Cute OVERLOAD: The Ultimate Concern Edition
2010-03-15 · letter vlog · John · 3:13 · watch on YouTube
Topic: Philosophy & meaning (also: Personal life) · mode: Personal essay · tags: guest or collab, self promotion
John, with seven-week-old Henry, says parenthood made him weirdly insular, then sets the week's theme: do you have an 'ultimate concern' (what you would die or kill for), what is it, and should you?
What is said
The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).
00:00:00 — Henry on camera: bite my finger, space pajamas, 'Vlog Adorable Baby'
00:00:32 — Seven weeks with a newborn: babies are self-centered (robot need filler), but John doesn't care; poopy time
- ★★ John has now spent seven weeks with newborn Henry and jokes that this makes him something of an expert on babies. (playful, hedged) — 00:00:32 · Henry Green
- ★★ John says babies, though adorable, are a tiny bit self-centered: infants cannot apprehend that other people also have needs. (playful) — 00:00:39 · Henry Green
- ★★★ John says he doesn't mind Henry's self-centeredness: something weird, base and nurturing happened to him at Henry's birth that makes him want to change diapers. — 00:01:09 · Henry Green
00:01:36 — Parenthood is insular; John forgot to mention Will Grayson, Will Grayson, out in about 25 days, pre-order
- ★★★ John says being a parent turns you weirdly insular, caring mainly about your kid's needs, which is why he forgot to mention his upcoming book. — 00:01:36
- ★★ John's book Will Grayson, Will Grayson comes out in about 25 days and is available for pre-order, which John announces in Henry's voice. (playful) — 00:01:42 · Will Grayson, Will Grayson, Henry Green
00:01:52 — Ultimate concern defined; the week's theme and John's non-rhetorical questions
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★★★ John introduces 'ultimate concern', a phrase from the study of religion: the thing or value you prize above all others, would die for or kill for. — 00:01:52
“Your ultimate concern is the thing or value that you prize above all others”
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★ John says it is easy to go through life without an ultimate concern; he doesn't think Henry has one, being still in the business of self-preservation. (hedged) — 00:02:01 · Henry Green
- ★★★ John makes ultimate concern the week's theme, asking Hank and Nerdfighters whether they have one, what it is, and whether they should have one. — 00:02:09 · Nerdfighteria
- ★★★ John's ultimate concern right now certainly involves making sure Henry is happy and healthy, but he doesn't know whether it should be limited to that. (hedged) — 00:02:15 · Henry Green
- ★★ John asks whether an ultimate concern should be limited to family, extend to politics, community, nation or species, weigh other species equally, or yield to self-preservation. (unsure) — 00:02:24
00:02:49 — Henry sighs; Willy; Henry's favorite rap songs
In the description and comments
- ★ John's description says he has a new camcorder and thanks a viewer for helping him get the video up. — video description
Humor (significant)
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Henry is better lit than John and is stealing his light. — 00:00:26
“this YouTube channel is called 'vlogbrothers' not 'vlog-adorable-baby'”
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Henry treats John not as a person but as a kind of machine; John plays the part. — 00:01:02
“I am your robot-need-filler. What are your needs? Do you need to be nomed?”
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There is always a nanosecond between the old and new diaper when the bottom is diaperless. — 00:01:32
“and to Henry, that moment is known as poopy-time”
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John lists Henry's favorite rap songs as baby versions of hip-hop titles. — 00:03:02
“dad's down with opp' you know, other peoples poop”
Threads in this video
- update · John's camcorder stops working (2009) — John's description says this video was made with his new camcorder. (video description)
- update · John and Sarah (the Yeti) are expecting a baby (2009) — John reports he has now spent seven weeks with newborn Henry. (00:00:32)
- asked · John asks viewers to pre-order Will Grayson, Will Grayson (2010) — Speaking as Henry, John tells viewers Will Grayson, Will Grayson is available for pre-order, with a link in the description. (00:01:46)
- asked · John asks Hank and Nerdfighters whether they have an ultimate concern, what it is, and whether they should (2010) — John sets the week's theme, asking Hank and Nerdfighters whether they have an ultimate concern, what it is, and whether they should. (00:02:09)
Where the stories that moved here went next
- John asks viewers to pre-order Will Grayson, Will Grayson (2010) — promotion (not a request); last: reminder, 2010-04-02
- John asks Hank and Nerdfighters whether they have an ultimate concern, what it is, and whether they should (2010) — reported back; last: result reported, 2010-03-19
- John and Sarah (the Yeti) are expecting a baby (2009) — told 2×, last update 2011; last: retold, 2011-04-29
- John's camcorder stops working (2009) — told 2×, last update 2024; last: retold, 2024-10-11
Mentioned
Central: Henry Green · ultimate concern
Also: doobly-doo · No Sleep till Brooklyn (“no sleep 'till burpin'”) · O.P.P. (“who's down with opp? dad's down with opp”) · Will Grayson, Will Grayson · Willy
Only in the description or credits: David Levithan
Also centred on ultimate concern: Side-Boob is Not my Ultimate Concern · Foreign John Green Books and the Ultimate Concern
Later videos replying to this one
- 2010-03-17 · Side-Boob is Not my Ultimate Concern (Hank) — answers (result on John asks Hank and Nerdfighters whether they have an ultimate concern, what it is, and whether they should (2010)) — Hank answers John's question: after listing five things he'd die for, he says he doesn't know what his ultimate concern is. (00:02:11)