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What is Pizzamas? ...and a New Friend

2021-10-15 · letter vlog · Hank · 3:57 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Nerdfighteria (also: Projects, Personal life) · mode: Personal essay · tags: calendar ritual, self promotion, community lore

On the last day of Pizzamas 2021, Hank reflects that Pizzamas, Vlogbrothers and Nerdfighteria are off the well-trod paths and don't fit defined boxes, which he loves, says making videos never feels like work, offers a five-cent Nickelback coupon, and introduces his still-unnamed new kitten.

What is said

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

00:00:00 — Final day of Pizzamas; doing this every week in 2007

  • ★★ Hank says Friday is his final day of Pizzamas; it went by far too fast, and he ends it with more video ideas than he started with. — 00:00:00 · Pizzamas
  • ★★ Hank says they made videos like this every week in 2007, so he understands how they did it then, but not how they are still doing it now. — 00:00:00 · Vlogbrothers

00:00:29 — Off the well-trod path: Johnny Harris's comment, what Pizzamas, Vlogbrothers and Nerdfighteria are

  • ★★★ Using a path metaphor, Hank says the community is off most well-trod paths, so it sometimes feels it can't see far ahead, and he guarantees they don't know where they are going. — 00:00:29 · Nerdfighteria
  • ★★ Hank says the brothers have no destination in mind; off the path is exciting, with high chances of tripping and of ending up somewhere unexpected. — 00:00:29
  • ★★ Johnny Harris (quoted): Johnny Harris commented on Hank's last Pizzamas video that he has been a die-hard fan for a decade but still doesn't understand what Pizzamas is, and kind of loves that. — 00:00:58 · Pizzamas
  • ★★★ Hank loves that too: every year he knows a little less what Pizzamas is, which is perfect; it is confusing, low stakes and lovely. — 00:00:58 · Pizzamas
  • ★★★ Hank says Pizzamas, Vlogbrothers and Nerdfighteria fit no well-defined box and are unlike a normal YouTube community: hard to talk about, but it keeps them under the radar, which he likes. — 00:01:27 · Pizzamas, Vlogbrothers, Nerdfighteria, YouTube
  • ★★ Pizzamas used to be extra work for Hank; now it is less, a creative vacation in which he drops his other work and makes things. — 00:01:27 · Pizzamas

00:01:56 — Pizzamas as a creative vacation; making videos never feels like work; donating the profit

  • ★ Hank worked very hard on his Facebook video: sitting, staring, researching, writing, much editing and forgetting lunch. — 00:01:56 · Facebook
  • ★★★ Hank says that after all these years making a Vlogbrothers video never feels like going to work: the goal isn't productivity, just making things and seeing if people like them. — 00:01:56 · Vlogbrothers
  • ★★ Hank says that may be part of why they started donating all Pizzamas profit: not making money helps it not feel like work. (hedged) — 00:01:56 · Pizzamas

00:02:26 — Dropped discount codes and the five-cent Nickelback coupon

  • ★★ Hank says they told text-message subscribers they would run discount codes during Pizzamas, then dropped the idea because it felt like punishing early buyers. — 00:02:26 · Pizzamas
  • ★★ As a middle road, Hank presents the coupon code Nickelback, worth five cents off any order at pizzamas.com. (playful) — 00:02:26 · Pizzamas
  • ★ Hank says the coupon was John's idea if you don't like it, and also John's idea if you do; he only clicked the buttons. (joke) — 00:02:26 · John Green

00:02:53 — Awesome Socks Club relaunch note; Hank's new, still-unnamed kitten

  • ★★ Hank thinks the only other Vlogbrothers thing before the end of the year is the relaunch of the Awesome Socks Club. (hedged) — 00:02:53 · Awesome Socks Club
  • ★★★ Hank introduces his new cat, still unnamed because a four-year-old is involved; for now he is Kitty, and he has tried on many names. — 00:02:53 · Orin Green

00:03:22 — Last call for the Pizzamas store; sign-off

  • ★★ Hank already loves the kitten; viewers don't get to vote on the name, which is up to Orin. — 00:03:22 · Orin Green
  • ★★★ In his last telling, Hank says the Pizzamas store stays open through the weekend, five cents off with Nickelback, all profit to charity, and nothing available again after Sunday. — 00:03:22 · Pizzamas

In the description and comments

  • ★★ The description says recurring times that help the community understand where it is headed are really important on an unprecedented path, and being creative for a while is a luxury. — video description
  • ★ The description says Hank wrote a song this morning, or at least a chorus. — video description

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: Hank's kitten · Pizzamas

Also: Awesome Socks Club · Facebook · Johnny Harris · Nickelback · Orin Green · YouTube

Also centred on Hank's kitten: Cat Names: The Authoritative Guide

← Previous: Pizza Sized Johns or John Sized Pizza? It's Question Thursday · Next → Cat Names: The Authoritative Guide