Ee years ago, two brothers decided they were not
getting enough face time with each other, so they ditched
the texting and started making weekly YouTube videos.
Their names: John and Hank Green. In those eight years,

the number of subscribers to their channel has risen to

over 2.5 million and their videos have garnered hundreds of
thousands of views. They have become so popular that their
loyal viewers are now known as “Nerdfighters” (collectively,
“Nerfighteria”) and you can buy t-shirts and wristbands and
other paraphernalia with quotes or their catchphrase, “Don’t
forget to be awesome” (DFTBA) on them. You know you’ve
made it when people start wearing t-shirts in your honour.

Both brothers are successful beyond their vlogging, not that
their vlogs are anything to laugh at (then again, some of their
videos are absolutely hilarious). Aside from his involvement
in other YouTube Channels, John Green is an acclaimed
young adult novelist; his works include The Fault in Our Stars
and Looking for Alaska. Hank Green has gone on to create

or become involved in various YouTube channels, some

also involving John, including Crash Course and SciShow.
Hank is also the lead singer of “Hank Green and The Perfect
Strangers”; as a side note, the brothers are huge Harry Potter
fans (especially Hank) and legend has it that the video of

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Vem [ne kise of the
» Vlogorothers

Hank’s song, “Accio Deathly Hallows”, was the video that
sparked the brothers’ success in the world of YouTube.

The Vlogbrothers do not follow any specific content
pattern with their videos, unless it is for a special reason,
although they do reference each other’s videos and side
projects quite often. Anything, whether it be introspective
moments, behind-the-scenes footage of VidCon or movie
sets, haircuts, information about various current events
and issues, or completely random rants can be the subject
of one of the Vlogbrothers’ weekly four-minute videos.

One of the highlights of the Green YouTube projects is
Crash Course, as it is a great way to review for midterms
or just learn for fun (an odd concept but no less a fact).
Biology, Chemistry, English Literature, World History,
and Anatomy and Physiology are just a few of the
available courses. The writing teams are phenomenal,
Hank and John are amazing hosts and these videos are

a great asset for any student on the verge of panic.

The Vlogbrothers do not just make videos; they are very
invested in community. In 2007 they began Project for
Awesome (P4A) through the Decrease World Suck Foundation
(of which they are key members). They challenged fellow

Tierney Watkinson
Team Member

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commons.wikipedia.org

YouTubers to upload videos promoting charities of their
choice in order to raise awareness as well as collect donations
from the viewer audience. The challenge takes two days,
the second Friday and Saturday of December. Last year
alone, P4A raised well over a million dollars, all of which
went to various non-profit charities. VidCon is another
one of their larger projects, which serves to bring people
together to celebrate the phenomenon that is YouTube.
Creators of online videos and hosts of YouTube Channels
are invited to meet with viewers as well as participate in
panels and discussions. It occurs annually in Southern
California; unfortunately, as is the case with many cool
things, it has yet to travel as far north as Canada.

John and Hank Green are playfully competitive and

yet hugely supportive of one another. Their videos are
enjoyable, even when they are purposefully educational.
Vlogbrothers appeal mainly to young adults, but their video
content can be enjoyed by nearly any age group. They

have a knack for making people feel included and feeling
like they are a part of something big. Their projects and
side channels and the people involved are too numerous
and interesting to simply mention here. If you take the
time to seek them out, you will not be disappointed.