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I know there is Google translater, but I …

Comment posted on Spiegel Online Interview by gio74

I know there is Google translater, but I hope the following is slightly more accurate (maybe less funny).
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“Intelligence is sexy!”

She is blond, blue-eyed – and clever. Marina Orlova, 27, has become an Internet celebrity with her etymological YouTube channel hotforwords. Her main feature: a very deep décolleté. In an interview with SPIEGEL ONLINE she explains why she uses sex to spread education.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Ms. Orlova, how did you come to the idea to explain in particular the origin of words on YouTube?

Orlova: I have two degrees in philology. When I came first to the United States as an au pair girl I worked in the first few years with an autistic child. That was very fulfilling for me. When the job was over, I had no idea what I should do with myself and my qualifications. One day in December 2006, a friend sent me an e-mail: “YouTube.com, look at the times.” That changed everything. I decided to make such videos.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Do you produce them on your own?

Orlova: I research the origin of words, I write my scripts and then I record the videos myself. I believe that people are much more positive with a video, if they are not have produced professionally.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: The “New York Times” called you “Sexiest Philologist in the world”, “Wired” and declared you to “World’s Sexiest Geek”. Does it disturb you or your boyfriend?

Orlova: I find it very funny – “Geek” is a kind word. For a boyfriend I have no time at all, because actually I work every day. But if you know any good singles, please let me know!

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Did you expect such a success?

Orlova: I’d had never thought that my videos are viewed over 131 mlillion times! It corresponds to roughly half of the population of the United States of America, completely crazy. At the beginning my videos were not being viewed very often. hen I got 1000 views for the first time, I was really excited. Six months later I got 100000 views and I could hardly believe that, because that was more than the population of my hometown.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: The suspect is that your sexy appearance is on purpose, that you try to become important in that way.

Orlova: Nowadays it would be definitely not easy to find so many people interested in philology and etymology. Therefore I decided to awake their attention with my look. When they click my videos they learn something and suddenly they get interested in etymology as well. This approach is a mix between appeal and education and it seems it works fine.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Isn’t it strange that you, as a Russian, explain to English natives their own language?

Orlova: At a first glance it might look strange. But since most of the words have their origin in Greek or Latin also people from other countries benefit from my lessons. Moreover, I do not really teach English, I just find out the history behind the words.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Do you have any problems when your “students” ask you unpolite questions or do comment only your look?

Orlova: As soon as you are succesful in Internet you receive a lot of sex oriented comments, or also comments full of hate. Also because people can comment anonymously. You learn to ignore all that and to put your focus on the positive and constructive comments.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Now you are reportedly planning a TV show and you are writing a book…

Orlova: That’s true. I have no idea how the book will be called, but probably the title will contain HotForWords. I publish it with HarperCollins. It will be a funny and entertaining book, with 80 photos of mine and 80 funny word origins and a couple of puzzles.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Where do you see yourself in one year time?

Orlova: I will be doing the same as I do now! I love it and I would never leave Youtube. Not even if I should ever get a TV show. I like the interaction that I experience everyday in internet. Furthermore, I would use Youtube to advertise my TV show. Everything evolves towards internet, I am quite at the right place.

Recent comments by gio74

Jennifer Moss Pics
Fantastic photos, my teacher! I was always browsing regularly the web to get more from these sets, I had patiently collected some, but these are just great quality!! And a lot of them. Jennifer Moss is a genius, almost like you . Great outfits, wonderful poses, the perfect synthesis of your philosophy “Intelligence is sexy”
Pics from Comic-Con
Fantastic photos, Marina! You are really a wonderful teacher. I hope you had fun there (it looks you did). What a luck you all vistors!
Nerd Word of the Day: Geeksploitation
Marina, you say you geeksploit yourself. Well, you could just geeksploit us as well!! There are many geeks worldwide dreaming for you to take advantage of them. Aren’t we all wannabe-teacher’s pets?
Nerd Word of the Day: Cleave-dar
ok, I admit it
Interview in Switzerland’s Blick Newspaper
Dear all,
once again Marina triumphed in the German speaking world! It is then my pleasure to provide a translation which, at least, is definitely better than google (ok I admit it is not that difficult )
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Marina from Moscow
“That’s how English for beginners should look like”
By Gabriel Brönnimann

She teaches English – and she has 183000 students just on Youtube: BLICK spoke with the most popular teacher in the world.

BLICK: Where does your passion for the English language come from?
Marina Orlova: I have two university degrees: one in Russian and world literature and one in English philology. Philology is about the study of the origin of words – this has always fascinated me. And I learned English because I thought that it is useful, in case I leave Russia.

