October 11th National Coming Out Day
2007-10-11 · letter vlog · Hank, Katherine Green · 3:28 · watch on YouTube
Topic: Pop culture (also: US politics & society, Internet & YouTube, Nerdfighteria) · mode: Comedy & performance · tags: timely hook, civic or action cta, community lore, guest or collab
Prompted by Seth Godin's claim that YouTube video already beats books as a medium, Hank marks National Coming Out Day by urging viewers to stop hiding things, then comically 'comes out' as a Japanese pop fan and stays on Team Unicorn.
What is said
The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).
00:00:00 — Greeting; Katherine interrupts; Seth Godin interview: many books published, few bought
- ★ Katherine Green: Katherine asks whether Hank is still working on his video, since it is about 10 o'clock at night. (playful) — 00:00:09 · Katherine Green
- ★★ Hank relays a point from a Seth Godin interview: about 175,000 books are published in America each year, but the average person buys about one book a year. (hedged) — 00:00:09 · United States
- ★ Hank suggests that maybe publishers should publish less crap. (playful, hedged) — 00:00:09
00:00:58 — Godin: YouTube already a better medium; National Coming Out Day and Hank's call to come out
- ★★★ Seth Godin (quoted): Seth Godin, as relayed by Hank, says YouTube video is not only going to be but already is a better medium than books, reaching far more eyeballs on many topics. — 00:00:58 · YouTube
- ★★ Hank concludes that, like best-selling authors, he should sometimes say important things, and says he will do so today. (playful) — 00:00:58
- ★★★ Hank notes that today, October 11, is National Coming Out Day. — 00:00:58
- ★★★ Hank heartily encourages anyone hiding things about themselves to let them come free today, and says it is fine to do it the next day too. — 00:00:58
- ★★ Hank says that if you keep a secret about yourself that the people you love and respect deserve to know, you should come out, and he will do it with you. — 00:01:27
00:01:56 — Hank 'comes out' as a fan of Japanese pop music
- ★★★ Hank 'comes out' of a non-traditional closet: despite his punk image he is a gigantic fan of upbeat, sweet Japanese pop music, and asks viewers not to see him differently. (playful) — 00:01:56
- ★ Hank adds that he still likes punk rock and still wants to hear viewers' band demos. (playful) — 00:01:56
- ★★ Hank acknowledges this is far less difficult than coming out as gay, but says it is a little difficult because he likes to see himself as into harder music. — 00:02:31
00:02:57 — J-pop sweetness explains unicorns; feud: stays on Team Unicorn; sign-off
- ★★ Hank suggests the sweetness of Japanese pop might explain his attraction to unicorns, which feature prominently in Japanese pop culture. (playful, hedged) — 00:02:57
- ★★ In the feud, Hank says he may be ready to accept that zombies are more awesome than unicorns, though not for John's reasons, but will not give up his place on Team Unicorn. (playful, hedged) — 00:02:57
Humor (significant)
-
Hank admits he does not know who Seth Godin is. — 00:00:09
“Apparently he's bald. and famous.”
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After urging viewers to come out on National Coming Out Day, Hank announces he is leaving a 'non-traditional closet'. — 00:01:56
“but I am a gigantic fan of Japanese pop music.”
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Hank explains what his secret J-pop fandom really means. — 00:02:31
“take off my clothes and dance around my house in my underwear”
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Hank concedes his confession is not as hard as coming out as a gay person. — 00:02:31
“well I am on YouTube but leaving that aside”
Threads in this video
- first on record · Can online video truly educate, or only inform? — Hank relays Seth Godin's view that YouTube video already is a better medium than books for acquiring information, and takes it as a reason to say important things himself. (00:00:58)
- asked · Hank encourages viewers to come out about what they hide, for National Coming Out Day (2007) — On National Coming Out Day Hank encourages viewers who hide things about themselves to come out, today or tomorrow. (00:00:58)
- milestone · The brothers' feud, to be judged by Nerdfighters (2007) — Hank says he may accept that zombies are more awesome than unicorns, though not for John's reasons, but stays on Team Unicorn. (00:02:57) → refers to October 10th: A Spoilerific Attack on Unicorns
Where the stories that moved here went next
- The brothers' feud, to be judged by Nerdfighters (2007) — last documented in 2007 (looked back on in 2009)
Mentioned
Central: J-pop · National Coming Out Day
Also: Katherine Green · Rancid · Seth Godin · Tomoe Shinohara · unicorn · United States · YouTube · zombie
Also centred on National Coming Out Day: Coming Out and Sperm Spikes
Replies to
- answers · October 10th: A Spoilerific Attack on Unicorns — “not for the reasons that you proposed in your last video”
Later videos replying to this one
- 2007-10-15 · Oct 15th: Happy 16th Birthday B20 (Hank) — continues (refine on Can online video truly educate, or only inform?) — Hank qualifies his claim that video blogs can transmit ideas better than books: not always, as Harry Potter would be a horrible video blog. (00:02:23)