VlogBrothers

This article is about the YouTube channel. For the brothers who created it, see John Green and Hank Green. For the brothers' collaborative efforts outside of VlogBrothers, see Green brothers.
VlogBrothers

VlogBrothers's last user icon
Web address www.youtube.com/vlogbrothers
Slogan Don't Forget To Be Awesome (DFTBA)
Type of site
 YouTube channel
Available in English
Created by Hank and John Green
Launched January 1, 2007
Current status Active

VlogBrothers (sometimes spelled as Vlogbrothers) is a video blog style channel on YouTube. The Internet-based show is created and hosted by the Green brothers, John Green and Hank Green. The first incarnation of the brothers' online broadcasting was the "Brotherhood 2.0" project, preceding the establishment of the pair's regular vlogging activity through the VlogBrothers channel.

The Greens state that their vlog has no consistent format: "Really, it's not about anything in particular. Whether we're talking about our lives, making each other laugh, or trying to get something more important across, people seem to enjoy it."[1][2] The channel passed one million subscribers on March 5, 2013.[3]

The fans and supporters of VlogBrothers are known individually as Nerdfighters, and collectively as Nerdfighteria. Subscribers of the brothers on YouTube are the base of the online community Nerdfighteria. The Green brothers encourage their viewers to become a community by creating websites and various projects, like the Project for Awesome,[4] to involve their subscribers.[5][6]

Presently, the brothers post two videos per week onto their VlogBrothers channel. John Green posts a video on Tuesday, and Hank Green on Friday.

Brotherhood 2.0 project

The Green brothers, strongly inspired by the show with zefrank,[7][8] devised the Brotherhood 2.0 project late in 2006. The project was launched on January 1, 2007, based on the premise that the brothers would cease all text-based communication for one year and, instead, converse by video blogs every weekday. The project was made available to the public on YouTube, as well as through the brothers' own Brotherhood 2.0 website.[9][10] On July 18, 2007, Hank Green uploaded a video of himself playing and singing his song "Accio Deathly Hallows" in honor of the seventh Harry Potter book.[11] This video was the first VlogBrothers video to make the front page of YouTube, and the starting point of the brothers' success as vloggers. The Brotherhood 2.0 Project ended on December 31, 2007.[12] However, the brothers decided to continue uploading videos on YouTube due to having a growing fan base and their popularity.

Post-Brotherhood 2.0

The VlogBrothers in 2008

In their December 31, 2007 video, the brothers revealed their decision to continue vlogging even though the project had ended.[12] Following the conclusion of Brotherhood 2.0, a website was set up for their community, known as Nerdfighters.[13] The website was originally maintained solely by Hank Green, but is now updated and moderated by a group of community volunteers known as the "Ningmasters". New projects, videos, discussions, groups and forums entirely made by the VlogBrothers fan community are uploaded daily. The brothers' videos continue to be the basis of the online community known as "Nerdfighteria".[14]

In September 2008, the Kiva.org Lending Team "Nerdfighters" was launched.[15] As of March 2015, the Kiva Nerdfighters group ranks 7th on the site for total money loaned through total domestic and international microloans.[15] It has roughly 48,000 members who have loaned a collective total of over $5.3 million.[15]

On January 20, 2010, John Green went on paternity leave and Maureen Johnson made videos in his place until February 10, 2010. John's only vlog during that period was on January 28, when he read from J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye as a eulogy/tribute to the author. John Green introduced his son Henry Green upon his return to vlogging on February 15, 2010.

Hank Green's video, The Ice Cream Changes, was featured on a CBS News article.[16] Hank Green was interviewed by Forbes in May 2011.[17] Hank's musical video about Tumblr was featured on The Huffington Post, as well.[18] In August 2012, John Green uploaded two noteworthy videos: one telling students why they should be excited going back to school,[19] and the other explaining if college is worth going to.[20] On September 14, 2012, Hank Green made a video celebrating the 1000th video on the VlogBrothers channel that commemorated the brothers' experiences over the previous 5 years.[21]

One million subscribers and continued growth (2013-present)

John and Hank at VidCon 2014

On January 15, 2013, they featured in "An Evening of Awesome at Carnegie Hall" celebrating the anniversary of John's novel The Fault in Our Stars.[5][22] The Evening of Awesome also featured The Mountain Goats, Kimya Dawson, and Neil Gaiman. It was a two-hour livestreamed event and as of October 29, 2014, is available for viewing on the VlogBrothers' main YouTube channel.[23]