BLICK: How many languages do you speak then?
Marina Orlova: Only Russian and English. But I know also Latin and Greek – however only reading, not speaking.

BLICK: Why did you move to America?
Marina Orlova: Originally to improve my English. I have applied within an au-pair exchange program and I watched after an autistic child for two years. At the same time I attended universirty here. Now I have been here for five years.

BLICK: You are welcome in Switzerland anytime. We have very special dialects and words with marvellous etymology.
Marina Orlova: I LOVE Switzerland – and what your country represents in history. I want to visit the country at any rate – Youtube has finally incredibly wonderful offices in Zürich, there are stored most of my videos. I have heard that there are fire-brigade poles between floors – you don’t need any lift!

BLICK: Why did you make your Youtube channel? Really to teach people, or to become famous?
Marina Orlova: I always wanted to become a teacher. In Russia I had a class of about 20 children. In December 2006 somebody sent me an e-mail and he told me: “Hey, look this Youtube stuff here!”. I thought, maybe in this way I can reach a couple of thousands instead of just 20 people. I’d had never thought that they would become 165 millions, never in my life!

BLICK: You are now a true Internet celebrity. Why is it? Can you still go around as before, or do you have to hide yourself like many Hollywood stars?
Marina Orlova: Well, I am ALWAYS working. From the morning to the night I am sitting in front of my PC and I answer comments and e-mails. My videos are watched several thousands times a day, therefore I try to answer as many comments as possible. I collect reqeusts and suggestions for new words, I write the script for new videos, I record new videos, I cut them I upload them. Every day there is a new video – this keeps me very bust! Therefore I hardly go out of my house. But if I do, then I get recognized. Yesterday for instance it was the gatekeeper of a club. And in that club a girl said she loves my videos. That’s cool, I should go out more often.

BLICK: How do you go around? Dressed like in your clips?
Marina Orlova: When I am not recording, I wear comfortable shorts, a T-shirt, no make-up and a cup of tea near my PC. But when I go out I wear similarly as I do for my clips.

BLICK: You are certainly aware that many of your fans do not wish primarily to learn English – but rather enjoy you and your outfits.
Marina Orlova: Sure, it is the specific of my channel. The people would hardly click a video if they knew that it is about the origin of words. It sounds quite boring. But if they know that there is a hot cheek to watch, then they click. And when I have their attention, then they notice that the meaning of words is in fact a very exciting thing!
There is also the prejudice, that boys like stupid girls. A lot of girls think so. I try to show that the opposite is true. It is cool to be intelligent, it is cool tu use the brain!

BLICK: Should maybe more teachers dress like you do? As to keep them motivated in the English course for beginners?
Marina Orlova: In the primary school I would say ‘no’, there it is not convenient. But 90% of my fans is beyond 21 and 30% beyond 40! The way I dress attracts people at the beginning. So it is meaningful to dress like I do.

BLICK: Any reaction from angry feminists?
Marina Orlova: No, they do not attack me. Honestly I receive a lot of congratulations from women that thank me for making intelligence sexy! If there were no substance behind what I do, then there would be certainly some critics. The people do think indeed, at the beginning, that I am a sort of silly “babe”, but after a couple of videos they realise what it is all about.
Of course there are a few women that call me a whore on Youtube. But they do so with all women, you learn simply to ignore that and to focus on the positive comments.

BLICK: Talking about bad comments – do you receive many of those? How do you deal with that?
Marina Orlova: One of the most difficult things for women that get famous in Internet is the amount of ‘hate mail’ they get. Because Internet allows the people to comment anonymously – so they can say the nastiest thing, without fearing any consequences. At the beginning this got me down – they called me “old”, “whore”, they said they hated my Russian accent, and so on – but the 14-years-old son of a friend of mine taught me something valuable. He told me that kids of his age would do all that sort of things only to obtain a reaction. They do not even really believe what they say. As I realised that I had to laugh. I read ALL my comments myself. The good and the bad ones.

BLICK: What would you like to do in future?
Marina Orlova: I’d definitely like to continue with the Hotforwords stuff! I simply LOVE it! And I have just written a book at HarperCollins – it is coming out at the end of August. A Game-Show with myself is also planned. As long as I love it, I will continue doing that!

BLICK: If you sit the whole day at the PC and never go out – do you have a boyfriend?
Marina Orlova: I am very single! Since I work so hard and hardly leave my house, it is difficult to meet anybody. So, men, contact me on my webpage www.hotforwords.com. Maybe I’ll break my rule and I will date somebody I get in touch with via Internet.