The Island of Nerdfighteria?
2009-08-11 · Q&A · John · 3:19 · watch on YouTube
Topic: Nerdfighteria (also: Global development) · mode: Q&A & conversation · tags: community lore, fundraising ask, civic or action cta, self promotion
John marks 100,000 subscribers by answering Nerdfighters' thank-you suggestions: he promises another Tour de Nerdfighting, announces a UK edition of Paper Towns from Bloomsbury, and pledges with Willy $1,000 to a charity viewers choose.
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; 100,000 subscribers put in context: $100 each would buy a private island to make Nerdfighteria a country
- ★★ John says the brothers have 100,000 subscribers. — 00:00:00 · Vlogbrothers
- ★ John jokes that if each subscriber gave the brothers $100 they could buy a private island and make Nerdfighteria a real country. (joke, hedged) — 00:00:00 · Nerdfighteria
00:00:32 — Viewers' thank-you suggestions answered: Hank/Natalie hip-hop collab, another tour, iPods, Paper Towns in the UK, childhood Ice Ice Baby dance, 'I love unicorns', show the Yeti
- ★★ Having asked in his last video what the brothers could get Nerdfighters as thanks, John reads out some of their real suggestions. — 00:00:32 · Nerdfighteria
- ★★ Answering a suggestion, John enthusiastically urges Hank and Nerdfighters to make an online hip-hop collaboration between Hank and Natalie from Community Channel happen. (playful) — 00:00:32
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★★★ John promises the brothers will do another Tour de Nerdfighting, though planning, logistics and money mean it may be a while. — 00:00:32 · Tour de Nerdfighting
“I promise that we will do another tour to Nerdfighting”
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★★ Rejecting an iPod for every subscriber, John says most probably already have one and it would cost about $10 million. (playful, hedged) — 00:01:01
- ★★★ John announces that Paper Towns will be published in the United Kingdom by Bloomsbury, and thanks Bloomsbury. — 00:01:01 · Paper Towns, United Kingdom
- ★★ John says he is going to do his level best to be in the UK in May of next year (2010). (hedged) — 00:01:01 · United Kingdom
- ★★ John recalls the brothers may already have a choreographed dance to Vanilla Ice's 'Ice Ice Baby' from childhood, and maybe one to R.E.M.'s 'Stand', and hopes they stay unseen. (playful, hedged) — 00:01:01
- ★★ John catches a viewer's attempt to trick him into saying he loves unicorns and declares that he hates unicorns. (playful) — 00:01:39
- ★★ Asked again to show the Yeti after three years, John says he cannot, because her cuteness would break viewers' computers. (playful) — 00:01:39 · Sarah Urist Green
00:02:28 — End of the Yeti aside (Infinite Jest joke); $1,000 from John and Willy to the charity Nerdfighteria chooses; fitness challenge training; sign-off with Willy
- ★★★ John says he and Willy will give $1,000 to the charity of Nerdfighteria's choice. — 00:02:28 · Willy, Nerdfighteria
- ★★★ John asks Nerdfighters to leave a comment naming the charity they want him and Willy to give money to. — 00:02:28 · Willy
- ★ John is off to a personal training session so he can beat Hank in the coming fitness challenges. (playful) — 00:02:28
Humor (significant)
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John puts 100,000 subscribers in context: if each gave $100… — 00:00:00
“we could potentially buy a private island in the ocean and make Nerdfighteria a real country.”
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A viewer tries to trick John into saying 'I love unicorns'; he catches himself mid-word. — 00:01:39
“there could be a million unicorn lovers in Nerdfighteria, and still, I would say, I hate unicorns!”
