Maybe it’s because the onset of the holidays always puts me in something of a melancholy mood, or maybe because I’m again staring down the barrel of six bleak months of winter, but I can’t help but read lolcats these days without glimpsing at something of the heartache of the human condition.
In a piece a few weeks ago in Salon, Jay Dixit articulated it perfectly, when he wrote, “This is all funny stuff. But I submit that the true genius of lolcats lies in their tragedy.”
Lolcats, if you don’t know, is a web site and internet phenomenon that combines a photo of a cat with a funny, idiosyncratic caption in broken English—a sort of dialect known as “lolspeak,” “kitteh,” or “kitty pidgin,” which parodies the poor grammar and spelling of Internet slang. The name “lolcat” is a compound of the phrase “LOL” and “cat.” It’s simple, it’s goofy, and it’s stuffed full of references and self-references. Sometimes even I don’t get it, and I spend a lot of time online.
Its flagship site, Icanhascheezburger.com, will top a billion page views this year, and all of its photos and captions are submitted entirely by its fans. Readers upload thousands of home-rolled captioned photos every day, and six or eight of them are posted on the site. Last month, Gotham Books published the coffee table book, “I Can Has Cheezburger,” which helps to deconstruct some of the lolcat culture and lore.
I’m not much of a fan of cats, but still I check in with the felines on lolcats almost daily. I started because it’s a quick pit stop, and it’s often hilarious.
In words, I tried to explain how funny some of it is, but I ended up sounding like my stoner friend Ross from college, who would get baked and then launch into a maddeningly complex story that looped around and back on itself, sprinkled liberally with verbal footnotes: “I knew this guy… Well, I didn’t really know him, I knew his sister, and she was more like a friend of a friend. Actually, you know her… remember that dude from that sociology class, freshmen year? Okay, not him, but that guy who sat next to him….? I think. Uh… wait. No, not him…”
Anyway, this is one of those times when a picture really is worth 1,000 (otherwise convoluted) words:
Like I said, maybe it’s my mood, which lately has been colored a shade of funk. But like Dixit, I’ve been seeing a lot of the human heart in the cats lately: a sort of reflection, rendered in fur and four paws, of our own aches, fears and desires. For cheeseburgers, certainly: The site was launched on the premise of a cat intent on grasping the Holy Grail of the “cheezburger.” But for so much more, too: love, fulfillment, belonging, fortune and glory, all of the very things that lurk in our heart of hearts.
“[What's] funny is what’s sad,” Dixit writes. “My favorite lolcats are not the rapscallions pining for ‘cheezburgers’… but rather a brilliant and underappreciated subgenre of sad lolcats — tragic figures of grief, yearning and unrequited love.” Like this:
And finally, from the spinoff Walrus “lolrus” page:
The world can be a harsh place, the animals say. Love is patient, love is kind, love is never envious or arrogant with pride, and all that. But love, maybe a little like the holidays, makes you vulnerable to all kinds of sadness and heartache. Paradoxically, love stinks, as the cats and J. Geils and I guess most of us know.
There’s an empty seat at the Thanksgiving table where someone used to sit, or might have. There’s an empty place beside you in the lamplight, where you thought you’d have a friend. There’s always the threat that love will disappear, and sometimes, it does. And as for that walrus in the pool, I guess that’s something else entirely: the stuff lurking beneath the surface of the water, the stuff that fixed the panic in his button eyes, the stuff that brushes against your leg in a dark pond, well… that’s just creepy.
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Giggling and awwwwing.
Indeed this day on particular, it’s good to laugh and good to remember, but especially good to realize that being vulnerable to sadness and hurt makes us human. There’s love that goes along with being human that we’re lucky to experience.
I think I might be the lone voice of dissention, but I do enjoy the holidays. Winter’s my favorite season (strange and unnatural, yes, I know, I’ve heard) because I love staying in with a cuppa cocoa and a movie or hitting the ski slopes or snowmobile trails equally.
Until this year, my Christmases were simple (because I was living happily at home and still in school). Then my boyfriend’s parents got divorced, and mine just did this past June. Last Christmas morning, my mom welled up and said that it was the last Christmas we’d all have together because I was planning to move out in the summer/fall. Now I know it’s the last we had as a single family unit in the house I’ve lived in since 7th grade.
