Brotherhood 2.0: March 15: Decreasing Suck

2007-03-15 · letter vlog · John · 3:07 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Philosophy & meaning (also: Nerdfighteria) · mode: Personal essay · tags: community lore, on location

From a Kalamazoo hotel room John tests whether Peeps and Nerds float in Strawberry Hill, then answers a viewer's worry that decreasing suck could increase it: the worst thing is not trying, and a true nerdfighter admits mistakes and changes course.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — Kalamazoo hotel gifts; do Peeps and Nerds float in Strawberry Hill? mock 'educational' lesson

• ★★ John has just reached his hotel room in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where Strawberry Hill, Peeps and Nerds were waiting; he thanks Kalamazoo. — 00:00:00 · Peeps
• ★★ John tests whether a Peep floats in a glass of Strawberry Hill (it does) and whether grape Nerds do (they sink, except one stuck to the Peep). (playful) — 00:00:00 · Peeps
• ★ John reports that Strawberry Hill turned the purple Nerds white, and jokes about what it does to the gastrointestinal system. (playful) — 00:01:26

00:01:51 — Viewer question: what if decreasing suck increases it? John: the worst thing is not trying; admit mistakes and change course

• ★★ Answering a viewer's worry, John shares the concern that they might accidentally increase suck levels, noting that most of the suckiest things began as attempts to decrease suck. (playful) — 00:01:51 · world suck
• ★★★ John says the worst thing one can do is not try to decrease suck levels, which he says is what the first Brotherhood 2.0 book club book was about. (hedged) — 00:02:15 · world suck, Brotherhood 2.0

• ★★★ 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. — 00:02:15 · nerdfighter, world suck

  “the true nerdfighter is awesome enough to say, you know what, I've made a mistake.”

00:02:45 — Satirical jab at the American government; sign-off; unfinished Happy Birthday left for Hank

• ★ John says he is grateful that so many in the American government are true nerdfighters, then catches himself ('Oh. Wait.'), implying they are not. (satire) — 00:02:45 · nerdfighter
• ★ John starts singing Happy Birthday and says he will let Hank finish the song. — 00:02:45

Humor (significant)

• Claiming Brotherhood 2.0 is educational, John draws the lesson of the float test for someone lost at sea. — 00:01:26

  “you should cling to the peeps and let the nerds go.”

• Strawberry Hill has turned purple Nerds white. — 00:01:26

  “just think what it can do to your gastrointestinal system.”

• John allows that the steam engine has been a pretty good thing on the whole, 'but then on the other hand...' — 00:02:15

  “It sure was warm yesterday in Colorado.”

• John says that is why he is grateful for the people running the country. — 00:02:45

  “so many people in the American government are true and awesome nerdfighters. Oh. Wait.”

Threads in this video

• first on record · Is trying to make the world better worth the risk of accidentally making it worse? — Asked what happens if efforts to decrease suck increase it, John says the worst thing is not to try; when one accidentally increases suck, admit it, apologise and change course. (00:02:15)
• looked back · Brotherhood 2.0 Book Club: each brother reads a book the other assigns (2007) — John says the worst thing one can do is not try to decrease suck levels, which he says is what the first Brotherhood 2.0 book club book was about. (00:02:15)

Mentioned

Central: nerdfighter · world suck

Also: Projects: Brotherhood 2.0 · Nerdfighter Book Club

Works: We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families

Organizations: Federal government of the United States

Concepts: steam engine

Places: Colorado · Kalamazoo, Michigan

Products: Boone's Farm · Nerds · Peeps

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