Viewer questions, 2015

80 viewer questions, requests and challenges answered in 13 videos uploaded in 2015, grouped by topic (the domain of the part of the video the answer is in), in upload order within a topic. Each question is followed by the answer as summarised, with the speaker and timestamp. Question Tuesday marks the Q&A series. Back to the overview.

Topics: Nerdfighteria (39) · Books & writing (12) · Personal life (9) · Pop culture (5) · Internet & YouTube (4) · Science & nature (3) · Everyday life (2) · Philosophy & meaning (2) · Projects (2) · Health (1) · Sports (1)

Nerdfighteria

• Q: “If Nerdfighteria became a sovereign nation, what would our national bird be?” (00:02:00) — Beards, Birds, and the Paper Towns Release Date: Question Tuesday! · Question Tuesday
  • John: John says if Nerdfighteria were a sovereign nation its national bird would be the owl, for wisdom, superpower hearing, swallowing mice whole and Hedwig, but he is open to suggestions. (00:02:04)
• Q: “Do you get stopped at the grocery a lot more now that Hank is so famous?” (00:02:17) — Beards, Birds, and the Paper Towns Release Date: Question Tuesday! · Question Tuesday
  • John: John says a movie-theater concessions worker, excited and speechless, finally told him it was wild because she had a huge crush on his brother. (00:02:20)
• Q: “What should I name my pet rat?” (00:03:08) — Beards, Birds, and the Paper Towns Release Date: Question Tuesday! · Question Tuesday
  • John: John says there is really only one choice of name for a pet rat: Master Splinter. (00:03:09)
• Q [request]: “Spiderman.” (00:00:23) — Draw My Life + 16 Other Suggestions
  • Hank: Asked about Spider-Man, Hank answers 'Donald Glover, all the way'. (00:00:23)
• Q: “Can you tell us anything about your book?” (00:01:04) — Draw My Life + 16 Other Suggestions
  • Hank: Asked about his book, Hank says he is thinking about writing a fiction-y thing, for now about a girl, a robot and what it means to be human. (00:01:05)
• Q [request]: “Please play Minecraft!” (00:01:11) — Draw My Life + 16 Other Suggestions
  • Hank: Asked to play Minecraft, Hank shows the Nerdcrafteria Minecraft server, decorated for Valentine's Day. (00:01:12)
• Q [request]: “TV recommendations please!” (00:01:26) — Draw My Life + 16 Other Suggestions
  • Hank: Asked for TV recommendations, Hank recommends Agent Carter, five times over. (00:01:27)
• Q: “What are some of your favourite things that likely very few people have heard of?” (00:01:30) — Draw My Life + 16 Other Suggestions
  • Hank: Asked for favourite things few people know, Hank names the anime Kodocha, Locke & Key comics, Paolo Bacigalupi, Neil Cicierega's creations, the board game Robot Ricochet and TheThirdPew. (00:01:30)
• Q [request]: “Show us your lunch!” (00:01:42) — Draw My Life + 16 Other Suggestions
  • Hank: Showing his lunch at Five Guys, Hank says he has to have his hamburgers on hot dog buns because he can't eat sesame seeds. (00:01:43)
• Q: “Favorite national park?” (00:01:40) — Snap Questions: On the Set of Titansgrave!
  • Hank: Hank's favorite national park is Yellowstone: weird, amazing and magical, with a lot of geological and biological weirdness. (00:01:45)
• Q: “Who do you normally play as on Mario Kart?” (00:01:56) — Snap Questions: On the Set of Titansgrave!
  • Hank: Hank plays as Donkey Kong in Mario Kart and Smash Brothers: he needs the extra beef and is not a finesse player. (00:01:59)
• Q: “Who has inspired you the most in your career?” (00:00:32) — Question Tuesday with Cara Delevingne and Nat Wolff · Question Tuesday
  • Nat Wolff: Asked by viewers, Nat Wolff says he would be an elephant and names John Green as the person who has inspired him most in his career. (00:00:32)
• Q: “Would you ride a llama if you were given the chance?” (00:01:49) — Question Tuesday with Cara Delevingne and Nat Wolff · Question Tuesday
