Brotherhood 2.0: Harry and the Potters are Nerdfighters!

2007-07-11 · letter vlog · John · 2:36 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Nerdfighteria (also: Books & writing, Everyday life) · mode: Personal update · tags: punishment or challenge, community lore, self promotion

John announces that his new novel will be called Paper Towns, reports he threw away the academic decathlon medals needed for his punishment, celebrates Harry and the Potters doing the nerdfighter sign, explains that his medals don't prove he is smart, and proposes splitting spray-on green hair between the brothers' punishments.

What is said

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

00:00:00 — Sit-ups for the punishment; basement; new novel to be called Paper Towns; puff levels

★★ John says he is getting his abs in shape for his punishment, joking that they hurt after four sit-ups. (playful) — 00:00:11 · Punishment
★ John shows his basement, then moves outside because the light there is poor. — 00:00:11
★★ John has to make the video quickly because he is going out tonight and must get back to revising his new book. — 00:00:11 · Paper Towns
★★★ John announces his new book will definitely be called Paper Towns, unless he changes his mind again. (hedged) — 00:00:11 · Paper Towns
★★ John concedes the title isn't very commercial but calls it perfect for the actual book, and asks Hank whether he likes it. — 00:00:11 · Paper Towns
★ John notes that his puff levels are generally low but extraordinarily high in one spot. (playful) — 00:00:11 · the Puff

00:00:49 — Academic decathlon medals thrown away; nerdfighters with Harry and the Potters doing the nerdfighter hand sign

★★★ As bad news for his punishment, John says he seems to have thrown away all his academic decathlon medals. (hedged) — 00:00:49 · Punishment
★★★ John shows nerdfighters with Harry and the Potters doing the nerdfighter hand sign and cheers the band, calling them 'like the number one Harry Potter band in the world'. (playful) — 00:00:49 · Nerdfighteria

00:01:17 — Answer to a commenter: how academic decathlon tiers work, so the medals don't prove John is smart

★★ Answering a commenter who said his academic decathlon medals prove he is smart, John says that is not the case. — 00:01:17
★★ John explains academic decathlon has three tiers: A students with GPAs of 3.75 and above, B students above 3.0, and C students below 2.99. — 00:01:17
★★ John says his medals mean he was the third-best C student in the state of Alabama, which is not the same as being smart. (playful) — 00:01:17

00:01:46 — Proposal to add spray-on green hair split between the two punishments; weather in Missoula and Indianapolis; sign-off

★★★ Since forum commenters love the idea of the brothers dyeing their hair green, John asks to add one more thing to the punishment. — 00:01:46 · Punishment, Brotherhood 2.0 forum
★★ John says most green hair dyes last about eight weeks. — 00:01:46
★★ John says eight weeks of green hair would be fine at 26 or 27 but seems sad for someone about to turn 30, as he is. (playful) — 00:01:46
★★★ John proposes spray-on green hair: Hank sprays the mohawk part, John sprays the non-mohawk parts, so together they make a whole head of green hair. — 00:02:11 · Punishment
★ John hopes it is a nice day in Missoula; it is beautiful in Indianapolis and he is going to enjoy it. — 00:02:11 · Missoula, Montana, Indianapolis

Humor (significant)

John says he is getting his abs in shape for his punishment. — 00:00:11

“Is it bad that my abs kind of hurt after those four sit-ups?”
John explains academic decathlon's A, B and C tiers to show what his medals really mean. — 00:01:17

“Basically, what those medals mean is that I was the third best C student in the state of Alabama.”
John proposes that Hank spray-paint the mohawk part and John all the other parts. — 00:02:11

“and then between the two of us, we'll have a whole head of green hair.”

Threads in this video

accepted · John: do a half-naked dance in a golden bow tie as punishment (2007) — John says he is getting his abs in shape for his punishment. (00:00:11)
milestone · Paper Towns: writing, revision and publication (2007) — John decides his new novel will be called Paper Towns, unless he changes his mind again. (00:00:11)
callback · John's 'the puff' stress habit (2007) — John measures his 'puff levels', high in one spot. (00:00:11)
callback · 'In your pants' suffix game (2007) — John refers to forum commenters as 'the commenters in my pants'. (00:01:46)
proposed · Hank: recreate his goth photo as punishment (2007) — John proposes adding spray-on green hair to Hank's punishment: Hank sprays the mohawk part. (00:02:11)
proposed · John: do a half-naked dance in a golden bow tie as punishment (2007) — John proposes adding spray-on green hair to his own punishment: he sprays all the non-mohawk parts. (00:02:11)
result reported · John asks Hank to come up with a title for his new novel, Paper Towns (2007) — John announces his new book will definitely be called Paper Towns, unless he changes his mind again. (00:00:11)

Where the stories that moved here went next

John: do a half-naked dance in a golden bow tie as punishment (2007) — performed
John asks Hank to come up with a title for his new novel, Paper Towns (2007) — reported back; last: result reported, 2007-07-11
Hank: recreate his goth photo as punishment (2007) — performed
Paper Towns: writing, revision and publication (2007) — completed; last: looked back, 2023-11-07

Mentioned

Central: Paper Towns · United States Academic Decathlon

Also: Projects: Brotherhood 2.0 forum

Groups: Harry and the Potters

Rituals: Nerdfighter gang sign · Punishment

Terms: in your pants · the Puff

Places: Alabama · Indianapolis · Missoula, Montana

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