In February 2013, John Green participated in a Google+ Hangout with Barack Obama during which John's wife, Sarah, also appeared.[24] Prior to this, she had not been seen on camera or in any of his blogs, preferring not to join her husband on camera. Her elusive attitude gained her the nickname "The Yeti".[25][26]

On March 5, 2013, the channel hit 1 million subscribers and both brothers live-tweeted the occasion.[27] John Green explained that the Brotherhood 2.0 channel was started more than 2,000 days prior to the milestone.[28]

Later, on June 25, 2013, John Green went on paternity leave for the birth of his second child, Alice, and six guest hosts made videos in his place, including Hannah Hart (MyHarto), Grace Helbig (itsgrace), Craig Benzine (wheezywaiter), Rosianna Rojas (missxrojas), and the winners of the "Nerd Factor" competition, YouTube users MagicTurtle643 and NerdyAndQuirky. John returned to the channel on July 30, 2013.[29] In November, John Green created a video discussing bullying in general, as well as his personal experience with getting bullied.[30] Near the end of 2013, the Vlogbrothers channel was documented to have earned 1.6 million subscribers.[31]

Reception

The vlog channel has been able to reach out to a massive fanbase, called Nerdfighteria. As of October 2014, the channel has earned over 2.3 million subscribers and has received over 500 million video views.[32]

Margaret Talbot of The New Yorker has praised the topics of the video blogs, describing, "The tone of their monologues ranged from goofily informative... to wonkish." Talbot added, "Many posts dispensed adult wisdom, but in a reassuringly modern way."[26]

However, Craig Rubens of GigaOM, gave a more critical review of the video blog, comparing it negatively to the show with zefrank. While Rubens stated that, "none carry Ze’s torch with more earnestness than the brothers Green," he closed by saying the Greens' vlog "remains a nerdy knockoff of Ze’s seminal work."[33]

Community

Main article: Nerdfighteria

DFTBA is an initialism that stands for "Don't Forget To Be Awesome," the Green brothers' catchphrase, often followed by a hand sign (or "gang sign," as it is jokingly referred to by Hank and John).[34] The Nerdfighter "gang sign" is the Vulcan salute from Star Trek done on both hands instead of just one, with arms crossed and palms facing inwards. Since the VlogBrothers have taken off, many t-shirts and posters have been made featuring the phrase. The brothers often use it to say goodbye at the end of their video blogs (or "vlogs"). Additionally, Nerdfighteria is an internet subculture, which has inspired student-organized clubs on college campuses.[35] Actors Benedict Cumberbatch as well as Matt Smith have been noted demonstrating the subculture's "gang sign".[36] Several of the groups are members of the YouTube community, including Chameleon Circuit, Charlie McDonnell, NicePeter, Smosh, Rhett and Link, and Elliott Morgan (formerly) & Joe Bereta of SourceFed.[37]

DFTBA is also the name for a VlogBrothers' record label that helps to produce the music of several different independent groups.