  • Cara Delevingne: Asked whether she would ride a llama, Cara Delevingne says obviously, because she wants to see how hard a llama actually spits; Nat says no. (00:01:51)
• Q: “do you have any advice on getting over a breakup?” (00:02:05) — Question Tuesday with Cara Delevingne and Nat Wolff · Question Tuesday
  • Cara Delevingne: Cara Delevingne's advice for getting over a breakup: be distracted and get a new one, since there are plenty of them. (00:02:08)
• Q [challenge]: “Who would win in an arm-wrestling contest between Nat Wolff and John Green?” (00:03:35) — Question Tuesday with Cara Delevingne and Nat Wolff · Question Tuesday
  • John: Asked who would win an arm-wrestling contest between Nat Wolff and John, they arm-wrestle on camera; Nat wins easily and John says it genuinely hurt. (00:03:35)
• Q: “If everybody stopped sneezing, how long do you think it would take somebody to realize it?” (00:00:10) — Question Tuesday: Wookiee Gunships, Sneezing Cessation, and Pizza · Question Tuesday
  • John: Asked how long it would take people to notice if everybody stopped sneezing, John guesses about a month but would like rigorous research on it. (00:00:14)
• Q: “Hey, when are you gonna do your inkless tattoo punishment?” (00:01:33) — Question Tuesday: Wookiee Gunships, Sneezing Cessation, and Pizza · Question Tuesday
  • John: Asked when he will do his inkless tattoo punishment, John says 'Soon. Ish.' and asks viewers for tattoo ideas in the comments. (00:01:33)
• Q: “would you rather fight one John-sized goat or three goat-sized Johns?” (00:00:17) — Question Tuesday: The Goat Edition · Question Tuesday
  • Hank: Asked whether he'd rather fight one John-sized goat or three goat-sized Johns, Hank picks the John-sized goat: John is crafty, and as a goat he'd be easier to fight. (00:00:17)
• Q: “John, where does the word "goat" come from?” (00:02:32) — Question Tuesday: The Goat Edition · Question Tuesday
  • John: Asked where the word 'goat' comes from, John says it comes from Old English. (00:02:32)
• Q: “What is your favorite breed of goat?” (00:02:37) — Question Tuesday: The Goat Edition · Question Tuesday
  • John & Hank: Asked their favourite goat breed, Hank picks the American mountain goat; John says The Mountain Goats too, specifically John Darnielle. (00:02:37)
• Q: “Here is a non-goat question for you Hank, what really gets your goat?” (00:03:22) — Question Tuesday: The Goat Edition · Question Tuesday
  • Hank: Asked what really gets his goat, Hank answers: when awful people succeed. (00:03:22)
• Q: “Favorite video game?” (00:00:23) — Question Tuesday: My Social Media Hiatus, My Excellent German, and Books! · Question Tuesday
  • John: Asked his favourite video game, John answers the original Super Mario Kart. (00:00:23)
• Q: “Is there an animal you'd like to see in the wild?” (00:02:33) — Question Tuesday: My Social Media Hiatus, My Excellent German, and Books! · Question Tuesday
  • John: Asked which animal he'd like to see in the wild, John says he is pretty into tuatara lately. (00:02:35)
• Q: “How prepared do you feel for your drag race against Maggie Stiefvater on Friday?” (00:02:37) — Question Tuesday: My Social Media Hiatus, My Excellent German, and Books! · Question Tuesday
  • John: On his drag race against Maggie Stiefvater on Friday (9 October 2015), John says a professional race car driver friend told him to be prepared to lose, so he guesses he is very prepared. (00:02:39)
• Q: “What's the most impressive word you use in casual conversation?” (00:03:00) — Question Tuesday: My Social Media Hiatus, My Excellent German, and Books! · Question Tuesday
  • John: John uses the word 'eschatological' a lot, since no shorter word means the same, and calls his default emotional state eschatological anxiety. (00:03:02)
• Q: “What's the greenest green you've ever seen, John Green?” (00:03:13) — Question Tuesday: My Social Media Hiatus, My Excellent German, and Books! · Question Tuesday
