Vlog #16 - Christopher Hitchens Dies

[nihonjenn]

Thank you for this...! This is one of the most thoughtful and equally entertaining vlogs about one of my favorite people ever. You added such rich and well articulated commentary about the essence of being an intellectual and a human; I relate to this so well and thoroughly enjoyed it. :)

[ClownzRevenge]

Every video of yours that i watch, makes me like you more, and more.

[anywiebs]

It was nice to actually hear someone raise their voice for intellectualism again!

[jrf185]

Brilliant! I am so glad WheezyWaiter linked to you. I agree with you that writing is incredibly important. However, I feel that more generally, we learn by doing. Whether that be through writing, painting, composing, vlogging, programming(one of my favorite ways), etc. Creating something really does help us learn in a way that merely thinking cannot. Anyways, you've got yourself a new subscriber. Well done :) I'll do what I can to promote you.

[SabrinaOfAllTime]

Today I used your arguments for being an intellectual in an English seminar, on how many students who graduate high school cannot think critically, my teacher was very impressed. Thank you. :D

[gise11e]

ok you are now officially my new favourite

[ChopperSakura]

@Nerdwriter1 do a video on veganism

[beakybug]

Steven Schama. The best.

[woohoowwww]

SUCCES, I think you just actually convinced me to write more. This was very, very, very extremely unbelievably inspirational, thank you sir!

[sergiobilbaosanz]

@woohoowwww I second that! You got yourself a new subscriber/fan!

[Linawk]

I didn't know about Hitchens, but there are A LOT of things I don't know about. Thanks for telling me about him. What I gather from the comments he seems to have been pretty opinionated and somewhat provocative. I really agree with his last statement in your video! All intellectuals /should/ have a great sense of humour. Just to mention the vlogbrothers and of course *cough* you. YES we should build an army Nerdwriter1! :)

[sheasf]

A poem he quoted when people kept bringing up his drinking and smoking as the cause for his illness (his father died of the same cancer):

First Fig

My candle burns at both ends;

It will not last the night;

But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends--

It gives a lovely light!

Edna St Vincent Millay

[sheasf]

Having attempted to watch all the Hitchens clips on YouTube, I'm reminded of the difficulty of that task, when new ones pop up, all the time--like the one you posted here. Thanks for that, and for the Black Label fact. It's early, but I inspired by your video to have one in honor of our shared love for gets-the-job-done blended Scotch, while I watch another Hitch Slap.

And nice job on the tribute. I think he would have appreciated the call for intellectualism. Not so much the moderation....

[HaploidCell]

I had an axe to grind with Hitchens because sometimes he was just being rude.

In some interviews he would not adhere to his own rules and interrupt the other debater, interviewee, etc. which sometimes ended in a shouting match and him leaving.

He also often debated people that were intellectually so beneath him that it seemed like kicking a puppy when it was down.

Yet, all in all, I cannot hold this against him. Everyone has a bad day or gets frustrated sometimes.

And debating assholes IS hard.

[itsmeagain0008]

I'm not sure if you've heard of Andrew Sullivan or his blog but he had a wonderful set of hitch related posts. They were often at odds but managed a fascinating friendship. Search:

The Dish Tribute To Hitch

[emmfan09]

I approve of everything Hitchens said in the last clip. Also, I also enjoyed your idea that every intellectual should write. I never really thought about how intellectuals who are dancers and painters and performers come across as intellectual instead of in, you know, conversation.

[kobeisbose]

Your getting bigger your k.I

n.d. videos gonna get me something cool :p

[alec52MINNESOTA]

This video should be shown to 90% of the people in my high school

[freezie656]

I have so many issues with atheists saying that religion will be the ruin of the world. So long as he never said that, I have no problem with him. But I'm pretty sure he did. So. Good eulogy, I'll mourn the death of someone so intelligent, but I won't do much else.

[Nichristi]

I applaud your videos. I never agreed with Hitchens on anything, (I am a devout Christian), but he was a fantastic speaker.

[MissSarcastic15]

 Wow... Sounds like he was a real joy to have around. (cough,cough NOT, cough)

[Nerdwriter1]

Thank you everyone for the nice comments. I want to build a following of subscribers who really want to watch the vlogs every week. I want us to be a force on youtube. And I want us to grow. Please share this video everywhere you can; facebook, twitter, tumbler, etc. Tell you friends and family to give it a shot. If they learn something or laugh, ask them to subscribe. Thanks!

[minkr1]

@Nerdwriter1 hi there, i like what your doing. consider your following bigger by 1.

[Teeftlis]

Writing is definitely a wonderful way to distill and express ideas. I feel like much of what Hitchens did was destructive (I'm an atheist myself), but at least he did get his ideas out there.

[CustardStig]

I am so glad I found your videos via P4A. You are actually one of the best, most interesting vloggers on YouTube.

[Nerdwriter1]

@CustardStig Thank you so much. Tell your friends!

[sweetlikedaim]

@CustardStig Agreed!!!! :D Thanks P4A :)

[robinna]

I believe intelligence is making a comeback... Then again, I am the most optimistic person I know.

[Nerdwriter1]

@robinna I'm pretty optimistic about it too.

[piip4]

@Nerdwriter1

Sittin' on tha toilet! *grunt grunt*

How's the optimism thing going now?

Anyway, I'm not sure I got your 'learn by saying rather than thinking'. I should be fairly clueless as I rarely say a word. In this video, you speak more than I would do in a month.

[andrewskiingsiegel]

You're so intelligent, it makes these videos so good.

[tuliptishuebox]

Ideas on how to live a good life. Fantastic.

[kmr15mhs]

Quickly becoming one of my favorite youtubers...

[mabyeabitmad]

I love how every video of yours teaches me something new but in an entertaining way. I hadn't even heard of Christopher Hitchens before now (please don't hate me - I'm only 15). but this was really interesting. DFTBA :)

[jml21000]

you. are. awesome.

[splicegrrl]

Hitchens, however troubling some of his viewpoints (such as on the war in Iraq) and however hard it was to reconcile those troubling viewpoints with his overall contribution as a public intellectual, will be missed. I think your celebration of intellectualism (we WERE doing so good in the Enlightenment!) is a great tribute to him.

[Nerdwriter1]

@splicegrrl I think his viewpoints are consistent with the logic of his life. Are they right? Tick your own box. But O he was so much fun! Thanks for the great comment.

[niceguy1068]

Am I the only one whose video stopped at 3:29?

[rebelwithoutacar]

This may be my favorite Hitchens eulogy. And what a brilliant defense of intellectualism.

[themefund]

Your editing is fantastic! Keeps the video engaging and the flow of words are never too much or too little. Your username is well deserved!

I do however wish that you would stop using possibly copywirted materials in your videos because I think you have a vast talent that you could be making serious money from, but not if you keep using the clips in ways that COULD be argued are not within the confines of "fair use"

You're good enough without them, lose them.

[themefund]

I do however disagree with what seems to be your assumption that non-writers = anti-intellectuals.

I think video and audio has allowed us to create amazing intellectual content without having to actually WRITE anything down.

"We learn by saying, not thinking" can also include the spoken word, not just the written one.

[Nerdwriter1]

@themefund I certainly didn't mean that all those who are not professional writers are anti-intellectuals. I meant that those who don't make writing any part of their life could not be intellectual.

[Nerdwriter1]

@themefund I know, I know. You're right, but I can't help myself!