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Robert Pattinson and DJ Railstone

2009-08-06 (said on 2009-08-05 — implied: date said in the video; uploaded 1 day later) · letter vlog · John · 3:31 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Nerdfighteria (also: Internet & YouTube, Pop culture) · mode: Personal essay · tags: community lore, civic or action cta

John argues that most of Robert Pattinson's beauty is collectively constructed, and describes DJ Paige Railstone, a person Nerdfighters invented to see how real a made-up person can become, since all identities are partly made up by others.

What is said

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

00:00:00 — Robert Pattinson's beauty is mostly collectively constructed

  • ★★★ John argues that while some of Robert Pattinson's beauty is natural good looks, most of it is something we have collectively constructed. — 00:00:00 · social construction

00:00:40 — 20Q at 20q.net: Holden Caulfield guessed as Flava Flav; Paige Harwood's idea to invent a person

  • ★★ John says listening to an interview with Pattinson made him want him to shut up because it was ruining the image. (playful) — 00:00:40
  • ★★ John says Nerdfighters have been playing a lot of 20Q at 20q.net, a site whose AI guesses the person you are thinking of from 20 questions. — 00:00:40 · Nerdfighteria
  • ★ A Nerdfighter emailed that 20Q guessed Flava Flav for Holden Caulfield; John jokes that the two have a lot in common. (playful) — 00:00:40
  • ★ Nerdfighters taught 20q.net about Hank. — 00:01:08 · Nerdfighteria
  • ★★ A Nerdfighter named Paige emailed suggesting Nerdfighters make someone up and convince 20q.net's AI that the person is real. — 00:01:08 · DJ Paige Railstone

00:01:49 — Inventing DJ Paige Railstone; made up does not mean not real; we all make each other up

  • ★★ John, author of Paper Towns, says he is a little obsessed with how fictional things can become real, so he liked Paige's idea. — 00:01:49 · Paper Towns, DJ Paige Railstone
  • ★★★ John and other Nerdfighters, in a BlogTV room, invented DJ Paige Railstone's identity, history and career; Alan made a website, Karen Kavett photos, plus Twitter and Facebook pages. — 00:01:49 · DJ Paige Railstone, Alan Lastufka, Twitter, Facebook
  • ★★ Within two days, typing 'Paige' into Google gave Paige Railstone as the first suggestion. — 00:01:49 · DJ Paige Railstone, Google
  • ★★★ Asked whether Paige Railstone is real, John says they made her up but that does not mean she is not real, because we also made up Rob Pattinson. — 00:02:18 · DJ Paige Railstone
  • ★★★ John argues that since our identities depend on how others imagine us, we are all making each other and ourselves up all the time. — 00:02:18 · social construction
  • ★ The 20Q database is not yet convinced Paige Railstone is real, but John would not put it past the Nerdfighters. — 00:02:18 · DJ Paige Railstone

00:02:47 — The point of Paige Railstone; send her music and art; sign-off to Hank and 'Bobby Pattinson'

  • ★★★ John says the point is to find out how real made-up people can become and to remind us we are not innocent bystanders in celebrity: Pattinson has us to thank and blame for his beauty. — 00:02:47 · DJ Paige Railstone, celebrity
  • ★★ John invites anyone interested to learn about Paige Railstone in the sidebar and email original music, fan art or album art to djrailstone at gmail dot com. — 00:02:47 · DJ Paige Railstone

Humor (significant)

  • Explaining Robert Pattinson to Hank, John admires the actor's hair. — 00:00:00

    “he made puff cool again, so he's kind of my hero.”

  • Listening to an interview with Robert Pattinson spoils John's image of him. — 00:00:40

    “I was like, dude, shut up. You're ruining it.”

  • John imagines the 20Q questions that could confuse Flava Flav with Holden Caulfield. — 00:01:08

    “Do you wear an accessory that is meant to be cool but actually just exposes your insecurity? Yes!”

  • John closes by telling 'Bobby Pattinson' he may be nothing but constructions made up by the people who love him. — 00:03:15

    “but you're still real in my heart.”

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: DJ Paige Railstone · Robert Pattinson · social construction

Also: People: Flava Flav

Works: Paper Towns · Twilight (film)

Organizations: 20Q · BlogTV · Facebook · Google · Twitter

Terms: the Puff

Concepts: celebrity

Characters: Edward Cullen · Holden Caulfield

Only in the description or credits: Alan Lastufka · Karen Kavett · Paige

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