See YA author John Green hang out with President Obama
Following his State of the Union address, President Obama did a Google+ hangout with five engaged citizens -- including writer John Green.
Green is the bestselling author of the young adult books “The Fault in Our Stars,†“Will Grayson Will Grayson,†“Paper Towns,†“An Abundance of Katherines†and “Looking for Alaska.â€
He’s also a popular video blogger, with his brother Hank. Their vlogbrothers channel has also launched a record company, a stage show that went to Carnegie Hall, and a lot of awesome.
In the Google+ hangout, Green asks about how to turn the national conversation to policy rather than ideology, specifically about issues like climate change. Obama gives a sophisticated answer.
But first Green asked about pennies. He thinks the country should get rid of them; Obama wasn’t sure. “It’s one of those things where I think people get attached emotionally to the way things have been,†he told Green. “We remember our piggy banks and counting out all the pennies and then taking them and getting a dollar bill or a couple of dollars.â€
But it’s the end of the video that went straight to gif-dom. Allowed to ask a personal question, Green’s wife, Sarah, joined him on camera to ask what girl’s name they should pick for their baby-to-be: Alice or Eleanor. The president declined to choose -- but then he added John and Hank’s catchphrase, “don’t forget to be awesome,†something they clearly were not expecting.
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