Since 2005, YouTube has been a platform for millions to express themselves through video to the worldwide web. YouTube has provided us with memorable moments like “Charlie bit my finger,” Chris Crocker’s “Leave Brittany Alone,” and more recently, Rebecca Black’s gem of a music video for her song “Friday” (CAUTION: avoid getting “Rick Rolled” or “Nyan Cat”-ed if you search for those videos).
Well, ladies and gentlemen, there is a new video phenomenon in town, and his name is Kingsley. He is a 20-something year old videoblogger that rants and raves about everything you wish you could rant and rave about. You may recognize him with his trademark furry winter hat, but at the beginning of 2012 he put the hat to rest (#ripkingsleyshat).
He began videoblogging in 2009 but did not have many followers until he created the alter ego “Kingsley.” The Kingsley persona is what he calls “his personality exploded times 100.” He made his first video ranting about Jonas Brothers’ fans, which was then posted on multiple Jonas Brothers fan pages. This, he claims, played a large part in creating his Internet fame.
In just over a year, Kingsley’s YouTube channel, It’sKingsleyBitch, has obtained over a million subscribers and over one hundred million views. Using social networks such as Twitter and Tumblr have worked to his advantage. In a video of his made in 2010, he gives a special thanks to Ashton Kutcher who tweeted his “Wild Animals at the Zoo” and his “Birds” video. Search the name Kingsley on Tumblr and you will find more pictures, GIFs, and videos than you will know what to do with. He has become what the Tumblr community would call “Tumblr famous.”
Kingsley videos are not for everyone, but if you are ever annoyed or frustrated with something, just let him vent for you. He is loud, harsh, and explicit, but he usually gets a very valid point across. A must-see video of his is “Overexposed: Hashtags, Swag, Leggo, Cool Story Bro.”
In a video he made for the 5th anniversary of YouTube, he told the story of how he became a YouTube phenomenon and Internet sensation. He says, “I got lucky somehow…and I’m not Irish.”