  • John: The greenest green John has seen was a forest in Brazil in the rain, everything impossibly green in slightly different shades. (00:03:15)
• Q: “If you could travel anywhere you wanted and live there for a year, where would it be?” (00:03:24) — Question Tuesday: My Social Media Hiatus, My Excellent German, and Books! · Question Tuesday
  • John: Asked where he would live for a year anywhere in the world, John says that right now it would be this house. (00:03:28)
• Q: “If you could be stuck in the world of any TV show or movie, what would it be?” (00:03:36) — Question Tuesday: My Social Media Hiatus, My Excellent German, and Books! · Question Tuesday
  • John: John would choose to be stuck in the world of Star Trek: The Next Generation, hanging out with Wesley Crusher, and suspects Hank agrees. (00:03:38)
• Q: “Why did you shave your beard?” (00:00:50) — Cheez Doodles Guy, Ringo Silver, and Dad Jokes (Pizzamas Day 4) · Question Tuesday
  • John: Asked by a viewer who had just started to like his beard why he shaved it, John says it was mostly for the mustache joke, and it was also kind of itchy. (00:00:50)
• Q: “Do you know anymore dad jokes?” (00:01:15) — Cheez Doodles Guy, Ringo Silver, and Dad Jokes (Pizzamas Day 4) · Question Tuesday
  • John: John says dad jokes are not something you know but something you are: he always says 'Tupperware, Tupper-here' at the drawer, to Sarah's disgust. (00:01:15)
• Q: “What should I get my boyfriend for Christmas?” (00:01:38) — Cheez Doodles Guy, Ringo Silver, and Dad Jokes (Pizzamas Day 4) · Question Tuesday
  • John: John recommends Pizza John shoelaces and a Pizza John travel mug as gifts, available for pre-order only during Pizzamas at DFTBA.com. (00:01:38)
• Q: “How do you become well-read?” (00:01:53) — Cheez Doodles Guy, Ringo Silver, and Dad Jokes (Pizzamas Day 4) · Question Tuesday
  • John: On becoming well-read, John says he doesn't know; he mostly reads books recommended by people he trusts, and recommends the amazing, weird sci-fi book Midnight Robber. (00:01:53)
• Q: “Would you consider getting a real tattoo, now that you've gotten a fake one?” (00:02:04) — Cheez Doodles Guy, Ringo Silver, and Dad Jokes (Pizzamas Day 4) · Question Tuesday
  • John: John says his tattoo is not fake, just made with water instead of ink, so not visible but real; he would consider more invisible tattoos. (00:02:04)
• Q: “What do you think about ducks?” (00:02:16) — Cheez Doodles Guy, Ringo Silver, and Dad Jokes (Pizzamas Day 4) · Question Tuesday
  • John: Asked about ducks, John says he spends an inordinate amount of time thinking about what happens to them when the pond freezes over in winter. (00:02:16)
• Q: “In 50 years, what country do you think will be the world's biggest superpower?” (00:02:59) — Cheez Doodles Guy, Ringo Silver, and Dad Jokes (Pizzamas Day 4) · Question Tuesday
  • John: Asked which country will be the biggest superpower in 50 years, John thinks nation-states will matter slightly less, but picks India. (00:02:59)
• Q: “Do you still have any leftover Halloween candy?” (00:03:33) — Cheez Doodles Guy, Ringo Silver, and Dad Jokes (Pizzamas Day 4) · Question Tuesday
  • John: John admits he occasionally eats his two-year-old daughter's leftover Halloween candy because she won't notice. (00:03:33)
• Q: “Debate over the best kind of chocolate” (00:00:26) — SUIT UP! A Very Fancy Reunion Video (Pizzamas Day 8)
  • John & Hank: Asked for the best kind of chocolate, both brothers answer 'dark' at the same moment. (00:00:35)
• Q [request]: “Do your best impression of your favorite dinosaur.” (00:01:06) — SUIT UP! A Very Fancy Reunion Video (Pizzamas Day 8)
  • John: Asked to impersonate his favourite dinosaur, John objects that we don't know what dinosaurs sounded like. (00:01:09)
• Q: “Hank, how did you and John meet your wives?” (00:03:20) — SUIT UP! A Very Fancy Reunion Video (Pizzamas Day 8)
  • Hank: Asked how they met their wives, Hank says his wife lived across the hallway from his dorm room. (00:03:23)

