Skip to content

Barack John Obama Green

2008-04-10 · letter vlog · Hank · 3:53 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Global development (also: US politics & society) · mode: Personal essay · tags: timely hook, on location, heavy topic, fundraising ask

After seeing Barack Obama speak in Montana, Hank splices John's 'it's an us problem' lines with Obama's speech, attacks the hierarchy of needs as a theory that lets us ignore poverty, and gives $250 to Sean's Bangladesh work.

What is said

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

00:00:00 — Mock press-conference Obama endorsement; Hank in the longest line of his life to see Barack Obama

  • ★ a guest: The video opens with a mock press conference: a speaker calling himself John, who 'works for the city', says he announced to his wife, dog and cat that he endorses Senator Barack Obama. (playful) — 00:00:00 · Barack Obama
  • ★★ In a 'special edition of Brotherhood 2.0', Hank stands with a companion in the longest line of his life to see Barack Obama; getting up at 7 a.m. shows he is a big fan. (playful) — 00:00:00 · Brotherhood 2.0, Barack Obama

00:00:55 — Obama's speech was amazing; mash-up of John's 'us problem' lines from his previous video with Obama's speech

  • ★★ Hank says Obama was amazing: the speech was given with no notes, with jokes and improvisation. — 00:00:55 · Barack Obama
  • ★★★ Watching John's video from the day before, Hank noticed it sounded familiar, and he intercuts John's 'us problem' lines with Obama's speech. (playful) — 00:00:55 · Barack Obama
  • ★★ Barack Obama (quoted): In the speech clip, Obama says every child is our problem and our responsibility, and that we have to invest to make sure they are prepared. — 00:01:26 · Montana, Barack Obama

00:01:57 — Hank's critique of the hierarchy of needs taught in school: the poor are not less caring, and the theory helps us ignore poverty

  • ★ Hank says his brother and Barack Obama are both very made of awesome. (playful) — 00:01:57 · made of awesome, Barack Obama
  • ★★★ Hank recalls being taught in school the hierarchy of needs: people lacking basics like housing and food don't care about higher levels such as social status and self-realization. He says that is totally untrue. — 00:01:57

  • ★★★ Hank says the hierarchy was made by someone who never faced the first need; lacking food does not make you an animal who doesn't care about others or doing good, it means you can't do those things. — 00:01:57

    “The hierarchy of needs was created by someone who never had to deal with the first need.”

  • ★★★ Hank argues that teaching the hierarchy makes it seem less of a big deal when people lack food, which is why we are so good at ignoring the world's huge, horrible problems. — 00:02:27

  • ★★ Hank says the hierarchy places two levels before love: food and shelter, then personal safety, before love, friendship and family. — 00:02:27
  • ★★ Hank adds that maybe it is about trying to create a world where people can live without feeling extremely guilty every second of their lives (what 'it' refers to is unclear). (hedged) — 00:02:56

00:03:25 — Hank gives the price of an Xbox 360 ($250) to Sean's PayPal; thanks John; sign-off

  • ★★★ Reasoning that if Shawn could give his Xbox money he could too, Hank finds an Xbox 360 costs $250 and gives $250 through Shawn's PayPal. — 00:03:25
  • ★ Hank thanks John for being an awesome person and an awesome brother. — 00:03:25

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: Barack Obama · Maslow's hierarchy of needs

Also: Abraham Maslow · Brotherhood 2.0 · made of awesome · Montana · othering · PayPal · Shawn Ahmed · Xbox 360

Replies to

  • continues · Nerdfighting in Bangladesh — “But when I was watching your video from yesterday, I noticed that something sounded really familiar.”

← Previous: Nerdfighting in Bangladesh · Next → PAPER TOWNS-TACULAR