Nerd Olympics

2012-07-31 · letter vlog · John · 2:44 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Sports (also: Nerdfighteria) · mode: Comedy & performance · tags: timely hook, community lore, calendar ritual, civic or action cta

John jokingly lays out his dream of becoming an Olympian by building a US men's team handball team, celebrates Nerdfighter gymnast Jennifer Pinches doing the Nerdfighter sign, and announces Esther Day with an event in Quincy and a This Star Won't Go Out t-shirt contest.

What is said

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

00:00:00 — Part one: John's dream of being an Olympian at 34; Hiroshi Hoketsu at 71 shows age is no bar

• ★★ Watching the athletes enter at the opening ceremonies, John thought he should be an Olympian; he is 34 and, by his BMI, 1.6 pounds overweight. (playful) — 00:00:00
• ★★ John says Japanese equestrian Hiroshi Hoketsu is 71 and competing in the Olympics, though he first qualified in 1964. — 00:00:00

00:00:29 — Nerds can be Olympians: Jennifer Pinches does the Nerdfighter sign; the IOC copyright joke

• ★★★ John says there is at least one known Olympian Nerdfighter, British gymnast Jennifer Pinches, who did the Nerdfighter sign in front of the world after her floor exercise. — 00:00:29 · United Kingdom, nerdfighter

00:00:58 — The plan: a US men's team handball team good enough to qualify; congratulations to Pinches; the otter-or-muskrat binoculars aside

• ★★ John says men's team handball is the only big Olympic sport at which the US does not field a team. — 00:00:58 · United States
• ★★ John's plan: recruit passionate, washed-up basketball players, give them treadmill desks and build a US men's handball team just good enough to qualify; a movie would follow. (playful) — 00:00:58
• ★ John admits he lacks teammates, motivation and knowledge of how to qualify, and that the plan will probably never happen. (playful, hedged) — 00:01:34
• ★★ John congratulates Jennifer Pinches on being awesome and living her dream and says he is very proud of her. — 00:01:34
• ★ John has binoculars because a strange semi-aquatic mammal periodically appears outside his office; he is trying to tell whether it is an otter or a muskrat. (playful) — 00:01:34

00:02:03 — Part two: Esther Day on Friday, the family's event in Quincy, the This Star Won't Go Out t-shirt contest; sign-off

• ★★★ John announces that Friday is Esther Day, honoring Esther, who inspired much of The Fault in Our Stars and Nerdfighteria, by telling people we love that we love them. — 00:02:03 · Esther Day, Esther Earl, The Fault in Our Stars, Nerdfighteria
• ★★ Esther's family is holding an Esther Day event in Quincy, Massachusetts; John urges viewers to go (link in the description). — 00:02:03 · Esther Day, Esther Earl
• ★★ Viewers can enter a t-shirt design contest for This Star Won't Go Out, the organization Esther's family set up in her memory. — 00:02:03 · This Star Won't Go Out (charity), Esther Earl
• ★★ John loves Esther Day and is grateful to Esther for the gift of making people say 'I love you' to each other. — 00:02:32 · Esther Earl, Esther Day

Humor (significant)

• John can't show Jennifer Pinches's Nerdfighter sign because of IOC rules — 00:00:29

  “If you violate their copyright, they take your baby.”

• John's washed-up basketball players on treadmill desks would qualify for the Olympics and inspire a film — 00:01:34

  “It'd be like Cool Runnings meets Dodgeball.”

• John explains his binoculars: a strange semi-aquatic mammal keeps appearing outside his office — 00:02:03

  “I think it's possibly some kind of secret agent.”

Threads in this video

• first use · John's dream of becoming an Olympian by building a US men's team handball team, in 'Nerd Olympics' (2012) — John declares he wants to be an Olympian at 34 and, being unathletic, plans to qualify via a US men's team handball team. (00:00:00)
• update · John gets a treadmill desk and writes while walking (2012) — John notes that walking on his treadmill desk does not qualify him as an Olympian, later jumps up and down on it, and would give his handball players treadmill desks. (00:00:00)
• asked · John asks viewers to attend Esther's family's Esther Day event in Quincy, Massachusetts (2012) — John urges viewers to attend Esther's family's Esther Day event in Quincy, Massachusetts (link in the description). (00:02:03)
• asked · John invites viewers to enter the This Star Won't Go Out t-shirt design contest (2012) — John invites viewers to take part in a t-shirt design contest for This Star Won't Go Out. (00:02:03)
• reminder · John asks Nerdfighters to tell someone they love that they love them on Esther Day (2010) — John announces that Friday is Esther Day, honoring Esther, who inspired much of The Fault in Our Stars and Nerdfighteria, by telling people we love that we love them. (00:02:03)
• callback · The brothers' agreement never to use the L-word about each other (2010) — John loves Esther Day and is grateful to Esther for the gift of making people say 'I love you' to each other. (00:02:32)

Where the stories that moved here went next

• John invites viewers to enter the This Star Won't Go Out t-shirt design contest (2012) — reported back; last: result reported, 2012-09-25
• John gets a treadmill desk and writes while walking (2012) — followed over 3 videos (2012–2013); last: update, 2013-05-07

Mentioned

Central: Esther Day · Esther Earl · Jennifer Pinches

Also: People: Hiroshi Hoketsu

Works: Cool Runnings · Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story · The Fault in Our Stars

Organizations: International Olympic Committee · This Star Won't Go Out (charity)

Rituals: Nerdfighter gang sign

Terms: DFTBA · nerdfighter

Concepts: Body mass index · handball

Places: Quincy, Massachusetts · United Kingdom · United States

Events: Olympic Games

Products: treadmill desk

Later videos replying to this one

• 2012-08-03 · I Don't Understand My Life (Hank) — continues — “John, when I watched your last video, the top comment had 93 thumbs up.” (00:00:35)