December 19: The Day that the Nerds Took Over YouTube

2007-12-19 · song · Hank, Katherine Green · 3:57 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Global development (also: Nerdfighteria) · mode: Comedy & performance · tags: song or performance, guest or collab, calendar ritual, community lore, recurring series, punishment or challenge

For the last Song Wednesday of Brotherhood 2.0, Hank and Katherine sing a comic song about the Project for Awesome, the day the nerds took over YouTube; Hank says the project made him hopeful, thanks participants and dreads John's punishment proposals.

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; the final Song Wednesday of Brotherhood 2.0 and the first with Katherine, who co-wrote the song; 'Mission Control' in the basement during the Secret Project

• ★★ Hank says this is the final Song Wednesday of Brotherhood 2.0, because it is his last Wednesday (12 December 2007). — 00:00:18 · Song Wednesday, Brotherhood 2.0
• ★★ Hank says it is the first Song Wednesday in which he does not sing alone: Katherine sings with him and wrote about half of the song. (hedged) — 00:00:26 · Katherine Green, Song Wednesday
• ★★ Hank says Katherine was very excited about the Secret Project and commented along with everyone; they ran a 'Mission Control' in their basement. — 00:00:39 · Katherine Green, Project for Awesome

00:00:52 — Song 'The Day that the Nerds Took Over YouTube' about the Project for Awesome: sxePhil, Nalts and WhatTheBuck, 300 charities, the most discussed page

• ★★ The song recounts that the Project for Awesome began on December 17 with the goal of decreasing world suck, helped by sxePhil, Nalts and WhatTheBuck. (playful) — 00:01:05 · Project for Awesome, world suck

• ★★★ The song's refrain calls the Project for Awesome the day the nerds took over YouTube, joking that their center screenshot proved more powerful than 'two boobs'. (playful) — 00:01:25 · YouTube, Nerdfighteria, Project for Awesome

  “It was the day that the Nerds took over YouTube”

• ★★ The song says people promoted 300 charities, such as levees.org, Toys for Tots and Autism Speaks. (playful) — 00:01:50 · Project for Awesome

00:02:42 — The Secret Project made Hank hopeful; thanks to participants and to those who skipped school or work

• ★★★ Hank says the Secret Project was exciting and made him kind of hopeful, seeing so many people promote organizations doing good simply because it is right. (hedged) — 00:02:44 · Project for Awesome
• ★ Hank thanks everyone who participated, including those who skipped school or work, and says he did not go to work that day either. — 00:03:01 · Project for Awesome

00:03:11 — Hank and Katherine dread John's punishment proposals; a viewer's $5-per-hand-gesture idea rejected

• ★★ Hank tells John he is not looking forward to his punishment proposals. (playful) — 00:03:11 · Punishment
• ★★ Katherine Green: Katherine says she is not looking forward to the punishment either, because she is the one who has to film it. (playful) — 00:03:13 · Punishment, Katherine Green
• ★★ Hank rejects a viewer's punishment suggestion that he pay five dollars for every hand gesture in every video, saying he would be destitute. (playful) — 00:03:20 · Punishment

00:03:41 — Katherine asks John where their Christmas present is; John phoned asking what manga they like; sign-off

• ★ Katherine Green: Asked by Hank for a message to John, Katherine asks where their Christmas present is. (playful) — 00:03:41 · Christmas, Katherine Green
• ★★ Hank says John phoned about five minutes earlier asking what kind of manga they like. (playful) — 00:03:42 · Katherine Green

Humor (significant)

• The song claims the Project for Awesome's shared thumbnail beat YouTube's usual attention-grabbing thumbnails. — 00:01:38

  “Their center screenshot was actually more powerful than two boobs”

• The song describes Nerdfighters of every race, creed and age flooding one YouTube page. — 00:02:03

  “They commented that shit to the most discussed page”

• Rejecting a $5-per-hand-gesture punishment, Hank explains he can't stop gesturing. — 00:03:30

  “There's no other way for me to show how excited I am!”

Threads in this video

• performed · Hank: write a song every two weeks (2007 challenge from John) — On the last Song Wednesday of Brotherhood 2.0, Hank performs a new song, with Katherine singing and co-writing. (00:00:18)
• outcome · Project for Awesome 2007 edition: the final Brotherhood 2.0 project (2007) — Hank and Katherine's song reports the Project for Awesome result: 300 charities promoted and Nerdfighters taking over YouTube's most discussed page. (00:01:50)
• result reported · Hank asks viewers to comment on, rate and favorite Project for Awesome 2007 videos (2007) — The song reports that Nerdfighters of every age commented the Project for Awesome videos onto YouTube's most discussed page. (00:02:03)
• callback · John's proposal to say 'jokes' instead of 'cool' (2007) — Hank calls the Secret Project 'fantastically jokes', using 'jokes' for 'cool'. (00:02:46)
• restate · Is it reasonable to be hopeful about the future? — Hank says seeing so many people promote organizations doing good, simply because it is right, made him kind of hopeful. (00:02:44)
• result reported · John asks Nerdfighters to suggest punishments for Hank (2007) — Hank reports and rejects one viewer's punishment suggestion: paying five dollars for every hand gesture in every video. (00:03:20)
• told · John's Christmas presents for Hank and Katherine (2007) — Asked by Katherine where their Christmas present is, Hank says John phoned five minutes earlier to ask what kind of manga they like. (00:03:42)
• paused · Song Wednesday: Hank performs a song on Wednesdays (2007) — Hank says this is the final Song Wednesday of Brotherhood 2.0, because it is his last Wednesday (12 December 2007). (00:00:18)

Where the stories that moved here went next

• Hank asks viewers to comment on, rate and favorite Project for Awesome 2007 videos (2007) — reported back; last: reminder, 2016-11-01
• John asks Nerdfighters to suggest punishments for Hank (2007) — reported back; last: result reported, 2007-12-20
• Project for Awesome 2007 edition: the final Brotherhood 2.0 project (2007) — completed; last: looked back, 2026-02-15
• Song Wednesday: Hank performs a song on Wednesdays (2007) — lapsed; last: looked back, 2025-10-08
• John's Christmas presents for Hank and Katherine (2007) — followed over 3 videos (2007); last: update, 2007-12-26 (said on 2007-12-25, implied)

Mentioned

Central: Katherine Green · Project for Awesome · Song Wednesday

Also: Autism Speaks · Brotherhood 2.0 · Christmas · Levees.org · Punishment · Toys for Tots · world suck · YouTube

Only in the description or credits: Michael Buckley · Nalts · Philip DeFranco

Later videos replying to this one

• 2007-12-20 · December 20th: HANK SHALL BE PUNISHED! (John) — answers — “One, your song. I liked it.” (00:00:00)