If you're male and you haven't come across Marina, the very sexy Russian 'Wordsmith' before... then I can assure you you're going to enjoy this!
Marina Orlova is her full name... and she proves intelligence is sexy!
Marina is a YouTube celebrity and the lady behind (or is it in the forefront) of HotForWords, a site (apparently) dedicated to teaching students across the globe about the intricacies of language.... at least that's what the supposed basis is!!
As a way of introducing her to you (it's the best I can do I'm afraid)... here's one of my favourite recent videos of her, showing Marina teaching us... a 'Cure for Hiccups':
Apparently, Marina's love for words began because she wanted to learn English. "In Russia the best way to do that is to study philology, which gets into the origins of words," she says."This makes learning so much more interesting, and the result was that I eventually became a teacher for about 20 high-schoolers back in Russia.
It was a lot of fun, and the students never seemed to miss class!"
No, I bet they didn't. Hardly surprising!
Though she never planned on becoming an internet celebrity, Marina says it just happened. One day, she received an email that inspired her to reach out to new students, via the web.
"My two degrees in philology were going to waste and one day in 2006 a friend sent me an email which said ‘YouTube.com - check it out.’ That email changed my life! I immediately created a channel and started uploading videos."
The rest as they say... is history... as now, her videos have been viewed over 170 million times!!
With a new word each week, her virtual classroom grows daily. Her calendar girl good looks and intelligence have granted her quite an audience, but given the choice... would she rather be pretty or smart? "I'd rather be smart!" she says.
Yes Marina... quite right... me too!!
Call me an old cynic... and I really don't want to spoil any of the fun... but come on guys... I'm as red blooded as you... and there's no doubting the fact that Marina is delicious and sexy (and quite amusing too)... but you just got to see through this!! This is just a different (and clever granted) take on an age old idea... a new perspective in offering us red blooded males (with perhaps more money than brains)... SEXY ladies in the media!!
I bet my bottom dollar (not sure if that's a well chosen phrase) that Marina is not the only one 'behind' HotForWords... there's a hell of a lot more going on in that background... believe me... including a few clever techie geeks and marketing people!
But... do I care? Not a bit... in fact, I take my hat off to Marina today... for maximising her very obvious potential... and very attractive upfront future... in fact... I've joined 6,843 others and am now following her updates on Twitter... we don't want to miss our weekly dose of interesting etymology now do we??!
The Joy of Six 1292
2 hours ago
8 comments:
Good JOB...Keep up the good Work!
Hey Cybernest,
I understand where your doubts about Marina are comming from, and I have to say that I had my own as well. If you watch a few of her older videos though and see how much she evolved, you will understand that she is, in fact, the one behind HotForWords. Apparently she records and edits the videos herself, which is not really a rocket science, and she maintains her website (a WordPress portal), and that too is easier than it sounds. Of course, there are many people willing to help her, and so they do. Some of them become "Teacher's Assistants", but most of them do it just for the fun of it.
As you can see by watching videos from different timeframes, Marina is still learning on her own. She went on from using MacBook integrated webcam to an expensive HD camcorder, she now has studio lights set up in her recording room and recently began to use a green screen effects. The editing is done in FinalCut Pro, and this too, matured with time. The early videos looked rather amateur-ish, and I really doubt someone planned this all from the beginning. Back then there was no YouTube Partner programme, so really, what would be the point?
If you don't belive in her and want to check her out, it's easy to do. You will probably find that she used to be a bikini model and was apparently using artistic name for it. This hardly a secret, after all, she uses the pictures in the videos herself, and the dates fit in her bio. I have to say that even if her diplomas turn out to be just a marketing ploy (I have no proof of this at all) I really belive that she is the "brain" behind HotForWords. The real Marina, answering comments, shooting videos and posting pictures on twitter.
As for me, a foreigner living in an English-speaking country, Marina's little show helped me a lot.
Thanks guys... for your comments... and Leonard for your kind words!
Student... very aptly named methinks... I am happy to take everything you say onboard... no problem!
However and whatever she's doing... she's doing a great job and is loved for it... and quite rightly so. I wish her... (and whoever else sails on HotForwords) all the very best! Marina's given me a good laugh today... just wish I could get one of her famous calendars.... or a little signed pic!! heh heh!
All the best and thanks for visiting and your comments! :)
"I bet my bottom dollar (not sure if that's a well chosen phrase) that Marina is not the only one 'behind' HotForWords... there's a hell of a lot more going on in that background... believe me... including a few clever techie geeks and marketing people!"
Time to pay up!
Marina is a one woman show. She collects words, researchers the origins, writes her own script, films, edits, posts, build her website, markets, does interviews, responds to 1000's of emails, and takes care of her buddy Gorby her dog.
I'm the lead assistant which is an unpaid volunteer position that works with a few great assistants. Though we do much work behind the scenes, Marina does the bulk of the work. For example it took us 9 days to ensemble her birthday post. Marina assembles her post on a daily basis. As you can see she has an incredible talent in many areas. I think that is a reason we are drawn to Marina.
Captain Jack
T.A. for HotForWords
Time to pay up?? heh heh I don't think so Cap'n Jack!
By your own admittance... and that of Student's (see comments above) you have both confirmed what I'm saying... that there ARE plenty of others helping Marina in the background... which is all I said!
I've also said, (see my post here) that I am in full admiration of Marina's varied and exceptional talents... and have 'doffed' my hat to her.
I can well understand why people like you would want to help Marina... I'd fall over myself (and you) to help her too... where I in the vicinity, I'd be banging on her door right now!! :)
By the way... nice 'get up' Cap'n... and very appropriate for the 'Lead Assistant'!! :) I'm ex Navy myself (Royal Navy 'sparker' in my case) and I know the ladies appreciate a handsome fella in uniform. Marina is a lucky girl!
Thanks for passing by... and commenting shipmate!
Saludos! :)
I guess you are right after all, Marina does get some help. I wouldn't call it "in the background", though, it's all out in the open. If you follow her long enough on her site you will know how it works. You got those replies from me and Captain Jack because you kinda made it sound like she has some team of secret employees or co-workers who watch over her show because it's their job. I assure you that it's nothing like this.
Peace :)
I guess the other questions are - who pays for all this and who paid for the boob job?
Some idiot just arrived on this page, having searched Google for 'marina orlova transexual'!! I think this guy should have gone to SpecSavers! lol
Thought all you 'students' of the lovely wordsmith would be interested and amused to hear this!
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