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The Dangling Rope of Terror: It's Question Tuesday

2012-06-05 · Q&A · John · 3:24 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Nerdfighteria (also: Books & writing, Personal life, Everyday life) · mode: Q&A & conversation · tags: recurring series, on location

John answers a rapid-fire Question Tuesday from an airport and a New York hotel on his way to BookExpo America: the Katherines cover reveal, the Tennessee ban of Looking for Alaska, favorites, and why he will have no say in casting a Fault in Our Stars movie.

What is said

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

00:00:00 — In an airport on the way to BEA, nervous about speeches; Question Tuesday intro

  • ★★ John, in an airport, is going to BookExpo America (BEA), a big book conference, to give a bunch of speeches and is super nervous. — 00:00:05 · United States

00:00:13 — Questions: tacos, upside-down video, the Abundance of Katherines cover contest, Looking for Alaska banned in Tennessee

  • ★★★ Asked what happened to the An Abundance of Katherines cover contest, John says it is part of why he is going to New York: on Thursday (7 June 2012) he announces the winner and reveals the cover. — 00:00:31 · An Abundance of Katherines, New York City
  • ★★ Asked about Looking for Alaska being banned from several Tennessee high schools, John calls it bad: such bans used to make him really angry, now they just make him sad. — 00:00:40 · Looking for Alaska (novel)

00:00:47 — A rope dangles outside John's 39th-floor hotel window

  • ★★ From the 39th floor of his New York hotel John sees a rope dangling outside the window; not knowing if someone is on it, he is afraid for them and a bit for himself, and too nervous to approach the window. (playful) — 00:00:47 · New York City

00:01:03 — Rapid questions: Dancing with the Stars, Canada, puberty, eyesight story, favorites, sharks, pineapples or people

  • ★ John would not go on Dancing with the Stars: it combines reality television and dancing in front of people, two of his least favorite things. (playful) — 00:01:06
  • ★★ John would accept the US becoming more like Canada if that means longer, healthier lives, more employment and less sexual violence, but not putting a queen on the money. (playful, hedged) — 00:01:14 · United States, Canada
  • ★★ John says his eyesight is only a little better than his dad's: once, after losing his glasses in the ocean, their dad asked John to move some clothes that were actually Hank. (playful) — 00:01:32 · Mike Green, Hank Green
  • ★★ In a lightning round John names favorites: Behind the Beautiful Forevers (book of the year so far), Harvey (movie), the White Album, Charlie (YouTuber) and, this time, Macbeth over Hamlet. — 00:01:45
  • ★ John says his son's first word was "Hi". — 00:01:47 · Henry Green
  • ★ John confirms that the Yeti (his wife Sarah) is a nerdfighter. (playful) — 00:01:56 · Sarah Urist Green, Nerdfighteria
  • ★★ Asked the meaning of life, John answers in one word: helping. — 00:01:58 · meaning of life

00:02:25 — Casting nerdfighters in a Fault in Our Stars movie: John will have no say

  • ★★★ Asked whether he will cast nerdfighters in a Fault in Our Stars movie, John says if Fox makes it he will have exactly as much say in casting as viewers, and should not be trusted with it. — 00:02:27 · The Fault in Our Stars (film), Fox 2000 Pictures
  • ★★ John says if the movie is made casting will go as always: everyone is upset at the announcement, then sees the film and finds the actor perfect, as with Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss. (playful) — 00:02:47 · The Fault in Our Stars (film)

00:03:04 — Relationship advice: use your words; sign-off before a librarians speech; the rope again

  • ★★ Asked how to gently tell a boy you are not romantically interested in him, John offers his one piece of relationship advice: use your words. — 00:03:07

Humor (significant)

  • Weighing a more Canada-like US, John accepts longer lives and more jobs but balks at one detail. — 00:01:20

    “But, if you mean putting a Queen on our money? HELL NO!”

  • Explaining his poor eyesight, John recalls their nearly blind dad asking him to move some clothes. — 00:01:41

    “"Dad, that's Hank."”

  • Choosing between pineapples and people, John picks people as more attractive, then concedes pineapples are edible. — 00:02:20

    “I mean you can eat them in a pinch.”

  • John says he can't be trusted with casting because his sense of actors' ages is decades out of date. — 00:02:41

    “that charming, young, up and coming Hugh Grant for Augustus.”

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: The Fault in Our Stars (film)

Also: People: Charlie McDonnell · Drew Barrymore · Henry Green · Hugh Grant · Jennifer Lawrence · Jennifer Lopez · Mike Green · Sarah Urist Green · William Shakespeare

Works: An Abundance of Katherines · Behind the Beautiful Forevers · Dancing with the Stars · Hamlet (play) · Harvey (film) · Looking for Alaska (novel) · Macbeth · The Beatles (album)

Organizations: Fox 2000 Pictures · Tumblr

Groups: The Beatles

Rituals: Question Tuesday

Concepts: book censorship · meaning of life

Places: Canada · Indianapolis · New York City · Tennessee · United States

Events: BookExpo America

Characters: Augustus Waters · Hazel Grace Lancaster · Katniss Everdeen

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