to buy anything to be a nerdfighter.»
  • ★★ In a P.S., John announces he is doing a Nerdfighter gathering in Chicago next Thursday, with more info in the sidebar. — 00:03:36 · Chicago, Nerdfighteria
  • ★ John thanks Hank: they have been brothers for 29 years and Hank has never sold him out. — 00:03:36 · Hank Green

Humor (significant)

  • John wears a suit to appeal to advertisers but insists he hasn't sold out. — 00:00:00 > «You can tell because I'm not wearing any pants.»
  • Ads beside his Sunday video were all for Scientology or mail-order brides, so John clarifies. — 00:00:00 > «We don't want Nerdfighters to become Scientologist mail-order brides.»
  • An ad next to their video offers a test to find out if your husband is gay. — 00:00:46 > «Google, are you trying to make my wife worry just because I like dressing up my bust of Edgar Allan Poe?»
  • Calling John's book promotion selling out is like telling Derek Jeter he sells out by hitting balls hard. — 00:01:30 > «Or telling your mom she's selling out if she hits balls hard.»
  • You never have to buy anything to be a nerdfighter, especially not a wife. — 00:03:36 > «if you click on a mail order bride ad and then don't order a bride, the company loses money.»

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