Where Did The 'I Like Turtles' Kid Come From? The Timeless Phrase Explained

Over the years, hundreds of entertaining and silly viral videos have emerged to become internet wide sensations. From memorable jokes and lines to familiar faces and cute animals, viral videos bring people together with their simplicity.

The very simple line "I like turtles" is something that may sound familiar to many people. Spoken by an excited young boy who got the chance to speak on live news. Who is this child and where is he now? The beloved turtle-loving kid, who he is and what is his story, the meme explained.

Who Is The "I Like Turtles" Kid?

The phrase "I like turtles" was spoken originally by a boy named Jonathan Ware at the very young age of just ten years old. Little Jonathan Ware was attending the Rose Festival in Portland, Oregon one day in May 2007. During this fun-filled day at the fair, he had had his face painted to resemble that of a zombie, creating his signature look.

By a stroke of luck, Jonathan was approached by a KGW news broadcaster, Nancy Francis, who prompted him to comment on his unique and impressive face painting. When posed with such a daunting and important question, all Jonathan could utter was the phrase "I like turtles," thus coining it forever.

A video copy of this event was uploaded to YouTube where it gained mass amounts of views and overwhelmingly positive comments.

How Is "I Like Turtles" Used In Memes?

The original phrase and video make for a wonderful meme all on its own. The sharing of the video and speaking of the phrase is where the true joy in it lies. However, of course, the line and Jonathan Ware's iconic look that day have been revamped and used in other memes all over the internet.

Though many different memes have been created about the video, they all tend to keep the original line and Jonathan's iconic face paint in the picture. The bulk of the memes created are of songs made from remixing the video, but also consist of merchandise and memorabilia to fan art and, of course, some alternate renditions and takes on the meme itself. The video and its phrase has been memed to the max and remain a well-loved moment.

Where Is The 'I Like Turtles Kid' Now?

Recently, Jonathan Ware has reemerged in the media's eyes as an adult. In July of 2023, the Paramount Pictures YouTube channel released an ad for their upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. The ad features Jonathan reliving his alter ego as the "I like turtles" kid by remaking the video.

For the full history of "I like turtles," be sure to "check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.