So as much as I’ve loved the holidays in the past, it’s going to be difficult this year. Given all that, though, I’m doing my best to remain cheerful and hopeful that the Christmas season is more than just family drama, but a time to celebrate what we have and be glad. I dare you to listen to the music from The Nutcracker ballet and try not to dance. It’s much harder than it seems!
And on a happier note, there’s nothing better on a Monday morning than an RSS reader full of LOLcats, LOLdogs, Pundit Kitchen (that’s the government one, with a happily liberal slant), and ROFLrazzi (the celebrity site, generally formatted like the motivational posters found in offices everywhere). The Cheezburger family of sites makes me smile like an idiot, and that’s just what I need sometimes.
I think I might be the lone voice of dissention, but I do enjoy the holidays. Winter’s my favorite season (strange and unnatural, yes, I know, I’ve heard) because I love staying in with a cuppa cocoa and a movie or hitting the ski slopes or snowmobile trails equally.
Until this year, my Christmases were simple (because I was living happily at home and still in school). Then my boyfriend’s parents got divorced, and mine just did this past June. Last Christmas morning, my mom welled up and said that it was the last Christmas we’d all have together because I was planning to move out in the summer/fall. Now I know it’s the last we had as a single family unit in the house I’ve lived in since 7th grade.
So as much as I’ve loved the holidays in the past, it’s going to be difficult this year. Given all that, though, I’m doing my best to remain cheerful and hopeful that the Christmas season is more than just family drama, but a time to celebrate what we have and be glad. I dare you to listen to the music from The Nutcracker ballet and try not to dance. It’s much harder than it seems!
And on a happier note, there’s nothing better on a Monday morning than an RSS reader full of LOLcats, LOLdogs, Pundit Kitchen (that’s the government one, with a happily liberal slant), and ROFLrazzi (the celebrity site, generally formatted like the motivational posters found in offices everywhere). The Cheezburger family of sites makes me smile like an idiot, and that’s just what I need sometimes.
Though I never much got into the LOLcats thing, my guilty pleasure is its sister site the Fail Blog (failblog.org), which points out the absurdities of life (and often of marketers). Guaranteed to make you laugh if you get tired of cats.
BTW, that last pic was apparently miscategorized and clearly should have been in the lolsealz site.
Though I never much got into the LOLcats thing, my guilty pleasure is its sister site the Fail Blog (failblog.org), which points out the absurdities of life (and often of marketers). Guaranteed to make you laugh if you get tired of cats.
BTW, that last pic was apparently miscategorized and clearly should have been in the lolsealz site.
Note to self: Don’t send Blaire to Ann’s blog again… ;]
Note to self: Don’t send Blaire to Ann’s blog again… ;]
I think feeling melancholy during the holidays is normal. It’s okay to miss people we love – we love them after all.:)
I’ve personally never gotten into LOLcats, but “He said he would meet me.”…that one hurt (sniff).
I think feeling melancholy during the holidays is normal. It’s okay to miss people we love – we love them after all.:)
I’ve personally never gotten into LOLcats, but “He said he would meet me.”…that one hurt (sniff).
Ann,
I am a Dog dude. Had a cat. I don’t like their tude. Of course, they are easier to have as pets, cuz they do their own thang.
If their was a site like the Cheezburger one for dogs, I would probably frequent it as a respite for the everyday ups and down of life.
Anyway, great writing. {as usual}
Now, back to MY funky mood.
RUFF.
Joel Libava
Ann,
I am a Dog dude. Had a cat. I don’t like their tude. Of course, they are easier to have as pets, cuz they do their own thang.
If their was a site like the Cheezburger one for dogs, I would probably frequent it as a respite for the everyday ups and down of life.
Anyway, great writing. {as usual}
Now, back to MY funky mood.
RUFF.
Joel Libava
Hi Ann.
Thanks for this – you really got me thinking now about the philosophy behind Lolcats. And here I was thinking they were just for fun!
