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I Am Afraid of Heights

2008-12-08 (said on 2008-12-07 — implied: date said in the video; uploaded 1 day later) · challenge / punishment · John, Sarah Urist Green · 3:39 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Nerdfighteria · mode: Advocacy & fundraising · tags: punishment or challenge, fundraising ask, guest or collab

John, afraid of heights, fulfils a challenge from Scott Westerfeld and Justine Larbalestier, who offered $5,000 to his favourite charities if he stood on a table; after much hesitation he stands on it.

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 holding Willy; John will conquer his fear of heights today; Willy is to tell the story

  • ★★ John says that today, a snowy Sunday in December, he will conquer one of his greatest phobias: heights. (playful) — 00:00:07

00:00:24 — Story (in Willy's voice): author party with Scott Westerfeld and Justine Larbalestier, the $5,000 table offer, John's failure, deadline extended to today

  • ★★★ Narrating as Willy, John says that at an author party Scott Westerfeld and Justine Larbalestier teased him about his fear of heights and asked what it would cost him to stand on a hotel-room table. (playful) — 00:00:24 · Willy
  • ★★★ John named $5,000, a figure meant to be high enough to avoid the table but not seem crazy; Scott and Justine agreed and offered $5,000 to his favourite charities if he stood on it. (playful) — 00:00:48
  • ★★ John says he failed to get on the table at the time (calling himself a wuss), but Scott and Justine extended the deadline to today. (playful) — 00:01:12

00:01:29 — Pulse check, hesitation, Sarah urging, John stands on the table and celebrates $5,000

  • ★★ John has his pulse taken to show he is legitimately afraid and says getting on the table will be easy but standing on it exceptionally hard. (hedged) — 00:01:29
  • ★ Sarah Urist Green: Sarah, filming, tells John to get on the table after he says he doesn't think he can do it. — 00:02:02 · John Green, Sarah Urist Green
  • ★★★ After hesitating and asking for another countdown, John stands on the table (Sunday, 7 December 2008) and celebrates the $5,000. — 00:02:32

00:02:53 — Mock bragging about physical courage; Nerdfighters are tough; FDR quote plus 'and heights'; sign-off

  • ★ John jokingly boasts that he has shown physical courage and proven 'once and for all' that Nerdfighters are tough. (playful, hedged) — 00:02:53 · Nerdfighteria

00:03:12 — John runs through the snow with Willy

Humor (significant)

  • John, speaking as Willy, interrupts himself as the dog licks him mid-story. — 00:01:00

    “not licking”

  • In Willy's voice, John tells what he did after the $5,000 offer. — 00:01:12

    “He completely failed to get on top of the table because he is a gigantic wuss.”

  • John announces that today he is going to stand on top of a table... — 00:01:25

    “for the children.”

  • John cites Franklin Delano Roosevelt: we have nothing to fear but fear itself. — 00:03:07

    “And heights.”

Threads in this video

Mentioned

acrophobia · Franklin Delano Roosevelt · Justine Larbalestier · Sarah Urist Green · Scott Westerfeld · Willy

Only in the description or credits: Asha for Education · First Book · Médecins Sans Frontières

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