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A CUTETACULAR INTRODUCTION!

2008-05-18 · letter vlog · John · 3:24 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Personal life · mode: Personal update · tags: community lore, punishment or challenge, self promotion

John explains his week-and-a-half absence: he and the Yeti got a puppy, Willy (Fireball Wilson Roberts), who is adorable but hard work; as punishment he will post a video every day this week, with Paper Towns giveaways.

What is said

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

00:00:00 — Cold open: the barber won't cut John's puff; intro music

  • ★ John says his barber agreed to cut his hair but not his puff. (playful) — 00:00:00 · the Puff

00:00:11 — Why no video for a week and a half: not the bad haircut, the giant mulch pile or the Grand Rapids gifts (DFTBA cup, Scruffy Teddy book)

  • ★★ John tells Hank and the Nerdfighters he hasn't made a video in almost a week and a half, and it isn't because of his hilariously bad haircut. — 00:00:11 · Nerdfighteria
  • ★ John says a gigantic pile of mulch delivered to his house was larger than his New York apartment. (playful) — 00:00:22 · New York City
  • ★★ John shows gifts Nerdfighters brought the brothers in Grand Rapids: a ceramic DFTBA cup and a book called 'Scruffy Teddy Likes to Play in Your Pants'. — 00:00:30 · Nerdfighteria, DFTBA, in your pants

00:00:46 — Introducing the puppy: 'Bubbles the Nerdfighting Puppy', really Willy (Fireball Wilson Roberts, from The Last Good Kiss); puppies are hard work

  • ★★★ The real reason for the absence: John and the Yeti have made an extraordinary, unbelievably time-consuming acquisition, a puppy. — 00:00:46 · Sarah Urist Green, Willy
  • ★★ John wanted to name the puppy 'Bubbles the Nerdfighting Puppy', but the Yeti said a boy named Bubbles would be weird to explain; John adds people would ask if Nerdfighters are for or against nerds. (playful) — 00:00:54 · Willy, Sarah Urist Green, nerdfighter
  • ★★★ They call him Willy; his full name, Fireball Wilson Roberts, refers to the first sentence of James Crumley's novel The Last Good Kiss, which John reads aloud. — 00:01:14 · Willy
  • ★ John jokes that Willy is most adorable on video, where you can't smell that he always smells a little like his own pee. (playful) — 00:01:36 · Willy
  • ★★★ John's message to Nerdfighters considering a puppy: it is so hard; Willy needs constant attention. — 00:01:45 · Nerdfighteria, Willy
  • ★★ Willy makes a many-noted noise when ignored and fakes needing to pee; John gets frustrated but forgives him when he tilts his head; a bundle of joy and of work. (playful) — 00:01:58 · Willy

00:02:27 — Apology and punishment: a video every day Sunday-Thursday, two Question Tuesdays, a Paper Towns copy with every video

  • ★★★ To make up for last week (week of 5 May 2008), John will do a punishment: a video every day this week (week of 12 May 2008), Sunday to Thursday, taking Friday off (jokingly as a Sabbath, though he isn't Jewish). — 00:02:34 · Punishment
  • ★★ The week includes two Question Tuesdays, so John asks Nerdfighters to leave questions and comments. — 00:02:42 · Question Tuesday, Nerdfighteria
  • ★★★ With every video this week (week of 12 May 2008), including this one, John will give away one copy of Paper Towns to a random commenter. — 00:02:47 · Paper Towns

00:03:08 — Sign-off; happy birthday to Katherine from John and Willy, 'a talking dog'

  • ★★ John and Willy wish Katherine a happy birthday; John claims Willy is a talking dog. (playful) — 00:03:10 · Katherine Green, Willy

Humor (significant)

  • John asks his barber for a haircut. — 00:00:02

    “I'll cut your hair, but I'm not gonna cut your puff.”

  • The Yeti fears 'Bubbles the Nerdfighting Puppy' will make people ask whether Nerdfighters are for or against nerds. — 00:01:12

    “which is a stupid question, I mean, look at my glasses.”

  • John describes the noise Willy makes when not getting full attention. — 00:02:01

    “all the kittens in the world have united with all the birds in the world and they've gone to war with monkeys and puppy-sized elephants.”

  • John has Willy 'say' happy birthday to Katherine and wave. — 00:03:21

    “Oh yeah, did I mention that he's a talking dog?”

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: Willy

Also: People: Katherine Green · Sarah Urist Green

Works: Paper Towns · The Last Good Kiss

Rituals: Punishment · Question Tuesday

Terms: DFTBA · in your pants · nerdfighter · puppy sized elephant · the Puff

Places: Grand Rapids, Michigan · New York City

Only in the description or credits: James Crumley

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