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Nov 15: Jay-Z, the Inkys, Nerdfighteria, and Venn Diagrams!

2007-11-15 · letter vlog · John · 3:02 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Nerdfighteria (also: Books & writing, Pop culture) · mode: Comedy & performance · tags: community lore, civic or action cta, self promotion

In four parts, John jokes that Jay-Z flashing euros proves the dollar's decline, announces that Looking for Alaska won the first International (Silver) Inky Award, shares Nerdfighteria news including a baby that may be named Hank, and draws Venn diagrams.

What is said

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

00:00:00 — Part one, pop quiz: Jay-Z's 500-euro bills as proof of the dollar's weakness

  • ★★ John jokes that the surest evidence of a permanent US economic downslope is Jay-Z holding a wad of 500-euro bills in his newest music video: even Jay-Z worries about the dollar. (playful) — 00:00:00 · New York City, United States

00:00:39 — Jay-Z the entrepreneur; moving to Europe or Australia; John wins the first International Inky Award (Silver Inky); his history with trophies

  • ★ John says the news only makes him want to move to Europe, or possibly Australia. (playful) — 00:00:39 · Europe, Australia
  • ★★★ John won the first International Inky Award, the Silver Inky, an Australian young adult literature award, and thanks his Australian readers and the nerdfighters who voted for Looking for Alaska. — 00:00:39 · Looking for Alaska (novel), Australia, Nerdfighteria
  • ★ Inky winners get a trophy; John alludes to his 'tortured history with trophies' and says the one behind him is from heading his college sketch comedy group. (playful) — 00:01:08

00:01:30 — What's Going On in Nerdfighteria: the secret niece's toilet-paper-king crown; a nerdfighter may name her baby Hank

  • ★★ In a segment he calls 'What's Going On in Nerdfighteria', John shows a crown the brothers' Australian secret niece made him as the toilet paper eating king of the world. (playful) — 00:01:30 · secret sibling, Australia
  • ★★ A nerdfighter who is about to have a baby is considering naming it Hank and has posted a list of potential names online for people to vote on. — 00:01:30 · Nerdfighteria, Hank Green

00:01:59 — Vote for Hank; Venn diagrams: The Hills, Cameo, and where Awesome lives; LA Auto Show tomorrow

  • ★★ John encourages all Nerdfighters to follow the link in the video info and vote for Hank immediately. — 00:01:59 · Nerdfighteria
  • ★★ John's first Venn diagram puts people ashamed of watching The Hills on MTV where Nerdfighters and Hills viewers meet; he notes Venn diagrams are established as not textual communication. (joke) — 00:01:59 · No textual communication
  • ★ A second Venn diagram: people who like Cameo overlap heavily with Nerdfighters, with a corner for those freaked out when the cat stares into the camera. (joke) — 00:01:59 · Brotherhood 2.0

  • ★★ Last Venn diagram: the gooey feeling before something begins (anxiety) and before something ends (sadness); John says their overlap is where Awesome lives. (playful) — 00:02:28

    “in the middle is where Awesome lives”

00:02:58 — Scavenger hunters have already seen the clue in this video

  • ★★ John tells scavenger hunters they have already seen the clue in this video. — 00:02:58

Humor (significant)

  • Pop quiz: what is the surest evidence of a permanent US economic downslope? Jay-Z walking through New York with 500-euro bills. — 00:00:00

    “Hank, even Jay-Z is worried about the weakness of the American dollar.”

  • Not knowing what the Inky trophy will look like, John hopes its inscription echoes his 'tortured history with trophies'. — 00:01:08

    “we can only hope that it's going to say John Green, winner of the 2007 Silver Inky. in our hearts.”

  • Venn diagram one: Nerdfighters, and people who like to watch The Hills on MTV. — 00:01:59

    “the intersection is, of course, people who feel ashamed about watching The Hills on MTV.”

  • Venn diagram two: Cameo fans and Nerdfighters overlap a lot; a corner holds people freaked out when Cameo stares into the camera. — 00:02:28

    “sometimes I think she could kill me without feeling any remorse.”

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: Inky Awards

Also: People: Jay-Z · Lil Jon · T-Pain

Projects: Brotherhood 2.0 · Nerdfighter Scavenger Hunt

Works: Looking for Alaska (novel) · The Hills

Organizations: MTV

Rituals: No textual communication

Terms: secret sibling

Concepts: Venn diagram · young adult literature

Places: Australia · Europe · New York City · United States

Events: Los Angeles Auto Show

animal: Cameo

Also centred on Inky Awards: October 10th: A Spoilerific Attack on Unicorns

← Previous: November 13: You Can't Scare Me. I'm Stickin' to the Union. · Next → November 16th: Green Cars at the LA Auto Show