YouTube stars make big money — but why?

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"The top 10 YouTube stars have one thing in common. They're awful. Just really, really bad. What I mean to say is, they suck. So who the hell is watching them? According to analytics and advertising company TubeMogul, these guys — and one gal —brought in six figures over the last year.

The "how" is fairly obvious. The money comes from banner ads — the revolving advertisements for Tortino Pizza Rolls, "World of Warcraft," Vitamix blenders, etc., that reload every time you click a video. The...