Awesome Project Is Awesome

2009-12-20 · letter vlog · John · 3:41 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Global development (also: Nerdfighteria, Personal life) · mode: Announcements · tags: calendar ritual, fundraising ask, civic or action cta, community lore

John reports the 2009 Project for Awesome as the best yet (over 2,000 videos, over a million comments, #P4A trending above Avatar), thanks hosts, video makers and Hank, explains 'French the llama', and asks viewers what the channel should do more and less of as it reinvents itself for the new year.

What is said

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

00:00:00 — Date ('French the llama'); John's baby due in exactly one month; wedgie questions for Sarah

• ★★ John says he is scheduled to have a baby in exactly one month, correcting as last time that Sarah will have it while he annoys her. (playful) — 00:00:00 · Sarah Urist Green

00:00:27 — Part one: P4A 2009 results (trending above Avatar, 2,000+ videos, a million comments, three combined years), shoulder injury, thanks to hosts, logo designer and video makers; donations, FirstGiving and eBay auctions

• ★★★ John says the 2009 Project for Awesome was the awesomest ever, putting three years worth of awesome into 48 hours. (playful) — 00:00:27 · Project for Awesome
• ★★ John says #P4A trended above the movie Avatar for most of the P4A; Avatar cost $250 million to make, the P4A zero dollars. (playful) — 00:00:27 · Project for Awesome
• ★★★ John says there were more than 2,000 Project for Awesome videos this year (2009) and participants commented on them more than a million times. — 00:00:27 · Project for Awesome
• ★★ John says, not as a joke, that he commented so much during the 48 hours that he hurt his left shoulder. — 00:00:56
• ★★ John says the thousands following the livestream show spent a combined three years rating, favoriting and commenting during the 48 hours. — 00:00:56 · Project for Awesome
• ★★ John thanks the livestream hosts, from Maureen Johnson and Natalie Tran to several Five Awesome Girls, Liz, Karen Kavett and Alan of Fall of Autumn Distro, and the 2009 logo designer. — 00:01:22 · Maureen Johnson, Alan Lastufka
• ★★ John thanks everyone who rated, commented and favorited, and above all everyone who made a video, from big YouTubers like Lisa Nova, Shay Carl and Kassem G to people with under 100 subscribers. — 00:01:22
• ★ John says this year (2009) brought more comments and ratings on more P4A videos than ever, and next year (2010) 'we're gonna do even better'. — 00:01:51 · Project for Awesome
• ★★★ Having brought attention to organizations that decrease world suck, John hopes viewers will join him in donating to some favourites; he is still choosing where his $1,000 goes. (hedged) — 00:01:51 · world suck
• ★★ John reminds viewers they can give his baby a present at the johnsbabyhatesmalaria FirstGiving page. — 00:01:51
• ★★ John says several P4A items are still auctioned on eBay, including a nerdfighter's bobblehead of John benefiting charity: water; links are in the doobly-doo. — 00:01:51 · John Green bobblehead, doobly-doo, Project for Awesome

00:02:21 — Explaining 'French the llama' (FTL); thanks to Hank for inventing the P4A

• ★★★ John explains 'French the llama': he kept seeing 'world suck FTL' in comments; FTL means 'for the lose', but a nerdfighter told him it means 'French the llama'. (playful) — 00:02:21 · French the llama, For the lose, world suck
• ★★ John thinks 'French the llama' should be an exclamation of amazement. (playful, hedged) — 00:02:21 · French the llama
• ★★ John thanks Hank for inventing the idea of the Project for Awesome and for all the work he did to make it happen. — 00:02:21 · Hank Green, Project for Awesome

00:03:04 — Part two: the channel reinvents itself at year end; what should there be more and less of; sign-off

• ★★★ John says the Vlogbrothers channel traditionally reinvents itself at the end of each year, and will do so again this year (2009) with viewers' help. — 00:03:04 · Vlogbrothers, Nerdfighteria
• ★★★ John asks what viewers want more and less of (an island? more projects, news, funny, interaction? pants?) and says they take comments seriously and always read them. — 00:03:04 · Nerdfighteria

In the description and comments

• ★★ The description lists P4A auctions (bobbleheads for Malaria No More and charity: water; So Jokes cover and disc art for the Nature Conservancy) and says Fall of Autumn Distro matches donations to Save the Music. — video description · John Green bobblehead, Project for Awesome
• ★★ Meekakitty will give to Heifer International if she wins the Lashes to Riches contest; John asks viewers to vote for her by commenting and rating her video. — video description
• ★★ John asks viewers to search "Project for Awesome" on YouTube to find great nonprofit organizations and donate their time and money this holiday season. — video description · Project for Awesome
• ★ John credits WheezyWaiter with inventing the "dooblydoo", like so much else that is good and beautiful. (playful) — video description · doobly-doo, Craig Benzine

Humor (significant)

• John imagines annoying Sarah in labour with questions. — 00:00:00

  “Is it like a wedgie? Well, but is it like a worse version of a wedgie?”

