"It's a vlog series of Pride and Prejudice started by Hank Green."
"Oh, cool! Yeah, who is that?"
"You know, one of the Vlogbrothers?"
"Oh...never heard of them."
"They're on YouTube. They're kind of a big deal."
"Right. YouTube. That's where I watch Sail Kitty."
"God, what color is the rock you live under?"
Okay, that has been paraphrased a wee-bit, but I would actually consider that a pretty accurate account. Anywho, determined to be ignorant no longer--if there's one thing I can't stand, it's to not know or understand things--I hopped onto YouTube that afternoon, or maybe it was an afternoon later that week. I can't quite remember the exact timing now. Hmm. I guess I really have become an adult because my mind has begun to fail me. Regardless, I tracked down the Vlogbrothers channel and watched a couple of their most recent videos. Imagine my surprise that such intelligence, wit, and concern for current affairs could be found on the same platform that I had previously used just to satiate my need for videos of cats knocking down toddlers or of amazing sports highlights. I was immediately hooked. I went back to their playlist for 2007 and began. Approximately 3 months later I reentered the world a new woman (with enhanced procrastination skills).
YouTube is a slippery slope, however. I may have started with the Vlogbrothers, but I was soon entrenched in the LBD and Sanditon as well. When John Green went on paternity leave for the birth of his second child, many other YouTubers stepped in to fill the void. One of those lovelies was Grace Helbig from her DailyGrace channel. I may have been on the fence about her for a little bit--the humor was a tid-bit more crude than on the Vlogbrothers channel--but I soon overcame any little misgivings and joined the DailyGrace family. Grace said one time that (sung in a catchy tune) "Friends succeeded because it's so relatable!" and I found the exact same thing about her. She was an almost perfect mix of outright humor and more subtle irony, and her videos were a daily treat that could hold your Calculus homework at bay for approximately five minutes. And from Grace I discovered pretty much all the other YouTubers I have come to enjoy: Mamrie Hart, Hannah Hart, Zoella, Sprinkle of Glitter, Thatcher Joe, Jim Chapman, and Tanya Burr.
I have been absolutely loving the British YouTubers this fall. I do consider myself a bit of an Anglophile--I love Austen, Downton Abbey, Oscar Wilde, Will and Kate (and baby George now, yay!), and the whole history of that tiny island nation--and it is lovely to be able to peek into what living in modern England in like through the lenses of these people. Also, I adore their sense of humor. Some of the things Louise (Sprinkle of Glitter) says are spot on things that I would/have said myself. She is hysterical, and she and Zoella together are priceless. I'm also glad that having an obsession with candles is normal. I think this is why the internet succeeds: it manages to convince you that you aren't crazy and that you aren't alone. Even hipsters find communities of people like them, although I'm pretty sure that goes against the very definition of a hipster.
Do not even get me started on the cuteness of Jim and Tanya though. This post is already rather long, so I'll stop before I even get started on them.
I've just been so fortunate to stumble across these people this year. Even though I don't actually know any of them and probably never will, I feel somehow invested in their futures and concerned for their well-being. I laugh when they laugh, and if they have a bad day, I feel for them. I find myself checking the subscribers on It's Grace everyday to see how close she is to a million. Grace, I don't know you, but I'm sending you such warm wishes for your new channel!
On that note, Toodles!
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