Meet Fred: a hyperactive six-year-old who has “anger management issues” and talks like a chipmunk on helium. As with Adam Sandler movies, it is hard to fathom why millions of people find Fred’s YouTube videos so funny.

Fred is a fictional character created by Lucas Cruikshank, a 14-year-old from Nebraska who is handy with a camera. Fred’s tales about his absentee father, alcoholic mother, schoolboy crushes and juvenile pranks have been watched by millions. His YouTube channel is the fourth most subscribed in the website’s history, more popular than old favourites such as lonelygirl15.

But after watching his videos, any sane person would have to conclude that if you ever met Fred, infanticide would be the only plausible option.

So what gives? If his Facebook page is anything to go by, Fred’s fan base seems to be girls under the age of 16 who think he’s totally, like, the cutest thing ever. If you don’t fall into that category, be warned, you’ll have trouble resisting the urge to headbutt the screen.

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