Started from the Bottom: Benjamin Franklin and Drake Compared

In which John compares the Drake song "Started from the Bottom (Now We Here)" with Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography, two American dream narratives that turn out to be significantly more complex and problematic than they initially seem.

Videos from the #tfiosmovie set will return next Tuesday, but I've been wanting to make this movie for months, because I am weird.

Thanks to Harley, PA on the set of The Fault in Our Stars, without whose sweet sweet Internet access I could never have uploaded this video.

[leggoego]

Drake: "Started from the bottom now we here."
Ben Franklin: "Ascended from the abyss, henceforth we have transitioned into affluency"

[vlogbrothers]

Benjamin Franklin wouldn't have been Benjamin Franklin if he'd been born a woman, or been born black. Yes, there are rags to riches stories that transcend all kinds of oppression and disenfranchisement, but they all involve collaboration and support, not rugged individuals making it "on their own" (which is literally not possible). As I say in the video, I don't wish to denigrate Franklin's many successes, which many equally privileged (or more privileged) contemporaries failed to even approach.

[TwentyTenthEpisode]

Ha! "started from the upper middle now we're here" is so accurate haha!

[aubreymaldonado]

I am a high school English teacher, covering American literature,  and I showed this in class today. The kids loved it! Thank you!

[vlogbrothers]

In this week's video John Green  compares the Drake song "Started from the Bottom (Now We Here)" with Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography, two American dream narratives that turn out to be significantly more complex and problematic than they initially seem.


Started from the Bottom: Benjamin Franklin and Drake Compared

[BenJPas]

In which John Green basically predicts Hamilton.

[acetylene]

In terms of promoting collaboration, I like what newton said about his work:
"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants."

[lucymoon]

This and the Ai Weiwei exhibition have become my favourite vlogbrothers videos. The writing of this was so sharp!

[emilyblack]

That should be a tee shirt. If you can read this, Benjamin Franklin thinks you're ingenious.

[michelletang]

This is the type of amazing, enlightened thinking that lead to the cultural messiah known as the Broadway musical hit, Hamilton.

[thawkxing]

This goes a lot in line with what Malcolm Gladwell said in his book "Outliers." He explains that successful people are always aided by hidden advantages and opportunities that others aren't. Becoming successful is almost never done by yourself, you need outside influences and people to help you along the way.

[laurenglover]

I WOULD DO ANYTHING. ANYTHING. FOR JOHN GREEN'S RUNNING PLAYLIST. 

[kaitlynrenate]

This video is my favourite thing ever. Also, thank you for speaking so fondly of Canada. Its pretty great up here.

[FrankLightheart]

You know, I like learning about some of the more intimate details of historical people's lives. Over time we have a habit of romanticising great individuals and gloss over their flaws. Learning that Ben Franklin had a habit of over exaggerating his accomplishments reminds me that he was still human and not above stretching the truth in order to impress others. And in a weird way, that makes me appreciate him a little more.

[delaneybutler]

I like how usually John asks questions directed off-camera and then answers them himself, but this time the Yeti was there. I was not expecting that question to be answered.

[somethingtodowithme]

Drake had a swimming pool in his back yard. Any kid can tell you that if you have a swimming pool in your back yard, you ain't at the bottom; you are the fucking God of Summer Holidays

[Jonesfender]

So basically this is why Vlogbrothers exists as it is, because John and Hank acknowledge each other. They may not have started from the bottom, but this little piece of heaven that is this channel has been a colective work all along.

[imhellag]

Malcolm Gladwell's book Outliers has with the same premise and concepts but different (also very successful and noteworthy) people.

[MugiwaraSuponji]

i still think about this video 7 years later. i listen to a lot of hip hop and the motif of your entire team making it with you is SO prevalent in hip hop! which is something i love about the genre! im also beginning to view stories of "making it" through the lens of survivorship bias, especially when it comes to ~ingenious~ tech billionaires.

idk for some reason this was an impactful analysis on me!!

[damnlookathim]

"The success narratives we hear are almost always privileged narratives and they almost never acknowledge that privilege."

Word.