It’s true though – the reason we like them so much is not so much because they’re cats, but because we’ve personified them with human qualities – and it’s those simple human blunders and hopes that really make for the success of Lolcats. I’d even offer that the same would hold true if it had been Loldogs (well, that actually exists now) or Lolpandas or some other animal (though I must admit that cats can be the silliest and most expressive of the animals but then again, I’m a cat person).
Hi Ann.
Thanks for this – you really got me thinking now about the philosophy behind Lolcats. And here I was thinking they were just for fun!
It’s true though – the reason we like them so much is not so much because they’re cats, but because we’ve personified them with human qualities – and it’s those simple human blunders and hopes that really make for the success of Lolcats. I’d even offer that the same would hold true if it had been Loldogs (well, that actually exists now) or Lolpandas or some other animal (though I must admit that cats can be the silliest and most expressive of the animals but then again, I’m a cat person).
With each of your posts I read, I get a little more scared – we think way too much alike! LOL
I love that site. It just sets any day right.
)
With each of your posts I read, I get a little more scared – we think way too much alike! LOL
I love that site. It just sets any day right.
)
Blair, Blair, Blair. You scare me at times. Please enjoy your retirement.
1. Just because I watched Michael Phelps on TV doesn’t mean that I expect to swim 5000 meters. Or 2, for that matter. Way too literal. I was inspired, however to train for my first triathlon at the age of 49.
2. I am down with that.
3. “Anti-Christmas”? Yes, let’s boycott the birth of the Savior because you hate a season of love, joy and celebration. A ‘raging’ luau’s going to fix THAT!
4. Yes, overcommercialization is ubiquitous . So to your point, we should all hate Mother’s Day?!
5. I’ll give you that one too. Sunlight boosts spirits. Just go outside if you can, not to a booth.
And LOLcats, is funny, you haters! Ann is right. Relating to the human condition is humorous, poignant and ridiculous…enjoy it.
Joanie
Blair, Blair, Blair. You scare me at times. Please enjoy your retirement.
1. Just because I watched Michael Phelps on TV doesn’t mean that I expect to swim 5000 meters. Or 2, for that matter. Way too literal. I was inspired, however to train for my first triathlon at the age of 49.
2. I am down with that.
3. “Anti-Christmas”? Yes, let’s boycott the birth of the Savior because you hate a season of love, joy and celebration. A ‘raging’ luau’s going to fix THAT!
4. Yes, overcommercialization is ubiquitous . So to your point, we should all hate Mother’s Day?!
5. I’ll give you that one too. Sunlight boosts spirits. Just go outside if you can, not to a booth.
And LOLcats, is funny, you haters! Ann is right. Relating to the human condition is humorous, poignant and ridiculous…enjoy it.
Joanie
What great writing ann!
I often wonder what’s so funny on LOLcats when the captions make the cats look stupid. BUt “the dog looks pissed” is hilarious and cheered me right up for some bizarre reason.
the “he said he would meet me” is a heart breaker, and so is your description of missing someone we loved. we all have that….
thanks for a wonderful read, as always.
can’t wait for your book.
What great writing ann!
I often wonder what’s so funny on LOLcats when the captions make the cats look stupid. BUt “the dog looks pissed” is hilarious and cheered me right up for some bizarre reason.
the “he said he would meet me” is a heart breaker, and so is your description of missing someone we loved. we all have that….
thanks for a wonderful read, as always.
can’t wait for your book.
It took me a while to stop laughing and compose myself sufficiently to write a comment. That lolrus caught me entirely by surprised…the funniest thing I’ve seen in ages. And it works on so many levels!
It took me a while to stop laughing and compose myself sufficiently to write a comment. That lolrus caught me entirely by surprised…the funniest thing I’ve seen in ages. And it works on so many levels!
The cat looking in the oven … LOL funny!
The cat looking in the oven … LOL funny!
I’ve looked at their loldogs site too, and although they’re funny and I love dogs, the lolcat site always makes me laugh more. I wonder why…perhaps because cats take themselves so seriously? I don’t know.
I’ve looked at their loldogs site too, and although they’re funny and I love dogs, the lolcat site always makes me laugh more. I wonder why…perhaps because cats take themselves so seriously? I don’t know.
Hello there, this is my first time to your site. I found it by the referral from Shannon Paul’s site.
