KGW
It’s very easy to look at the early days of YouTube through rose-colored glasses, but I don’t think it’s a huge stretch to suggest there was something unique about an era that spawned some viral gems that hold up to this day.
I’d argue a major part of the appeal of legendary clips like The Alabama Leprechaun is an amusing randomness made possible by a lack of context that wouldn’t really be possible in a day and age where some of the people featured in that video probably would’ve appeared on a bunch of major talk shows and start an OnlyFans if it was released today.
With that said, it’s also hard to hate on anyone who feels the urge to capitalize on their 15 minutes of internet fame—including one person who waited a very long time to cash in.
In 2007, a ten-year-old named Jonathan Ware spent the day at the Rose Festival that was hosted at Waterfront Park in Portland, Oregon and got the chance to reflect on his experience with a local news crew that interviewed him shortly after he sat down with a face painter who transformed him into a zombie.
However, Jonathan declined to offer much insight into what the fair had to offer when the microphone was thrust in his face, opting instead to utter the three iconic words that made him a first-ballot Internet Hall of Famer: “I like turtles.”
I highly doubt most people reading this woke up this morning and thought, “I wonder what I Like Turtles Kid is doing with his life?”
However, anyone who’s been curious about his fate may appreciate a video of Ware (who is now in his mid-20s) reprising his signature look ahead of the release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem in a promotional video where he utters his iconic catchphrase before disappearing quietly into the night.
Thanks for making me feel old, Jonathan.