William Sledd is a video star of the new generation, and is potentially a hero for everyone's generation.
Sledd, 23, is a star of YouTube, the popular video-sharing Web site where users upload, view and share video clips. Sledd has been doing that for about a year, with enormous success as the site's resident fashion adviser, especially for women's clothes.
His video blog, 'Ask a Gay Man: Fashion Edition' has become one of the popular blogs on YouTube, with more than 51,000 subscribers.
'Last year, when I hit 1,000 subscribers, I thought it was incredible,' Sledd said. 'My goal was 5,000 subscribers, and I even wrote 5,000 on a Post-It note and put it on the wall. I remember thinking, 'Man, it would be so awesome to get that many subscribers.''
Well, he's well past that prediction, thanks to his hip, witty, straight-forward approach. Sledd tells fashion like it is, or at least how he thinks it should be.
'It's totally surreal, totally crazy. I can't believe that more than 50,000 people like my videos enough to subscribe,' he said. 'That's just nuts to think about; it's insane, especially since I just started doing it for fun. Now it's turned into career possibilities and so much more.'
Sledd signed a contract with NBC Universal, a development deal, 'so there's no telling what's ahead. But it definitely will be a change.'
The jovial Sledd, with the free-flowing hair, lives in Paducah, Ky., where he's the manager of the local Gap. He rejects local press inquiries because he tries to keep Paducah and his home life 'as normal as possible.'
But he gets media requests from around the world. And also fan e-mails from almost every country. He clearly is an international hero, thanks to the worldwide reach of YouTube. 'The thought that it's an international thing, not just a local thing, is crazy,' he said. 'My life has changed in so many ways, it's crazy. I've done things that I never, ever would have imagined doing. Last fall, if you had told me that I'd be doing the things that I'm doing, I'd say you were crazy.'
Let's see, he's been to New York and Los Angles for fashion-related meetings several times this year alone. He's had dinner with Rosie O'Donnell and considers Christine Ebersole one of his best friends. He was in a recent issue of Elle magazine and will be in the August issue of Glamour.
'It's just nuts,' said Sledd, who has spent about six years working in retail. 'I love the feeling, the satisfaction of making women feel powerful [ from their clothing. ] I love the satisfaction that I get from them feeling good.'
Sledd posts new videos about once a week, which he has produced and edited all himself. 'I started by making these silly videos and people really liked them,' he said.
'I don't really have any goals for myself, mostly because this isn't something I really wanted to do.'
Sledd's biggest hit came with a mid-October video, 'Ask A Gay Man: Denim Edition,' which has been watched more than 2.6 million times. Sledd is among the top 40 most-discussed videos of all-time on YouTube. 'That is just shocking,' he said.
Sledd jokes that he spends about 20 hours per day on his computer, including the two 15-minute breaks he gets at the Gap.
'The iMac has changed my life. I owe everything to my iMac,' Sledd said.
GETTING TO KNOW … William Sledd
Age: 23
Status: Gay; boyfriend of five years, Tom, also 23.
Hometown: Paducah, Ky.
High School: Reidland, Class of 2002
Favorite TV Shows: Sex & The City, Dancing With The Stars, Ugly Betty.
Favorite Movie: The Color Purple.
Little-known fact: 'I'm such a geek it's ridiculous. My favorite thing, for instance, when I get a new electronic toy is to read the manual.'
I'm better than everyone at: 'Having fun.'
Ten years from now...: 'I want to have children. Not many people would expect that from me.'
On coming out: 'It's a lot easier nowadays because people are a lot more and more tolerant every day. I think it's almost coming to the point where it's celebrated instead of looked down upon.'
On the TV show The View: 'I don't think it'd ever happen, but that would be the coolest thing to ever happen in my entire life [ to be asked to co-host ] . That would be amazing. If a gay man was on the show, women would love that.'
On other gays: 'I get so many e-mails, especially from teenagers who think they're gay or have trouble coming out. That's something I would really love to help with.
Gay pride: He has never been to a gay pride parade, but was invited, all-expenses-paid, to the New York City Pride Parade.
Ultra-taboo fashion: Crocs shoes and overalls. 'It scares me that someone would actually pay that much for a pair of shoes that are made of plastic.' ( Crocs are the seemingly fashionable clogs that come in neon colors. )
What's with the hair?: 'It's my hair; it's fabulous.'