Books & writing

• Q: “In your book Looking for Alaska, was Alaska's 'blank' a 'blank' or a 'blank?'” (00:00:30) — Beards, Birds, and the Paper Towns Release Date: Question Tuesday! · Question Tuesday
  • John: Asked a spoiler-blanked question about Alaska in Looking for Alaska, John says he doesn't know; for him the question is whether we can live hopeful, thoughtful lives despite ambiguity. (00:00:34)
• Q: “Hey when's the Paper Towns movie come out?” (00:00:44) — Beards, Birds, and the Paper Towns Release Date: Question Tuesday! · Question Tuesday
  • John: John says the Paper Towns movie comes out June 5th. (00:00:46)
• Q: “Hey, are you writing a new book?” (00:01:27) — Beards, Birds, and the Paper Towns Release Date: Question Tuesday! · Question Tuesday
  • John: Asked repeatedly whether he is writing a new book, John says he is trying to, and that the questioning is not helping. (00:01:29)
• Q: “Will the Paper Towns movie be like the book?” (00:00:25) — Is the Paper Towns Movie Like the Book? Thoughts on Adaptations
  • John: The question John is asked most is whether the Paper Towns movie will be (exactly) like the book; his answer is yes, but also no. (00:00:25)
• Q: “Who's a relatively unknown poet you love?” (00:00:58) — Question Tuesday: Wookiee Gunships, Sneezing Cessation, and Pizza · Question Tuesday
  • John: Asked for a relatively unknown poet he loves, John names the Persian poet Hafiz, who he feels is not as well known here as he should be. (00:01:01)
• Q: “Apart from pizza, what do you think is the best” (00:01:05) — Question Tuesday: Wookiee Gunships, Sneezing Cessation, and Pizza · Question Tuesday
  • John: John cuts off a question beginning "apart from pizza": there is no "apart from pizza", one of the few things that make him angry. (00:01:05)
• Q: “I heard they're making Looking For Alaska into a movie” (00:01:19) — Question Tuesday: Wookiee Gunships, Sneezing Cessation, and Pizza · Question Tuesday
  • John: Asked whom he will cast in the Looking for Alaska movie, John says he does not cast movie adaptations of his books, or any movies; he is a novelist, video blogger and pizza enthusiast, not a caster of films. (00:01:19)
• Q [challenge]: “I didn't see your cameo in the Paper Towns movie.” (00:02:06) — Question Tuesday: Wookiee Gunships, Sneezing Cessation, and Pizza · Question Tuesday
  • John: John says his cameo in the Paper Towns movie is not something you see so much as someone you hear. (00:02:06)
• Q: “Hey John, how are you today?” (00:00:24) — Question Tuesday: My Social Media Hiatus, My Excellent German, and Books! · Question Tuesday
  • John: Asked how he is, John says he is good but a little annoyed about the overall quality of political discourse in the United States. (00:00:26)
• Q: “Also, do you have any book recommendations?” (00:00:24) — Question Tuesday: My Social Media Hiatus, My Excellent German, and Books! · Question Tuesday
  • John: John recommends Mark Twain's Life on the Mississippi, which he is re-reading, and Toni Morrison's new novel: not her best book, but still great. (00:00:30)
• Q: “Do you have any unpopular opinions about classic literature?” (00:00:40) — Question Tuesday: My Social Media Hiatus, My Excellent German, and Books! · Question Tuesday
  • John: Asked for unpopular opinions about classic literature, John sides with W. H. Auden: some books are undeservedly forgotten, none undeservedly remembered. (00:00:42)
• Q: “Did you ever read Henning Mankell?” (00:01:42) — Question Tuesday: My Social Media Hiatus, My Excellent German, and Books! · Question Tuesday
  • John: John calls Henning Mankell, who died yesterday, a great Swedish crime novelist he admired for his stories and for making a lot of money and giving almost all of it away. (00:01:42)

