The case for censorship on YouTube in one word: Fred
Odd, Tech : Duncan Riley
Posted: June 21, 2008

If you haven’t seen Fred yet, Fred is the HOTTEST sensation on YouTube at the moment, with his videos being watched by millions of people. If Fred were a TV show in most countries, he’d be topping the ratings (scary).

So above a dose of Fred, and below some more Fred as well. I’m not sure if watching Fred induces the need for ritual suicide, computer destruction (as I want to pick my computer up and throw it out the window) or just anti-libertarianism (as in I really believe in free speech but I wish someone would censor Fred).

Bonus takeaway: these videos are either professionally produced or sponsored by ZipIt. Here’s my advice: don’t buy anything from ZipIt and tell your friends not to as well. Sponsors of pollution must die :-)

Fred Stalks Judy (over 3m views). Notice the Zipit product placement

Fred loses his meds (nearly 5m views)

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  • June 21, 2008 at 7:27 pm AJ Kohn
    Are those hoof beats I hear? Four of them?
  • June 21, 2008 at 7:27 pm Charlie Anzman
    Classic Duncan "Sponsors of pollution must die"
  • June 21, 2008 at 7:31 pm Robert Seidman
    Damn. I watched 30 seconds of one video and I need to go read Steve Gillmor just to take the edge off.
  • June 21, 2008 at 7:31 pm Anthony
    Yea, this guy obviously sucks. But you are promoting him by posting all those videos. To tell you the truth, you just furthered the amount of traffic hell get by exponentially posting this junk. I would have never heard about Fred if it were not for you. This guy definitely sucks, but who are you to say that he cant do what hes doing. You dont have to search and watch his videos, you are not being forced. So whats the point here, because someone posts a series of bad videos, you somehow pull authority and imagine they should be censored? Lame..this post was a pile of garbage.
  • June 21, 2008 at 10:57 pm Duncan Riley
    Charlie, tongue in cheek...mostly :-) But visualize my words in Fred's voice for better context :-)
  • June 21, 2008 at 11:03 pm Mark Trapp
    Haha, Robert. I'm quoting you on that.
  • June 21, 2008 at 11:28 pm Akiva Moskovitz
    AJ, wouldn't that be just one horse?
  • June 21, 2008 at 11:30 pm Duncan Riley
    Anthony, taking the piss is obviously a completely foreign concept to you, isn't it? If you can't take a joke, I don't want you in my FriendFeed feed. Hitting block in 3...2...1...
  • June 22, 2008 at 6:33 am AJ Kohn
    @Akiva: No, four horsemen of the apocalypse :)
  • June 22, 2008 at 6:58 am Todd McKinney
    I read the question as: Four hooves = one horse. Four horsemen would bring the sound of 16 hooves, assuming the apocalyptic horses are of the "standard 4 legged" variety.
  • June 22, 2008 at 7:19 am AJ Kohn
    @Todd: Good point. Could be misinterpreted. Joke - Fail. :(
  • June 22, 2008 at 7:47 am Akiva Moskovitz
    Todd, that's what I was alluding to as well. Although the image of the Four Horsemen each on one-legged horses is rather amusing, too.
  • June 22, 2008 at 8:01 am AJ Kohn
    @Akiva: That is funny. Peg leg apocalypse! Sounds like a Python gag.
  • June 22, 2008 at 8:02 am BCK
    I had never heard of this incredibly annoying person prior to my 13 year old sister constantly watching his videos. I vote this as more reason kids should have limited internet access. like yahooligans and a kid youtube
  • June 22, 2008 at 8:35 am Tad Donaghe
    I find Fred pretty harmless and relatively amusing. There's much, much worse things for kids to be watching. Of all the myriad twisted sick sh*t on the internet, Fred is kind of like Leave it to Beaver. Maybe he'll make kids want to suck more helium. Or, maybe he'll inspire some kids to make their own stupid videos and in turn learn how to edit video, etc etc etc. I give Fred a parental thumbs up. Just turn the damned volume down!
  • June 22, 2008 at 9:41 am Iain Baker
    for the full horror, try playing two or three vids at the same time :(
  • June 22, 2008 at 1:32 pm Adam Lasnik
    I feel smugly secure knowing that this twerp will have to live with himself in the years to come. Have fun in high school and college, Fred! ("Hey, weren't you that lame-ass who sold out to ZipIt in exchange for making a fool of yourself...?)

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