anymore. Interest groups have gotten incredibly good at motivating those are their own choir through targeted campaigns and social media. While Nerdfighters aren’t a political movement, neither brother has shied away from discussing policy or politics. These discussions are as in keeping with the VlogBrothers ethos as John answering questions with peanut better smeared all over his face or Hank writing existential songs about anglerfish. Hank got into the shower fully clothed to discuss net neutrality, and then used his free time in New Orleans to discuss why SOPA would be a bad law. As Hank is a huge proponent of making fun important, he prank calls people with positive facts (“Hi, this is Hank Green of the VlogBrothers, and I just wanted to let you know that cancer rates are decreasing significantly year over year.” ) John likes to get into complicated political and economic topics – the US debt, why we don't have the dollar coin, the financial crisis, oil pricing – taken on in under four minutes. He’s discussd why Islam is not a monolith and why people in poverty need empathy, not pity.
Hank explains net neutrality. Video screenshot by author.
Beneath the topics they discuss there's a deeper message: that policy and politics can be part of an intellectual life without overwhelming it, and that talking politics doesn't have to mean shouting. This makes a huge difference if you consider the VlogBrothers’ likely audiences. For 16 or 17 year olds, there are going to be a lot of fresh ways to be disappointed in the world coming up for you in the next five to ten years, but if the VlogBrothers made it through intact, and still give a damn, why can't you? 45 ♦ Somersault