October 29th: It Just Isn't Fair
2007-10-29 · story · Hank · 3:14 · watch on YouTube
Topic: Personal life · mode: Comedy & performance · tags: on location, song or performance, community lore
Wrapping up a family trip in Asheville, Hank says his song day falls on Halloween, reports he could not find John's childhood box at their parents' house, and instead reads aloud 'It Just Isn't Fair', a book John wrote at eight, calling him a Nerdfighter from birth.
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; Mount Craggy with family and friends; end of the Asheville stay; a concert where a Nerdfighter recognizes Hank in public for the first time; song day falls on Halloween
- ★★ Hank, their mom and dad, Katherine, Jessalyn and Brian went up a mountain Hank calls 'Mount Craggy'; it was windy but beautiful, and their time in Asheville is ending. (hedged) — 00:00:03 · Sydney Green, Mike Green, Katherine Green, Brian
- ★ Unplanned, the group went to see another concert. — 00:00:03
- ★★ At the concert Hank met the first Nerdfighter ever to recognize him in public; he feels better, since John had already been recognized and he had not. (playful) — 00:00:03 · Nerdfighteria, John Green
- ★★ Hank realizes his song day falls on Halloween; his song is not about Halloween and he doesn't know if he can write a Halloween song in time. (hedged) — 00:00:03 · Song Wednesday
00:00:51 — No Halloween song but a Halloween surprise; parents won't reveal John's box; Hank finds a snippet of John's childhood instead
- ★★ Hank says there will certainly be a Halloween surprise, though it may not be his song. (hedged) — 00:00:51
- ★★ Their parents said John has a box like Hank's but would not reveal where it is; after they went to sleep Hank searched for it and could not find it. (playful) — 00:00:51 · Sydney Green, Mike Green, John Green
- ★★★ Hank instead found a snippet of John's childhood to share with Nerdfighters, of special interest to readers of Looking for Alaska: 'John Green's fifth book', It Just Isn't Fair. — 00:00:51 · Looking for Alaska (novel), Nerdfighteria, John Green
00:01:22 — Hank reads John's childhood book 'It Just Isn't Fair' with comic asides, the author bio, 'Nerdfighter from birth!'; sign-off with Vern the dog
- ★★★ John Green (quoted): In the book, narrator Alvin, a smart 'total nerd' nicknamed Wimp, spends money on clothes to be cool, which fails; he befriends Rick, whose father is dead, and both end up popular. (fiction) — 00:01:22
- ★★ John Green (quoted): The book's author note says John Green, born in Indianapolis, is eight, has written five books, hopes to finish his latest by the end of the school year, and much of the story isn't true. (hedged) — 00:02:44 · John Green
- ★★ Hank concludes from the book that John was a Nerdfighter from birth. (playful) — 00:02:44 · nerdfighter, John Green
- ★ Hank signs off by introducing Vern, a dog. (playful) — 00:02:44
Humor (significant)
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Hank is finally recognized in public by a Nerdfighter. — 00:00:03
“I feel better now because John had been recognized before and I hadn't.”
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Eight-year-old John describes the cool kid Rick. — 00:01:48
“At first, he looked completely vice versa from me. He was cool, but looked pretty nice.”
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Alvin expects Rick to cry about his dead father. — 00:02:18
“Instead, he just said, My mourn days are over.”
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After the author note admits much of the story isn't true, Hank sums up John. — 00:02:44
“Nerdfighter from birth!”
Threads in this video
- update · Hank and Katherine's October trip: drive from Montana to Seattle, then fly on (2007) — Hank reports going up 'Mount Craggy' with their parents, Katherine, Jessalyn and Brian, and that their time in Asheville has come to an end. (00:00:03)
- told · Hank finds and reads John's childhood book 'It Just Isn't Fair' (2007) — After failing to find John's box at their parents' house, Hank finds John's childhood book 'It Just Isn't Fair' and reads it aloud for Nerdfighters. (00:00:51)
- update · Hank goes through his box of childhood keepsakes at their dad's house (2007) — Their parents said John has a box like Hank's but would not reveal where it is; after they went to sleep Hank searched for it and could not find it. (00:00:51)
Where the stories that moved here went next
- Hank and Katherine's October trip: drive from Montana to Seattle, then fly on (2007) — followed over 5 videos (2007); last: update, 2007-11-06
- Hank finds and reads John's childhood book 'It Just Isn't Fair' (2007) — followed over 3 videos (2007); last: update, 2007-11-02
Mentioned
People: Brian · Jessalyn · Katherine Green · Mike Green · Sydney Green
Works: It Just Isn't Fair · Looking for Alaska (novel)
Rituals: Song Wednesday
Terms: nerdfighter
Places: Asheville, North Carolina · mountain near Asheville ('Mount Craggy')
Events: Halloween (holiday)
Characters: Alvin
animal: Vern
Later videos replying to this one
- 2007-10-30 · Oct. 30th: My Name Is John Green. And I'm a Nerd. (John) — answers (update on Hank finds and reads John's childhood book 'It Just Isn't Fair' (2007); result on Hank asks John to show his own box of childhood keepsakes (2007)) — John thanks Hank for sharing the book he wrote at eight, says it proves he is a nerd, and discusses its cover art. (00:00:19)
- 2007-11-02 · November 2nd: John Green at the Young Author's Award (Hank) — continues (tell on Hank shows Dad's home video of eight-year-old John at the Orange County Young Authors Award (2007)) — Hank shows their dad's home video of eight-year-old John at the Orange County Young Authors Award conference and calls a girl's compliment the moment John became a writer. (00:00:43)