• John proposes 'French the llama' as an exclamation of amazement and gives an example. — 00:02:21

  “French the llama the square root of negative one is a letter?”

• John admits he is no expert at internet memes. — 00:02:21

  “Or meemees. Moomoos?”

• John assures viewers the brothers take comments seriously and always read them. — 00:03:33

  “Well, I mean, except during the project for Awesome.”

Threads in this video

• update · John and Sarah (the Yeti) are expecting a baby (2009) — John says the baby is due in exactly one month (Sarah will have it; he'll be there annoying her). (00:00:00) → refers to THE 2009 PROJECT FOR AWESOME!!!
• outcome · P4A 2009 edition — John reports P4A 2009 as the best ever: #P4A trending above Avatar, over 2,000 videos, over a million comments, three combined years of participation. (00:00:27)
• result reported · John asks Nerdfighters to make P4A 2009 videos for their favorite charities (2009) — John reports more than 2,000 Project for Awesome videos this year (2009). (00:00:27)
• result reported · John asks Nerdfighters to spend the P4A 2009 days commenting, rating and favoriting videos via the live show (2009) — John reports more than a million comments and a combined three years of rating, favoriting and commenting by livestream followers. (00:00:27)
• thanks · John asks Nerdfighters to spend the P4A 2009 days commenting, rating and favoriting videos via the live show (2009) — John thanks everybody who rated, commented and favorited to bring charity videos to a new audience. (00:01:22)
• thanks · John asks Nerdfighters to make P4A 2009 videos for their favorite charities (2009) — John thanks everybody who made a P4A video, big YouTubers and small channels alike. (00:01:22)
• asked · John asks viewers to join him in donating to favourite P4A 2009 charities (2009) — John hopes viewers will join him in donating to some favourite P4A charities. (00:01:51)
• reminder · John asks viewers to donate to Malaria No More on behalf of his unborn baby via FirstGiving (P4A 2009) — John reminds viewers they can give his baby a present at the johnsbabyhatesmalaria FirstGiving page. (00:01:51)
• first use · 'French the llama': John's misreading of FTL as an exclamation of amazement (2009) — John explains 'French the llama': a nerdfighter told him the 'FTL' in 'world suck FTL' means 'French the llama' (really 'for the lose'); he wants it as an exclamation of amazement. (00:02:21)
• proposed · Vlogbrothers in 2010: the channel's end-of-year reinvention (2009) — John says the channel traditionally reinvents itself at the end of each year and will do so again, with viewers' help. (00:03:04)
• asked · John asks Nerdfighters what they want more and less of in the vlogbrothers for 2010 (2009) — John asks Nerdfighteria in comments what they want more and less of: an island, more projects, news, funny, interaction, pants? (00:03:04)
• callback · The island of Nerdfighteria: subscribers buying the brothers a private island (2009) — Among options for the channel's reinvention John asks: should we buy an island? (00:03:04)
• reminder · John asks Nerdfighters to vote daily for a Nerdfighter's eyelash-contest entry to fund a Heifer ark (2009) — Meekakitty will give to Heifer International if she wins the Lashes to Riches contest; John asks viewers to vote for her by commenting and rating her video. (video description)
• milestone · John Green bobblehead: John's birthday present, sold to Nerdfighters (2009) — John says several P4A items are still auctioned on eBay, including a nerdfighter's bobblehead of John benefiting charity: water; links are in the doobly-doo. (00:01:51)

Where the stories that moved here went next

• John asks Nerdfighters to make P4A 2009 videos for their favorite charities (2009) — reported back; last: thanks, 2009-12-20
• John asks Nerdfighters to spend the P4A 2009 days commenting, rating and favoriting videos via the live show (2009) — reported back; last: thanks, 2009-12-20
• 'French the llama': John's misreading of FTL as an exclamation of amazement (2009) — running joke (last seen 2022); last: callback, 2022-10-14
• John Green bobblehead: John's birthday present, sold to Nerdfighters (2009) — completed; last: looked back, 2016-08-26
• Vlogbrothers in 2010: the channel's end-of-year reinvention (2009) — past edition (2010); last: milestone, 2010-01-20
• John and Sarah (the Yeti) are expecting a baby (2009) — told 2×, last update 2011; last: retold, 2011-04-29

Mentioned

Central: Project for Awesome

Also: People: Sarah Urist Green

Works: Avatar · John Green bobblehead

Organizations: charity: water · eBay · Fall of Autumn Distro · FirstGiving

Terms: doobly-doo · French the llama · world suck

Memes: For the lose

Only in the description or credits: Alan Lastufka · Craig Benzine · Five Awesome Girls · Heifer International · Karen Kavett · Kassem G · Lashes to Riches contest · Lisa Donovan · Malaria No More · Maureen Johnson · Meekakitty · Natalie Tran · Save The Music Foundation · Shay Carl · So Jokes · The Nature Conservancy

Replies to

• continues · THE 2009 PROJECT FOR AWESOME!!! — “as I said last time, I'm not gonna have it. Sarah's gonna have it.”

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