These have had a recent boost in popularity with the advent of video sharing sites, YouTube and the availability of cheap cameras and animation software.
ðiːz hæv hæd ɐ ɹˈiːsənt bˈuːst ɪn pˌɑːpjʊlˈæɹᵻɾi wɪððɪ ˈædvɛnt ʌv vˈɪdɪoʊ ʃˈɛɹɪŋ sˈaɪts, juː tˈuːb ænd ðɪ ɐvˌeɪləbˈɪlᵻɾi ʌv tʃˈiːp kˈæmɹəz ænd ˌænɪmˈeɪʃən sˈɔftwɛɹ.