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Headless Statues and Elton John's Piano: Seeing Sights in London (Thoughts from Places)

2013-02-05 · documentary visit · John · 3:55 · watch on YouTube

Topic: History & curiosities (also: Books & writing, Personal life, Philosophy & meaning) · mode: Documentary visit · tags: on location, recurring series, guest or collab

John narrates his first 24 hours in London - a BBC interview, Penguin, the British Museum's headless statues and a photograph he mistook for an object, a walk with Hank, Katherine and CGP Grey - and says he cannot decide whether sights need seeing or virtual experience is now enough.

What is said

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

00:00:00 — Arrival in London: weather, BBC radio interview and Elton John's piano, hotel, Penguin gift bag, Penguin offices' TFIOS display, the Guardian

  • ★ John landed in London early in the morning, not even sure what day it was; it rained, then the sun came out six minutes later. (playful) — 00:00:00 · London
  • ★★ John did a radio interview at the BBC, where they let him play Elton John's actual piano. — 00:00:00
  • ★ At his hotel John found a gift bag from Penguin with warm English beer, Marmite and a signed Steven Gerrard jersey. (playful) — 00:00:00 · Penguin Books
  • ★★ John visited the Penguin offices, which have a 'very schmancy' display for The Fault in Our Stars and a view Churchill once had in WWII, then the Guardian. — 00:00:29 · Penguin Books, The Fault in Our Stars
  • ★★ Too early to sleep, John went to the British Museum with Tanya and Jody. (playful) — 00:00:29

00:00:58 — British Museum: Rosetta Stone, headless statues and YA covers, and an object that turns out to be a photograph of a loaned piece

  • ★★ John says the Rosetta Stone's trilingual declaration helped decode hieroglyphics. — 00:00:58
  • ★★★ After studying an object for a long time, John read its label: the piece was on loan to the Royal Ontario Museum, so he had been looking at a well-made photograph of it. — 00:01:27
  • ★★★ John says the photograph illusion calls into question the relevance of looking at actual things when virtual experiences are so compelling. — 00:01:56
  • ★★ John met up with Hank, Katherine and CGP Grey, who took them to a crypt that is also a cafe. — 00:01:56 · Hank Green, Katherine Green

00:02:26 — Walk with Hank, Katherine and CGP Grey: crypt cafe, London Eye refusal, Tate Modern, Globe, Winchester Palace, pub

  • ★ John jokes, from a sign, that you can urinate in public in England for only 500 pounds. (playful) — 00:02:26 · England
  • ★★ John refuses ever to ride the London Eye, even when a Nerdfighter who works there begs him to. (playful) — 00:02:26 · London
  • ★★ The group walked past the Tate Modern, the Globe and Winchester Palace to a pub, where Hank said that even after six years it is impossible to act natural on camera. — 00:02:55 · Hank Green

00:03:24 — Tower Bridge at dusk: do sights need seeing, or is virtual experience enough? John can't decide; sign-off

  • ★★ John found his book in a bookshop (which book is not said), and the walk ended at London City Hall and a view of Tower Bridge. — 00:03:24 · London
  • ★★★ John wonders how different Tower Bridge really is from a photograph; after 30 hours awake he can't decide whether sights need seeing or virtual experience is enough. (unsure) — 00:03:24
  • ★★ John says he made this video as a virtual experience for viewers and asks them to let him know how real it feels. — 00:03:24

Humor (significant)

  • At the BBC John is allowed to play Elton John's actual piano. — 00:00:00

    “God, I'm good at piano.”

  • In the British Museum John sees statue after statue of decapitated women. — 00:00:58

    “which I guess is where YA book publishers got the idea for the headless girl cover trend.”

  • Crossing a bridge, the group reads a sign about public urination fines. — 00:02:26

    “you can urinate in public in England for only 500 pounds.”

  • The group passes the London Eye. — 00:02:26

    “no, never, no, not as long as I live.”

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: London

Also: People: CGP Grey · Elton John · Katherine Green · Steven Gerrard · Winston Churchill

Works: Rosetta Stone · The Fault in Our Stars

Organizations: BBC · British Museum · Penguin Books · Royal Ontario Museum · Tate Modern · The Guardian

Concepts: digital dualism

Places: Amsterdam · City Hall, London · England · London Eye · Palace of Westminster · Shakespeare's Globe · Somerset House · Toronto · Tower Bridge · Winchester Palace

Events: World War II

Products: Marmite

Only in the description or credits: Thoughts from Places

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