Colleen Ballinger, 24, has made her claim to internet fame by creating videos on YouTube as the character of Miranda. The Santa Barbara, CA native, currently living in New York City, began making these videos December 2007 as an inside joke with her friends. By March 2009, her YouTube popularity had sky rocketed. Over 40,000 YouTube users have subscribed to her channel, mirandasings08, and she has received over 13 million views on her videos total.

Q: How would you describe the character of Miranda?

A: Miranda is a comedic character that parodies bad singers on YouTube.

Q: What gave you the idea of Miranda?

A: I used to have an obsession with watching people butcher songs in their bedrooms on YouTube. I actually still have an obsession with watching people butcher songs in their bedrooms. I started to put them online as an inside joke. I never thought anyone would see them.

Q: What kind of reaction do you get from your family and friends?

A: They all think I’m insane. Everyone is very supportive but they all think I’m a freak. I guess I am. I made a career out of being hideous and untalented.

Q: What kind of reaction have you received from viewers on YouTube?

A: I have a mixed reaction. I have wonderful fans that couldn’t be more supportive. I’m so grateful for the people who watch and love my videos. They are devoted “Mirfandas.” I also have “haters” who want nothing more than to see me hit by a bus. I almost love the haters more than the fans because they provide me with hours of laughter from their hate mail. It’s hilarious!

Q: How has your fame on YouTube affected your everyday life?

A: My entire life has changed since Miranda. I was working at Disneyland and auditioning for shows in LA, and now I tour the world with my one woman show. I have agents and managers that found me through Miranda, and I have met so many of my role models because of it as well.

Q: What’s your favorite part about making videos?

A: The reaction from the viewers. I love that people can comment and tell me how much they love or hate the videos. It makes me feel like they are a part of the journey.

Q: What gave you the idea to start vlogging as Miranda?

A: My dad actually suggested it!

 The JagWire staff recommends checking out two channels on YouTube.

Alex Day is one of the few video bloggers (vloggers), out of the thousands and thousands on YouTube who claim to be funny, who actually makes his viewers consistently laugh out loud. Day’s saracastic and slightly raunchy sense of humor is one that appeals especially to teenagers and young adults. Day, of London, found his fame after creating a series of videos where he reads the popular young adult novel Twilight chapter by chapter, adding his own commentary, most of the time critical, as he reads. Now he is also a relatively successful recording artist having recorded and sold four albums in the last couple years, compiled of songs he first performed on his YouTube channel.

Recommended videos: “Alex Reads Twilight- Chapter 1,” “Pokemon What Happened to You”

Charlie McDonnell is currently the most subscribed vlogger in Great Britain. He has been making videos since 2007 and currently has over 25 million channel views. His most recent videos, from the last year, tend to fall into two categories: music videos of his original songs performed on his ukulele or Challenge Charlie. Challenge Charlie is a series started over a year ago where he accepts various challenges from his subscribers to complete in a video. So far they have included everything from painting his body completely purple, learning how to make balloon animals and, the most well known, dying his hair bright red. Charlie’s upbeat personality and sense of humor is the key to his success. Dec. 1, 2010 he released his first solo album featuring all of his most popular songs posted on his channel.

Recommended videos: “A Song About Love,” “Best Friends,” “Wall of Stuff”