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Viewers demand a picture of the Yeti after three years; John explains why he can't. — 00:01:39
“Because if I do, the cute will break your computers”
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John says a Yeti picture's cuteness would break viewers' computers, then compares it to the lethal film in Infinite Jest. — 00:02:28
“pictures of the Yeti are more damaging than the entertainment”
Threads in this video
- first use · The island of Nerdfighteria: subscribers buying the brothers a private island (2009) — John jokes that 100,000 subscribers giving $100 each could buy a private island and make Nerdfighteria a real country. (00:00:00)
- result reported · John asks Nerdfighters what they want for the 100,000-subscriber milestone (2009) — John reads out Nerdfighters' real suggestions for what the brothers could get them to say thanks for 100,000 subscribers. (00:00:32) → refers to HipPOTATOmus
- asked · John urges Hank and Nerdfighters to make a Hank and Natalie (Community Channel) hip-hop collaboration happen (2009) — John urges Hank and Nerdfighters to make an online hip-hop collaboration between Hank and Natalie from Community Channel happen. (00:00:32)
- promised · John: the brothers will do another Tour de Nerdfighting (2009) — John promises the brothers will do another Tour de Nerdfighting, though it may be a while. (00:00:32)
- callback · The island of Nerdfighteria: subscribers buying the brothers a private island (2009) — Turning down iPods for every subscriber, John says with $10 million he would buy an island. (00:01:01)
- result reported · Hank asks UK Nerdfighters to email a campaign address so Paper Towns gets a UK publisher (2008) — John announces that Paper Towns will be published in the United Kingdom by Bloomsbury. (00:01:01)
- promised · John: do his level best to be in the UK in May 2010 (2009) — John says he is going to do his level best to be in the UK in May of next year (2010). (00:01:01)
- told · The brothers' childhood choreographed dances to Ice Ice Baby and Stand — John recalls the brothers' childhood choreographed dance to Ice Ice Baby (Hank about six, John about nine), and maybe one to R.E.M.'s Stand. (00:01:01)
- callback · John's wife Sarah as 'the Yeti' (2007) — Asked again to show the Yeti, John says he has explained before that he cannot: her cuteness would break viewers' computers. (00:01:39)
- promised · John (with Willy): give $1,000 to the charity Nerdfighters choose (2009) — John says he and Willy will give $1,000 to the charity Nerdfighteria chooses. (00:02:28)
- asked · John asks Nerdfighters to comment with a charity for his and Willy's $1,000 (2009) — John asks Nerdfighters to leave a comment naming the charity for the $1,000. (00:02:28)
- milestone · Paper Towns: UK publication (2008) — John announces that Paper Towns will be published in the United Kingdom by Bloomsbury, and thanks Bloomsbury. (00:01:01)
Where the stories that moved here went next
- John asks Nerdfighters what they want for the 100,000-subscriber milestone (2009) — reported back; last: result reported, 2009-08-12
- Hank asks UK Nerdfighters to email a campaign address so Paper Towns gets a UK publisher (2008) — reported back; last: result reported, 2010-06-11
- The island of Nerdfighteria: subscribers buying the brothers a private island (2009) — running joke (last seen 2009); last: callback, 2009-12-20
- John: the brothers will do another Tour de Nerdfighting (2009) — kept
- John (with Willy): give $1,000 to the charity Nerdfighters choose (2009) — open (no report in 2009–2026); last: promised, 2009-08-11
- John: do his level best to be in the UK in May 2010 (2009) — open (no report in 2009–2026); last: promised, 2009-08-11
- Paper Towns: UK publication (2008) — completed; last: outcome, 2010-06-11
- The brothers' childhood choreographed dances to Ice Ice Baby and Stand — told 2×; last: retold, 2011-06-06
Mentioned
Central: Paper Towns · Tour de Nerdfighting
Also: People: David Foster Wallace · Natalie Tran · Sarah Urist Green
Projects: Nerdfighter Fitness Challenge
Works: Ice Ice Baby · Infinite Jest · Stand
Places: United Kingdom
Products: iPod
Myths: unicorn
animal: Willy
Only in the description or credits: Bloomsbury Publishing · R.E.M. · Vanilla Ice
Replies to
- continues · HipPOTATOmus — “in my last video, I asked them what we could get them to say thanks”
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