Personal life

• Q: “BEARD?!” (00:00:12) — Beards, Birds, and the Paper Towns Release Date: Question Tuesday! · Question Tuesday
  • John: John says he is kind of growing a beard, because Sarah wants him to. (00:00:13)
• Q [request]: “You seem tired, don't worry if you need to take a break” (00:01:56) — On Exhaustion
  • John: John won't take a break from promoting the movie, which he has no contractual obligation to do, because he likes it and is grateful, nor from vlogging, which fills him up rather than drains him. (00:02:04)
• Q: “How do you think having children has impacted your writing?” (00:00:26) — Question Tuesday: Wookiee Gunships, Sneezing Cessation, and Pizza · Question Tuesday
  • John: Asked how having children has affected his writing, John says that where 2009 John would have been writing, 2015 John builds a Lego Wookiee gunship, and he does not feel it is a bad change. (00:00:28)
• Q: “A girl at my school told me she'd rather be popular than smart, what's the correct response to this?” (00:00:38) — Question Tuesday: Wookiee Gunships, Sneezing Cessation, and Pizza · Question Tuesday
  • John: To a viewer whose schoolmate would rather be popular than smart, John suggests the right response is sympathy. (00:00:43)
• Q: “Hey John, what's your middle name?” (00:00:44) — Question Tuesday: Wookiee Gunships, Sneezing Cessation, and Pizza · Question Tuesday
  • John: Asked his middle name, John jokes 'Danger' before saying it is Michael. (00:00:46)
• Q: “Last TV show you marathoned?” (00:00:49) — Question Tuesday: Wookiee Gunships, Sneezing Cessation, and Pizza · Question Tuesday
  • John: The last TV show John marathoned was The Americans, which he calls excellent. (00:00:50)
• Q: “Do you think you or Hank would get further in American Ninja Warrior.” (00:02:13) — Question Tuesday: Wookiee Gunships, Sneezing Cessation, and Pizza · Question Tuesday
  • John: John thinks he would get further than Hank in American Ninja Warrior: watching it with Henry gives him the advantage of knowing what it is, and he likes his odds past the quintuple steps. (00:02:13)
• Q [request]: “Can we see Willie?” (00:02:37) — Question Tuesday: Wookiee Gunships, Sneezing Cessation, and Pizza · Question Tuesday
  • John: Answering the week's most-asked question, 'Can we see Willie?', John calls Willy over with a treat. (00:02:34)
• Q: “What are your holiday traditions?” (00:01:54) — SUIT UP! A Very Fancy Reunion Video (Pizzamas Day 8)
  • Hank: Asked about their holiday traditions, Hank says it is saying what they are thankful for. (00:01:57)

Pop culture

• Q: “How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie pop?” (00:01:09) — Beards, Birds, and the Paper Towns Release Date: Question Tuesday! · Question Tuesday
  • John: John says it takes between 150 and 500 licks to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop, and that there are studies about this (links in the description). (00:01:11)
• Q: “Favorite Art Assignment video?” (00:01:15) — Beards, Birds, and the Paper Towns Release Date: Question Tuesday! · Question Tuesday
  • John: John's favorite Art Assignment video is Christoph Niemann's Emotional Furniture; he also enjoyed the Highlights video in which he made prints with Sarah. (00:01:16)
• Q: “Favorite song by Taylor Swift?” (00:01:23) — Beards, Birds, and the Paper Towns Release Date: Question Tuesday! · Question Tuesday
  • John: John says his favorite Taylor Swift song is probably Blank Space, which Henry calls 'Boys Love Torture'. (00:01:24)
• Q: “Do you listen to rap music?” (00:01:49) — Beards, Birds, and the Paper Towns Release Date: Question Tuesday! · Question Tuesday
  • John: John says Nat and Justice introduced him to rap artists on the Paper Towns set, including Earl Sweatshirt, whom he likes a lot; in turn he introduced them to the Mountain Goats. (00:01:50)
• Q: “What did you play with Wil?” (00:00:23) — Snap Questions: On the Set of Titansgrave!
  • Hank: Hank says they are playing a brand-new RPG, Titansgrave: The Ashes of Valkana, a sci-fi world mixed with fantasy. (00:00:24)