References

  1. ↑ Gilmore, Georgette (April 16, 2012). "A Review of Children’s TV". Barista Kids. Barista Net. Retrieved November 18, 2013.
  2. ↑ Inck, Sofiy (August 1, 2011). "Internet Humor: Nerdfighters DFTBA!". Kid Spirit Online. Retrieved November 18, 2013.
  3. ↑ Green, Hank (March 8, 2013). One Million Nerdfighters!. VlogBrothers (YouTube). Retrieved April 13, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Project for Awesome". Retrieved December 17, 2014.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Kaufman, Leslie (January 17, 2013). "A Novelist and His Brother Sell Out Carnegie Hall". The New York Times. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
  6. ↑ Green, Hank; Green, John (December 27, 2009). "How To Be a Nerdfighter: A Vlogbrothers FAQ". VlogBrothers. YouTube. Retrieved May 8, 2014.
  7. ↑ Green, Hank (March 16, 2007). March 16th: Mom, ZeFrank, and Stock Options. VlogBrothers (YouTube). Retrieved November 18, 2013.
  8. ↑ Green, John; Green, Hank (December 27, 2009). How To Be a Nerdfighter: A Vlogbrothers FAQ. VlogBrothers (YouTube). Retrieved November 18, 2013.
  9. ↑ Schatz, Amy (September 28, 2007). "Local Politics, Web Money". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved May 23, 2012.
  10. ↑ Brothers Reconnect Using Video Blogging. All Things Considered (NPR). January 20, 2008. Retrieved May 23, 2012.
  11. ↑ Green, Hank (July 18, 2007). July 18: Accio Deathly Hallows (no spoilers). VlogBrothers (YouTube). Retrieved January 12, 2014.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Green, John; Green, Hank (December 31, 2007). Dec 31: Goodbye Brotherhood 2.0. Vlogbrothers (YouTube). Retrieved May 15, 2013.
  13. ↑ Harry, Lou (May 9, 2013). "Bestselling author Green to speak at Butler commencement". Lou Harry's A&E (Indianapolis Business Journal). Retrieved May 15, 2013.
  14. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Anna (June 4, 2014). "Intro to Nerdfighters 101: A John Green Primer". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 "Kiva Lending Team: Nerdfighters". Kiva. Retrieved October 20, 2014.
  16. ↑ Goodman, William (March 31, 2011). "Hilarious song: Bieber, Beatles, Slipknot, Rebecca Black, all stealing same notes". CBS News. Archived from the original on June 25, 2011. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
  17. ↑ Knapp, Alex (May 3, 2011). "Q and A With Hank Green, Inventor of 2D Glasses". Forbes. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
  18. ↑ "'Tumblr: The Musical': Cats, Hipster Little Mermaid & GIFS (VIDEO)". Huffington Post. July 29, 2012. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
  19. ↑ "'Vlogbrothers' Tell You Why You Should Be Excited To Go Back To School (VIDEO)". Huffington Post. August 9, 2012. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
  20. ↑ Goodman, William (August 22, 2012). "Some interesting thoughts on whether college is "worth it"". CBS News. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
  21. ↑ Green, Hank (September 14, 2012). 1000 VIDEOS!!!. VlogBrothers (YouTube). Retrieved March 26, 2014.
  22. ↑ Romano, Aja (January 16, 2013). "Vlogbrothers don't forget to be awesome at Carnegie Hall". The Daily Dot. Retrieved November 5, 2014.
  23. ↑ An Evening of Awesome at Carnegie Hall. VlogBrothers (YouTube). January 15, 2013. Retrieved October 29, 2014.
  24. ↑ Kellogg, Carolyn (February 15, 2013). "See YA author John Green hang out with President Obama". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 6, 2013.
  25. ↑ Green, John (January 2, 2007). Brotherhood 2.0: January 2nd. VlogBrothers (YouTube). Retrieved July 16, 2013.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Talbot, Margaret (June 9, 2014). "The Teen Whisperer". Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  27. ↑ Gutelle, Sam (March 11, 2013). "YouTube Millions: Hank Green On Vlogbrothers’ Success". Tubefilter. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
  28. ↑ Green, John (March 5, 2013). "More than 2,000 days ago, when @hankgreen and I started Brotherhood 2.0, we never even dared to imagine 1,000,000 YouTube subscribers.". John Green on Twitter. Twitter. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
  29. ↑ Green, John (July 30, 2013). Paternity Leave Ends! And I Find Myself... VlogBrothers (YouTube). Retrieved October 28, 2014.
  30. ↑ Goodman, William (November 20, 2013). "John Green Gets Personal On Bullying And Gives Us All Hope". Huffington Post. Retrieved November 30, 2013.
  31. ↑ Trimmer, Michael (December 7, 2013). "Our UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador wishlist". Christian Today. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
  32. ↑ "VlogBrothers about". VlogBrothers. YouTube. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  33. ↑ Rubens, Craig (December 10, 2008). "Vlog Brothers Are Good But They Still Aren’t Ze". GigaOM. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  34. ↑ Shore, Jennifer (November 9, 2012). "How 2 Brothers Turned a YouTube Experiment Into a Charitable Mission". Mashable. Retrieved November 16, 2012.
  35. ↑ DiGiorgio, Zoë (October 20, 2013). "Nerdfighters club on campus celebrates love of nerd culture while fostering community". The Diamondback. Retrieved November 18, 2013.
  36. ↑ Baker-Whitelaw, Gavia (September 18, 2013). "John Green fandom 101: Nerdfighters, Vlogbrothers, and pizza". The Daily Dot. Retrieved November 18, 2013.
  37. ↑ Bereta, Joe; Morgan, Elliott (May 20, 2013). Yahoo Buys Tumblr. SourceFed (YouTube). Retrieved May 20, 2013.

External links