You know this year, I had a very different Thanksgiving and the holidays are taking on new meaning for me. I was honest with my family this year about who I am, not who I think they want me to be and I really did not care about their reaction.
My family is a very educated uptight bunch of folks and it would not be P.C. to fall out laughing over sites like Icanhazcheeseburger.com.
To fix the holiday blues, I recommend everyone focus on being more authentic. You may not be able to be fully authentic, but just be a little bit more authentic. See how that works with you.
Use laughter and creativity to be that more authentic part of yourself.
Happy holidays.
Hello there, this is my first time to your site. I found it by the referral from Shannon Paul’s site.
You know this year, I had a very different Thanksgiving and the holidays are taking on new meaning for me. I was honest with my family this year about who I am, not who I think they want me to be and I really did not care about their reaction.
My family is a very educated uptight bunch of folks and it would not be P.C. to fall out laughing over sites like Icanhazcheeseburger.com.
To fix the holiday blues, I recommend everyone focus on being more authentic. You may not be able to be fully authentic, but just be a little bit more authentic. See how that works with you.
Use laughter and creativity to be that more authentic part of yourself.
Happy holidays.
Joanie
Speaking of way too literal….I think you misunderstood. I love Christmas. I love it because I dont let myself get manipulated by unrealistic expectations. Anti Christmas simply meant refusing to buy into the “perfect Christmas” fantasies that simply cause disapointment. I dont hate the season of “love, joy and celebration.” I was offering lighthearted coping tips. Reality: Many people see this as a season of commercial bloat, lonliness and depression. And uh…Joanie…Christmas celebration began over four thousand years ago, centuries before the birth of Christ.
Joanie
Speaking of way too literal….I think you misunderstood. I love Christmas. I love it because I dont let myself get manipulated by unrealistic expectations. Anti Christmas simply meant refusing to buy into the “perfect Christmas” fantasies that simply cause disapointment. I dont hate the season of “love, joy and celebration.” I was offering lighthearted coping tips. Reality: Many people see this as a season of commercial bloat, lonliness and depression. And uh…Joanie…Christmas celebration began over four thousand years ago, centuries before the birth of Christ.
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Annie…Hope that your spirits have lifted by now…sorry that your not a cat person… those four “love sponges” need some diversity…how about adding a cat to your menagerie…not just any cat but a “Siamese” cat…love my two…Sammie knows the sound of my car and greets me at the door raising up and pawing my leg…and folks say cats are too independent??…not my experience….I’d be suspicious of “Sonny” boy and his “inturakchun”…beware…
…loved Iyabo Asani’s remark…”Use laughter and creativity to be that more authentic part of yourself.”…Cheers to all who read this…Marnie
Annie…Hope that your spirits have lifted by now…sorry that your not a cat person… those four “love sponges” need some diversity…how about adding a cat to your menagerie…not just any cat but a “Siamese” cat…love my two…Sammie knows the sound of my car and greets me at the door raising up and pawing my leg…and folks say cats are too independent??…not my experience….I’d be suspicious of “Sonny” boy and his “inturakchun”…beware…
…loved Iyabo Asani’s remark…”Use laughter and creativity to be that more authentic part of yourself.”…Cheers to all who read this…Marnie
The cat under the streetlamp broke my heart, punched it, smacked it, hit it with a baseball bat, cut with a chainsaw, and even nibbled at it a little.
Then it squeezed out all the blood in my heart, hissed at me, and walked away.
In short, if I had a working heart left, it would be totally upset by that picture.
But I also looked at the walrus picture and giggled like crazy.
The cat under the streetlamp broke my heart, punched it, smacked it, hit it with a baseball bat, cut with a chainsaw, and even nibbled at it a little.
Then it squeezed out all the blood in my heart, hissed at me, and walked away.
In short, if I had a working heart left, it would be totally upset by that picture.
But I also looked at the walrus picture and giggled like crazy.
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this is the stupidest shit ever
This is great! I think reading this, I loved every word. Seriously, keep posting the good information, bloggers like myself need it.
Then it squeezed out all the blood in my heart, hissed at me, and walked away.
In short, if I had a working heart left, it would be totally upset by that picture.
But I also looked at the walrus picture and giggled like crazy.
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