Internet & YouTube

• Q: “How are you liking Snapchat so far?” (00:01:17) — Snap Questions: On the Set of Titansgrave!
  • Hank: Hank finds Snapchat weird and doesn't think he uses it like most people: having an audience, he tries to make people laugh, freed by it not being part of his permanent record. (00:01:20)
• Q: “Do you think everyone should consider taking a hiatus from social media like you have?” (00:00:53) — Question Tuesday: My Social Media Hiatus, My Excellent German, and Books! · Question Tuesday
  • John: Asked whether everyone should take a social media hiatus, John doesn't know, but he hasn't missed social media as much as he expected; it had become a really unhealthy place for him. (00:00:56)
• Q: “What's your new book about?” (00:01:32) — Question Tuesday: My Social Media Hiatus, My Excellent German, and Books! · Question Tuesday
  • John: Asked what his new book is about, John can't say because he doesn't know which parts will end up in a book, but he put a clue in this video, decodable only after reading the story. (00:01:32)
• Q: “Is this good for creators?” (00:01:27) — Understanding YouTube Red: Paid Subscriptions and the Future of Online Video
  • John: Answering the most-asked question, John says YouTube Red is good for creators: some of the fee goes to them and per viewer it earns them more than advertising. (00:01:33)

Science & nature

• Q [request]: “Make video explaining the Keystone XL Pipeline.” (00:01:50) — Draw My Life + 16 Other Suggestions
  • Hank: Hank explains that Keystone XL would extend the existing Keystone Pipeline from Alberta to Louisiana, carrying tar sands oil to ports for shipping worldwide. (00:01:52)
• Q: “If you could remove an element from the periodic table, which one would you choose?” (00:00:33) — Snap Questions: On the Set of Titansgrave!
  • Hank: Hank says removing an element from the periodic table itself would only mean less knowledge; from the world he would probably remove a dangerous one, like plutonium. (00:00:36)
• Q: “Why do dogs get eye boogers too?” (00:02:12) — Snap Questions: On the Set of Titansgrave!
  • Hank: Hank explains dogs get eye boogers as humans do: rheum, dissolved in tears, holds blood cells, epithelial cells and mucus, leaving gummy mucin proteins when the water goes. (00:02:13)

Everyday life

• Q: “Do you have any productivity tips?” (00:00:54) — Beards, Birds, and the Paper Towns Release Date: Question Tuesday! · Question Tuesday
  • John: John's only productivity tip: procrastinate until you feel sour panic-adrenaline, then work furiously; he admits it is a terrible tip. (00:00:57)
• Q: “Do you have any advice for people who are engaged to be married?” (00:01:38) — Beards, Birds, and the Paper Towns Release Date: Question Tuesday! · Question Tuesday
  • John: John's advice for engaged couples: done right, the marriage will be much longer and more important than the wedding, so don't stress too much about the wedding. (00:01:40)

Philosophy & meaning

• Q [request]: “Draw my life!” (00:02:43) — Draw My Life + 16 Other Suggestions
  • Hank: Doing 'Draw My Life', Hank says he takes up a trivial amount of space in Montana, itself tiny next to the Earth, solar system, galaxy and universe, and his lifetime is unnoticeable on a universal scale. (00:02:54)
• Q: “How do you become okay with being truly alone?” (00:02:22) — Cheez Doodles Guy, Ringo Silver, and Dad Jokes (Pizzamas Day 4) · Question Tuesday
  • John: John argues you are both always and never truly alone: always, since no one can fully comprehend your experience; never, since you are part of an interconnected web of life grateful to have you. (00:02:25)

Projects

• Q: “What is your songwriting process?” (00:00:53) — Snap Questions: On the Set of Titansgrave!
  • Hank: Hank says he usually starts a song from one good line with great rhythm; loving the line makes him want to work on it, so the task is inspiring himself. (00:00:55)
• Q: “Will there ever be dear Hank and John merch?” (00:00:41) — SUIT UP! A Very Fancy Reunion Video (Pizzamas Day 8)
  • John: Asked whether there will be Dear Hank and John merch, John instead plugs the Pizza John merch available now at DFTBA.com. (00:00:45)

Health

• Q: “Do you think all children should be vaccinated?” (00:02:37) — Beards, Birds, and the Paper Towns Release Date: Question Tuesday! · Question Tuesday
  • John: John says not all children should be vaccinated: immunosuppressed kids, e.g. with leukemia, and infants can't get some vaccines, which is precisely why everyone else should get vaccinated. (00:02:39)

Sports

• Q [challenge]: “Now, of course, some of you argue that who I choose to support matters nothing to the actual game” (00:03:05) — The Best Worst Thing
  • John: Answering viewers who say his choice doesn't matter to the game, John says the sport doesn't matter either; we make it meaningful by caring, and that goes for lots of stuff. (00:03:05)