So this was an old post from the old version of the blog pre-thesis. I liked it and this new blog is currently lacking, so I figured why not resurrect it. Here it is...
So today I decided to start something that has been long overdue.
Yes, I have seen random ones at random times, but I never really got into them and so many jokes/references are lost on me.
But today, everything has changed.
GOD DAMMIT T-SWIFT. Why are your songs so catchy? I literally don't know any other lyrics to this song
other than the freaking title and something about knowing you better,
and yet somehow those few lyrics are now stuck in my head. What is life.
So the vlogbrothers. I mentioned them before, because Hank (one half of the brothers) made LBD and other web shows. John
is the other brother and he is an amazing author. Together they have
years worth of vlogging under their belt and this is very daunting to a
semi-new viewer. 3,400+ videos? I ain't got time for that. I needed to
fast track. Thank god for YouTube playlists.
I've started with this one. It seems pretty good so far. I'm halfway done. This all appears to be from their first year, Brotherhood 2.0 (which was the original project), and I think it's a good start. Things are starting to make more sense.
To answer the question from the title of this post, I don't actually know what kind of nerdfighter
I would be. I mean, I am totally a nerd, but I have yet to achieve
nerfighter status. I feel like that kind of power-up requires more video
watching. I also want to look into what other kinds of nerdfighters are
out there. This is a whole community and I plan to take it seriously.
Why is that? Because Hank is a mother effing time lord.
-Danny
Also: while this is partly for fun it is also semi-researchy for thesis, VidCon, and reasons.
Update: I finished the playlist and it was awesome.
So this was an old post from the old version of the blog pre-thesis.
I liked it and this new blog is currently lacking, so I figured why not resurrect it.
Here it is...
BBC just made a genius move.
Well, really they did this a few days ago but I was busy with other things.
Sherlock
is a fantastic (at least in my opinion) TV that airs on BBC/PBS. I
found it through a million recommendations from the nerdiest of my
friends. They looooooved it. I got so annoyed listening to them
jibber-jab on and on that I finally gave in and watched it on Netflix.
They do the same thing with Doctor Who (I know, I know), but Sherlock
was the shorter and easier one to catch up on.
If
you aren't already a fan of the show, then this video wont matter to
you at all. But to anyone who is a fan, you should probably watch it,
like right now.
Here you go:
So why is this a genius move you may ask? For quite a few reasons.
It is on YouTube which means it can be shared.
Netflix
is only available to those who pay. You can't share those videos. The
same goes for almost any other way that you might watch the show. Amazon
Prime, iTunes, TiVo, DVDs, illegally, whatever. And videos that you can
share tend to be short clips or fan made and no one really shares those
very often. The fact that anyone reporting on this can link it in is
fantastic. So already we know this video is different and it is further
helped by the fact that...
It is not a promo.
The
problem with promos and trailers is that they just aren't enough. They
show flashes and snippets that either don't tell you anything or tell
you more than you wanted to know. The Sherlock promo
that I found was annoyingly vague and not worth it. In general it is
fairly uncommon that a promo is worth being shared, and when it is
it's usually because of one little thing that causes...
The Excitement Factor.
When
fans get pumped about their shows, they can really get PUMPED. It has
been quite a while since we last saw Sherlock and Watson solving cases.
Two whole years. That's like forever. Beneditch Cumberbatch has been busy with films like Star Trek and Martin Freeman has been occupied
with The Hobbit (fun nugget of info: Cumberbatch has a few voice roles
in those films as the Necromancer and Smaug). So seeing them both here
again in a mini episode is very exciting. It is a reminder of the show
we love without showing us old clips and a preview of what is to come
without spoiling anything. It holds just enough back while
simultaneously making you want more.
It is for the fans.
As I
said, if you aren't a fan then this video won't matter. You'd have to be
up to date on the show, but luckily you don't really have to remember
much of what happened last time because the cliffhanger is big enough
that you remember the gist. Before I watched the video all I really
remembered was that Sherlock is dead but probably not really or the show
would be over. So this great little episode was just for the fans. It
will make them feel special, like they are a part of a Sherlock club
or something. It even reminds you of Sherlock's birthday message, which
I had totally forgotten about, that you wouldn't know about unless you
watched. But it is still simple and basic enough that you don't need to
be a die hard fan to understand the birthday reference or to like the
video in general. It is for the everyfan.
Good timing in every way.
Lastly, this was timed pretty well. Desolation of Smaug
has been out long enough that people who wanted to see it probably have
and Freeman is still on the brain. It's during Christmas break/holiday
when everyone will definitely be home and probably on their
computer/tablet/phone/internet where they will come across it via the
news, social media, subscriptions, or however. The show will air very
soon (Jan 1 for BBC,
not sure about USA/Netflix) so fans don't have to wait months and
months after something like this. We can wait after a promo, but I want
to keep watching after an addicting minisode. So basically there is
enough time to spread it around before the show returns. Also, in terms
of good timing, it is really pretty short. It's not like it will take up
a ton of time to watch, which makes that even more effective in terms
of sharing. Timing couldn't be better.
So I've
gone on long enough. BBC is genius. Or the creators of Sherlock or
whoever came up with this idea and put the wheels in motion.
Reductio ad Absurdum: The Latin for “to reduce to the absurd.” This is a technique useful in creating a comic effect and is also an argumentative technique. It is considered a rhetorical fallacy because it reduces an argument to an either/or choice. Nerdio ad Absurdum:The Latin-ish for “to nerdily reduce to the absurdly nerd.” This is a ridiculous technique useful in creating an entertaining effect and is also an nerdumentative technique. It is considered a nerdtorical fallacy because it reduces an argument to a nerd-sequitur choice.