Skip to content

Why Does Australia... (this video is bad, I'm sorry)

2019-09-20 · explainer · Hank · 3:47 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Pop culture (also: Internet & YouTube, Science & nature) · mode: Comedy & performance · tags: on location, community lore

From Melbourne, Hank redoes the vlogbrothers' Google-autocomplete bit on Twitter with 'why is Australia', answering tweets about Eurovision, why continents drift, slow movie releases and Australia's 'fairy' words, and discovers the children's franchise The Fairies.

What is said

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

00:00:00 — Greeting from Melbourne by the window; Tuesday corrected to Friday

  • ★★ Hank films from Melbourne, Australia, first saying it is Tuesday and then correcting himself: it is Friday. — 00:00:00 · Australia

00:00:27 — The autocomplete bit redone on Twitter: 'why is Australia', Eurovision, psych rock

  • ★★ Hank claims the vlogbrothers pioneered the Google-autocomplete video format, which everybody then stole, though he says he is not bitter. (playful) — 00:00:27 · Vlogbrothers
  • ★★ Hank says creativity is shared: everyone builds on what others did before, and without copying other people's work he could not even say words. — 00:00:37
  • ★★ Hank modifies the bit: he types 'why is Australia' into Twitter search and answers what comes up. (playful) — 00:00:45 · Twitter, Australia
  • ★ A tweet asks why Australia is performing, which Hank believes is about Eurovision; he wonders when Australia joined Europe and quips that Europe is just an idea. (playful, hedged) — 00:00:55 · Europe, Australia

00:01:15 — Why Australia is so far away: continents floating on the Earth's interior

  • ★★ Hank explains continents are less dense rock floating on the Earth's jelly-like interior; their movement is fairly random but extensively modelled. — 00:01:22 · Earth, Australia
  • ★ Hank says he is not a geologist, but geologists exist and viewers should ask one. (playful) — 00:01:45

00:01:51 — Slow movie releases (Hustlers) and Australia's fairy words, discovering The Fairies

  • ★★ Answering Gabby's tweet about slow Australian movie releases, Hank calls it ludicrous that in a global world content is still released by continent. — 00:01:55 · Australia
  • ★ Hank has heard that the film Hustlers is good. (hedged) — 00:02:03
  • ★★ Answering Sigrid's question about Australia's obsession with fairies, Hank lists fairy floss, fairy bread, fairy penguins, fairy lights, and 'the fairies', which he assumes are boats. (playful) — 00:02:15 · Australia

00:02:58 — The Fairies' marketing language, 'why is Hank Green', sign-off to edit his book by the Yarra

  • ★★ Hank discovers The Fairies, an Australian children's franchise, and mocks its YouTube description calling it both international and unique. (playful) — 00:02:58 · YouTube, Australia
  • ★ Hank searches 'why is Hank Green' and immediately takes it back. (joke) — 00:03:20 · Hank Green
  • ★★ Hank plans to watch The Fairies on YouTube and then maybe edit his book on the banks of the Yarra River. (hedged) — 00:03:30 · YouTube

In the description and comments

  • ★ The description says Hank is in Australia about to go to sleep and hopes this dumb video isn't terrible. — video description · Australia

Humor (dominant)

  • Hank says the vlogbrothers pioneered the autocomplete format and everybody stole it — 00:00:27

    “But anyway, I'm not bitter.”

  • A tweet asks why Australia is performing (at Eurovision) — 00:00:55

    “I'm not good at geography, but since when is Australia in Europe?”

  • Hank assumes 'the fairies' are ferries, then finds the children's franchise — 00:02:36

    “oh my god it's not a boat this is way better than psych rock”

  • Hank searches 'why is Hank Green' — 00:03:27

    “Why is Hank Green so...oh gosh. I take it back.”

Threads in this video

Mentioned

Central: Australia

Also: Works: Hustlers · The Fairies

Organizations: Twitter · YouTube

Concepts: continent · plate tectonics · psychedelic rock

Places: Earth · Europe · Melbourne · Yarra River

Events: Eurovision Song Contest

Products: Google Autocomplete

← Previous: 'end the stigma' · Next → I, Too, Dislike It