Introduction
The 10-Year-Old Kind Zombie of YouTube
Every year, we witness various internet phenomena, from horseless cowboy to egg-breaking world records or David, the 7-year-old boy after dentist.
One of these phenomena that joined the realm of internet fame in 2007 is a 10-year-old boy named Jonathan Ware. He became known on the internet, especially on YouTube, as “The Turtle-Loving Zombie Kid.” His simple statement “I like turtles” became his ticket to fame, heard by millions via YouTube.
The Original Viral Video
A Fitting Response to the News Anchor’s Question
If you haven’t seen the viral video yet, watched by over 74 million people(in 2024) on YouTube, you can do so now.
Story
An Ordinary Interview in the Making
It’s a summer day in 2007, and the Ware family is attending the Rose Festival in Portland. By chance, there’s a local news crew from KGW covering the event, and their attention is drawn to Jonathan, the 10-year-old son of the family, who has painted his face like a zombie (or Frankenstein). The reporter approaches Jonathan and asks him live on air about the face painting resembling zombies, to which the pivotal moment of the story emerges as Jonathan Ware utters:
“I like turtles.”
The Second Video
Jonathan’s Interview Goes Viral a Month Later
Following the airing of the interview by KGW, someone uploaded the video to YouTube, and a month later, it gained such traction that Fox News covered it, and The Washington Post published an article about its virality. YouTube was flooded with various remixes of the video.
Furthermore, the news team that conducted the interview didn’t remain idle; they embarked on a quest to find the young Jonathan. Eventually, they found him and his family and produced another video interview with them.
The Reason Became Clear
Why Jonathan Gave This Response
Jonathan explains that he was very stressed during the moment of the interview and had no idea what to say. However, near the booth where face painting was happening, there was a display with a turtle image, and upon seeing it, Jonathan decided to say, “I like turtles.” It’s worth noting that Jonathan has many pets, and the inspiration for this statement could have stemmed from there as well.
The Family Interview
The Ware Family’s Thoughts on the Video
When, after a month, KGW visited the Wares’ home, all family members discussed the incident.
First, Jonathan’s older sister said: “I was there next to Jonathan during the interview, and when he said that sentence in response, I immediately asked myself why he said that.”
Initially, the family had no idea about the video going viral, or even that it was on YouTube until Jonathan’s younger sister’s friend messaged her saying: “Do you know about your brother? He’s really famous on YouTube!!!”
After realizing the video’s viral nature, T-shirts, bags, and hats with Jonathan’s image were put up for sale on an online store (which is now inactive).
Jonathan’s younger sister added: “One of my friends contacted me wanting to buy one of the T-shirts, which was really strange for me. My brother’s face on my friends’ T-shirt.”
