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The years start coming and they don't stop coming!

2020-05-08 · letter vlog · Hank · 3:58 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Personal life · mode: Personal update · tags: calendar ritual, song or performance, self promotion, community lore

Thanking everyone for his 40th birthday, Hank lists what made it great, from performing an eight-year-old's viral butthole song and the All Star sing-a-ma-jigs to finishing his book's last edits and Katherine's and Orin's gifts, and says doing things for each other is the real stuff.

What is said

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

00:00:00 — Turning 40 by claiming 40 since 38; a great birthday in isolation and thanks to John and the community

  • ★★ Hank says he is old now, and got okay with it by saying he was 40 since turning 38, so turning 40 brought no negative aging moment. (playful) — 00:00:00
  • ★★ Hank says he had a wonderful 40th birthday in isolation with his family, and thanks John and the community for being the online community he has long practice finding. — 00:00:29 · John Green, Nerdfighteria

00:00:58 — Thing one: Hank sings an eight-year-old's viral song 'I wonder what's inside your butthole'

  • ★★ Hank plays a song on Vlogbrothers, which he has not done in a long time: 'I wonder what's inside your butthole'. — 00:00:58
  • ★★ Hank says he did not write the song: an eight-year-old child wrote it and went viral on Twitter; he only added a beginning and an end. — 00:01:29 · Twitter

00:01:58 — Things two to eight: son sleeps in, All Star mashup and sing-a-ma-jigs, carded at 40, the None Pizza shirt, last book edits, Katherine

  • ★ Hank's son slept in and greeted him with 'happy birthday, daddy' instead of his usual demand for waffles. — 00:01:58 · Orin Green
  • ★ Hank's parents-in-law watched the Nerdfighter-made All Star mashup of Vlogbrothers clips, their first exposure to Smash Mouth's All Star. — 00:01:58 · Nerdfighteria, Vlogbrothers
  • ★★ Hank says finding the original All Star sing-a-ma-jig is amazing, but making a Smash Mouth sing-a-ma-jig is next level. — 00:02:27
  • ★ Hank was carded at the grocery store on his 40th birthday, then realised his young-looking forehead made it less impressive. (playful) — 00:02:27
  • ★★ Hank says the None Pizza with Left Hank shirt has almost outsold None Pizza with Left John and is on sale for about two more days; waking up to it was cool. (hedged) — 00:02:27
  • ★★★ Hank has finished his last edits to his book and sent them in; it is officially 60 days, two months, from publication. — 00:03:04 · A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor
  • ★★ Hank says Katherine did something so nice it made his year; he keeps the details to himself. — 00:03:04 · Katherine Green

00:03:26 — Orin's rock sculpture and spiral card; thanks for doing things for each other, the real stuff; sign-off

  • ★★ Orin made Hank a rock sculpture of a ladybug on a leaf and a card with a spiral, which Hank thinks John would appreciate. — 00:03:26 · Orin Green, John Green
  • ★★★ Hank thanks John for doing things for him and everyone for doing things for each other: that is the real stuff. — 00:03:26 · John Green, Nerdfighteria

In the description and comments

  • ★★★ The description says the birthday drove home that the things Hank feels best about are the times he gave his time, skill and money to other people. — video description

Humor (significant)

  • Hank explains how he became okay with turning 40. — 00:00:00

    “Here's what I did. I lied about my age.”

  • Hank performs the eight-year-old's viral song with full sincerity. — 00:01:29

    “Oh, maybe it is dinosaurs and maybe it is monster trucks all inside your butthole.”

  • Carded at the grocery store on his 40th birthday, Hank reconsiders the compliment. — 00:02:27

    “I haven't aged a lot in the forehead.”

  • Hank declines to explain Katherine's gift at length. — 00:03:26

    “I don't have time. I had to sing a whole butthole song.”

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: I Wonder What's Inside Your Butthole · kindness

Also: People: Katherine Green · Orin Green

Works: A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor · All Star · None Pizza with Left Hank shirt · None Pizza with Left John shirt

Organizations: Twitter

Groups: Smash Mouth

Concepts: Internet

Products: Singamajigs

Also centred on kindness: Kindness · The New Zealand Five Cent Coin

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