YWilliam Sledd began posting video blogs on YouTube three months ago, sharing his thoughts and feelings on everyday subjects from his dog to cell phones.
Last month, Sledd introduced the first in what has become a series of videos titled “Ask a Gay Man,” the majority of which have focused on fashion topics. While his viewership has been on the rise, Sledd’s “Ask a Gay Man: Denim Edition” put him in the YouTube limelight.
“I honestly didn’t expect that many people to like it,” said Sledd, 23, who lives and works in Paducah, Ky. “I figured it would get a lot of views, but I didn’t think they would fall in love with the ‘Ask a Gay Man’ setup.”
YouTubers seem to have fallen for Sledd and the denim episode in particular. The almost-five-minute video premiered Oct. 17 and, as of Wednesday, had been viewed more than 702,000 times. There have been 28 video responses from other viewers and some 4,000 comments offered, the bulk of which express gratitude for his advice and praise for the humor and the quality of his work. Of course, there are also viewers who are anything but fans.
In the video, Sledd, along with his co-host for the episode, a friend named Stephanie, dispense advice on denim that is both practical and farcical, from skinny jeans to why men shouldn’t wear women’s jeans. The pair plead with male viewers to never wear carpenter jeans “unless you’re a carpenter,” with Sledd suggesting that if carrying a hammer is a necessity, it should be carried in a “man bag.”
YouTube asked Sledd to create a four- to five-minute video that was free from music copyright issues that could be featured on the site’s home page. Denim was a subject Sledd felt would have the widest appeal.
“We tried to pick a subject that would cover an extremely large range of people,” he said. “We were trying to appeal to the biggest market we could.”
The exposure of another YouTube celebrity, LonelyGirl, as an actress, has aroused suspicion among the site’s users. Sledd’s recommendations for jeans and his wearing of a shirt from Gap’s new Red campaign had some viewers accusing him of being paid by the company, which is true in a sense. He has worked at a Gap store for six years, but he assured viewers in a follow-up video that the company was not financing his YouTube endeavors.
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Sledd said people seek him out in the store to ask if the retailer carries carpenter jeans. His managers have seen his videos and expressed their approval, but Sledd has yet to hear from anybody at Gap’s corporate level.
“There’s no telling what will happen when [they] find out,” he said.
The denim edition has raised the bar for Sledd, and instead of hundreds of subscribers to his previous videos he now has thousands. Sledd used to take an hour to make a video; he now spends three to five hours. Sledd’s YouTube channel is ranked as the 11th most popular in the history of the Web site, with more than 14,000 subscribers. He has also been approached by companies to endorse their products, and even a few talent agents, but he’s content with sticking with what he’s got for now.
“I’ve never had a desire to do TV or anything with film,” Sledd said. “This has never been a dream of mine. Right now, we’re just having fun.”