By Stone Martindale Aug 10, 2007, 5:26 GMT
The latest internet video star "I like turtles' boy" has surfaced again after his non sequitur hit the airwaves in a nightly newscast, then was copied on YouTube and other websites.
For weeks, a video of a May 31 KGW-TV interview of a young boy painted in zombie face paint at the Rose Festival has had millions of views on YouTube and other video websites and blogs.
The 10-year-old star of a video clip Internet sensation surfaced over the weekend after his teenage sister heard about his fame on the Web site MySpace.
'Turtle' boy Jonathon Ware of Milwaukie, Oregon and his family astounded by his sudden fame
Ware just finished fourth grade at Riverside Elementary. His claim to fame: He likes turtles.
When asked by a reporter what he thought of his zombie face paint, Jonathon stared zombie-like into the camera lens and said, “I like turtles!”
Hundreds of Internet viewers have written comments on the “I like turtles” video, goofing on the random comment and giving Jonathon instant fame.
Jonathon was oblivious to his fame until his sister Kim told him about a message from a friend on her MySpace page. It said, “Kim, Do you know about your brother? He’s freakin’ famous!”
VIDEO: turtle-boy
Jonathon told KGW-TV he likes the attention. “I’m thinking I’m famouser (sic) than a lot of other people. It’s really funny to me.”
KGW-TV asked why he like turtles so much:
In the Waterfront Village during the Rose Festival, before getting his face painted, Jonathon and his sisters stopped at a nearby display of turtles. They clearly made a big impression on Jonathon, and he said he was still thinking about them during the television interview.
“I was just having nervous thoughts in my mind and thinking about turtles,” he said. “I found a snapping turtle there that was really cool and I just wanted to blurt it all out.”
Before he knew it, Jonathon had a cult following, complete with one Web site - Cafepress.com - selling “I Like Turtles” merchandise. It includes T-shirts, caps, buttons and messenger bags with Jonathon’s zombie face and his iconic comment.
Jonathon's family was shocked by the attention this has brought. “Just unbelievable,” said Brian Ware, his father to KGW-TV.
“Some of my friends want to buy the shirts with my brother’s face on it,” said sister Kim. “It’s still kind of weird.”
KGW-TV uncovered the fact that Jonathon does not have a turtle. The animal-loving family has three dogs, four cats, two birds, two hermit crabs, a lizard and a gecko.
Your Talkback on this Story