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Giraffe Love and Other Questions ANSWERED

2009-01-03 (said on 2009-01-02 — implied: date said in the video; uploaded 1 day later) · Q&A · John · 2:53 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Nerdfighteria (also: Science & nature) · mode: Q&A & conversation · tags: community lore, recurring series

On Question Friday John answers viewers' "Are you..." questions, mostly with jokes, explaining giraffe mating, saying he is contracted for at least three more books and calling himself an optimist only in a grim sense.

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: Question Friday, real questions from real Nerdfighters

00:00:11 — Questions on living in Indianapolis forever and being a rebel

00:00:21 — Giraffe-mating videos get more views; how male giraffes test whether females are ovulating

  • ★★ a viewer: A viewer says John's videos that discuss giraffe mating get on average ten times more views than those that don't. — 00:00:21
  • ★★ John agrees and, as previously noted, says people love giraffes who love giraffes, maybe because giraffe mating habits are fascinating. (playful, hedged) — 00:00:27
  • ★★ John says male giraffes nudge females with their heads to make them urinate, then drink the urine to taste whether the females are ovulating. (playful) — 00:00:36

00:01:10 — Rapid-fire "Are you" questions: books, optimism, Vonnegut, Santa, Gandalf, James II, banana, Derrida, happy dance; sign-off

  • ★★★ John says he is contracted to write at least three more books. — 00:01:28

  • ★★ John calls himself an optimist only in the sense that he thinks humanity's relentless attempt to extinguish itself will fail for the foreseeable future. (playful, hedged) — 00:01:37 · optimism

    “our relentless attempt to extinguish the species will fail for the forseeable future”

  • ★ Asked whether he is Kurt Vonnegut, John says he wishes he were. (playful) — 00:01:47

Humor (dominant)

  • Asked if he will live in Indianapolis forever, John takes "forever" literally. — 00:00:13

    “I'm going to spend the vast majority of forever deceased.”

  • Asked "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" right after the giraffe urine facts, John says yes only if it is how unerotic that is. — 00:01:09

    “you disgust me.”

  • John mocks "Are you a banana?" until he notices he has a peelable pale exterior and edible insides. — 00:02:22

    “I am a banana.”

Threads in this video

Mentioned

Central: giraffe

Also: People: Jacques Derrida · James II of England · Kurt Vonnegut

Works: Star Wars

Rituals: Happy dance (practice) · Question Tuesday

Concepts: optimism

Places: Indianapolis

Characters: Gandalf

Myths: Santa Claus

animal: Willy

Only in the description or credits: Brotherhood 2.0

Also centred on giraffe: People Who Love Giraffes Who Love Giraffes (The Song) · Giraffe Sex: A Terrifying Introduction to Nature at Work (and Play) · How Giraffes Mate, and Why It Matters · Giraffes are Way More Complicated Than We Thought

Later videos replying to this one