YouTube's Fred is first online video star to break 1M subscribers

YouTube's Fred Figglehorn, the screechy, chipmunk-voiced Internet star, has become the first person in the history of online video to amass 1 million subscribers. In less than a year, the child phenom -- portrayed by 15-year-old Nebraskan Lucas Cruikshank -- has passed every other filmmaker, artist, company and silly cat on YouTube to become the most subscribed-to act. 

Fred's online fame earned him a guest spot on kiddie TV powerhouse iCarly in February. His monotonically increasing popularity remains as befuddling to some as it does obvious to others.  Opine about Fred's annoying voice or lack of interesting character traits, and you will be deluged with caustic "you don't get its" from his legion of supportive fans, as well as defended by almost as many scoffing detractors.

But numbers don't lie, and when it's numbers time, Fred comes correct. With close to 250 millions views on only 36 videos, a gaggle of subscribers, and, according to YouTube, tens of thousands of dollars in monthly income, he is a pint-sized force to be reckoned with. Not bad for a plucky farm kid with a camcorder.

Both Fred and Cruikshank thank their audience in this video (be sure to turn down the volume).

-- David Sarno