Hello, everyone in Dr. Gardiner's Hyper-Mediation in New Media seminar. I'm sorry I can't be there for Visiting Instructors Weekend. Although I never really thought of myself as an instructor; I still can't believe you guys are watching my videos in class. My mind... Blown.

Anyway, I have to be in New York for a conference that week, so I thought, to make it up to you, I would answer your questions, in the best way I know how, by making one last video, just for your class.

Sooooo, my name is Lizzie Bennet, and now I will answer your academic questions... or something. Man, I'm rusty!

[Intro music]

Dr. Gardiner sent me your questions, so, let's get started.

How is everyone doing? Give us an update.

Great, overall. Mom and Dad sold the house and moved into an empty-nester condo. And yes, I miss my room, I miss my neighborhood; mostly I miss the free storage space. 

Jane and Bing are in New York and I'm looking forward to visiting them when I'm there.

Lydia is doing really well, like surprisingly well. Although maybe you all wouldn't be as surprised. I found that the viewers were able to see my baby sister much more clearly than I was.

Charlotte is amazing. I keep trying to lure her away from Collins & Collins, but ever since Game of Gourds got picked up to a second season, she is FAR outside my price-range.

And Darcy is... good too.

Oh! This one is from Maria Lu. Hey Maria, how did you get into a grad-level seminar? Anyway, uh, what's it like running your own business? Does the first year match up with how you envisioned it in your prospectus?

Good questions, and a relevant one. The first year of business has been challenging, crazy, and amazing. The company has been building up a strong base of online content while we actively look to foster new talent.

And before you ask me if you can have a job when you graduate, know this: the most important thing we look for in content is that it have a point of view, that it has passion. If you're just looking to be online to get vaguely famous, then, you're not going to go too far.

Did everything that you reenacted in your videos actually happen or did you take liberties?

Yes, everything happened. I forget nothing! Although I will admit that some things were truncated because if I reenacted the whole thing then I'd be reenacting my entire life, and then we'd be stuck in a really long Charlie Kaufman film and no one wants that.

And there were times when other people took liberties in what they were trying to portray, such as:

"This dance is super slammin,' so is that Jane Bennet. I want to bang the [beep] out of her."

That did NOT happen. Bing never said anything like that. Trust me, I wrote it all down in my diary. Although he said something vaguely similar. There were layers. Layers don't always come across in costume theater, as you've likely explored in your seminar.

What was it like when your mother finally found out about the videos?

... Interesting.

We all want to know about you and Darcy.

I know, but I just don't feel comfortable talking about it. "[acting voice] Lizzie Bennet not comfortable talking about something? Has the world gone mad?"

One of the reasons I stopped making my videos was that I realized up to that point my relationship with Darcy had been lived out on camera, and if I wanted to give it a chance to thrive, I had to let it do so in private.

Actually, that was a really hard part about making my videos. Deciding what to share with the world and what to keep private. You establish a contract with your audience, but where's the line?

There were some things I didn't share in my videos, things that might surprise you. So just know that Darcy's great, and I'm great, and we're doing great together.

Okay, that's another Darcy question, and another one, and another one. Okay, seriously guys? This is supposed to be your chance to ask me about the process of making videos and working in the new media industry, not about my love life!

Dr. Gardner, I can't believe you approved these questions, except this one was written by you. Have you been talking to my mother?

Okay, how about this? I might answer some of these questions, but not until I talk to Darcy about it first.

[knock, knock]

Excuse me Lizzie, have you, uh... oh, you're umm.... filming?

Which I will do now and get back to you with an answer.

[Ending music]