The most popular Vlogbrothers video, explained

Brotherhood 2.0, later renamed Vlogbrothers, is one of the longest-running YouTube channels still regularly uploading content to the platform today. There's a lot of history there, but the channel's longevity means it's easy to go back in time to some of the most popular pieces of content ever made. The top spot is definitely a strange one (I'd expect nothing less).

Currently sitting at 16 million views, the video "Giraffe Love and Other Questions ANSWERED" remains the most popular video on the Vlogbrothers YouTube channel. Why it's so popular is possibly almost entirely due to the thumbnail and the 2009 YouTube algorithm.

The thumbnail is, well. You can look at it for yourself. You now understand, maybe, those 16 million views.

It's a John Green video, and a Q&A video in which one of the topics addressed is, quoted from the video description," the mating habits of giraffes." Why was that a question asked of a Vlogbrother? Because it was 2009. Again, I'd expect nothing less from infant Nerdfighteria. I'd expect nothing less from the Nerdfighteria of 2024, let's be honest.

This was before CrashCourse, before Complexly, before sharing facts became a credible, highly sought-after thing the Green brothers became well-known for outside of the weird community of nerds they created in the late 2000s (said lovingly). Admittedly, the answer to the question proposed in the video is quite fascinating, if you're into animal facts.

Listen, no one here is trying to hide the fact that even in the early days of YouTube you had to do anything and everything you could get away with to get more views. To do it in a way that's also educational is quite impressive. I'm not even mad that this is their most popular video. It's a masterclass in what the YouTube landscape of 2009 thrived on. Let us learn from it (in all the ways that matter).