Good Job, Bub!

September 7, 2013 5:00 AM

Vice has posted the entirety of Lil' Bub and Friendz, a movie about Lil' Bub and the culture and business of online celebrity cats and memes.
posted by Pope Guilty (33 comments total)

I have to admit...
posted by Decani at 5:57 AM on September 7, 2013 [2 favorites]

I missed lil bub's book tour the other night in NY. Devastated. Can't click now.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 6:21 AM on September 7, 2013

I know a guy that knows the guy that lives with lil bub. He's desperately allergic to cats, so when his band tours through town, he has to sleep in the van while his bandmates spend the night playing with Lil Bub. Think about that.

Picture a young man, gazing through a dirty windshield at a lighted window, behind which, out of sight, sits Lil Bub, the Godhead, the fountain of all joy, whom to gaze upon just once, just to see let alone to pet and kiss, would be the greatest moment of his life, even though it would likely kill him. Such is human existence.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 6:30 AM on September 7, 2013 [36 favorites]

Lil Bub is a cute cat and all, but there was always something that stuck me as a little infantalizing and ableist at giving Bub a kid's voice.
posted by ShawnStruck at 6:34 AM on September 7, 2013

Lil Bub, the Godhead, the fountain of all joy

Now I'm picturing a future in which humans have divided into various sects based on cat memes.

"Prepare to die infidel, only Tard is worthy of mankind's worship. Renounce Lil' Bub or taste my sword."
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 6:57 AM on September 7, 2013 [11 favorites]

How this managed not to be called Frisky Business is beyond me. Maybe a name conflict with a knockoff porno?
posted by srboisvert at 6:57 AM on September 7, 2013 [2 favorites]

Now I'm picturing a future in which humans have divided into various sects based on cat memes.

Why wait for the future, when we can make that happen now?

Chant with me...

Pattycake, pattycake, baker's man...
posted by sutt at 7:00 AM on September 7, 2013 [3 favorites]

My best friend just did a painting for the Lil Bub art show where Bub's a space princess in an astronaut helmet.
posted by bitter-girl.com at 7:02 AM on September 7, 2013 [4 favorites]

Grump for the grump god. surliness for his throne.
posted by The Whelk at 7:24 AM on September 7, 2013 [9 favorites]

All hail Trogsly, King in the North!
posted by nicebookrack at 7:45 AM on September 7, 2013 [2 favorites]

mr. muffins and I went to see the documentary when it was at the Seattle International Film Festival. It was nuts. The line went clear around the theater. mr. muffins wore his Lil Bub tee and we got a lot of attention from fellow Bub-ites.

The film is kind of short, so the festival organizers decided to have an opening act of sorts -- a curated compilation of adorable cat videos from the internet. Being in an auditorium full of Bub enthusiasts, all positively brimming with love and adoration for felinekind, all crying "Awwww!" as each cute cat appeared on the big screen -- it was a pretty singular experience.

The film gets kind of tense toward the end when it discusses a health scare. I wept a little. It was probably the closest thing to a religious experience I'm likely to have. Anyway, if you like Bub, watch the movie and keep the tissues handy.
posted by trunk muffins at 7:56 AM on September 7, 2013 [1 favorite]

"The film gets kind of tense toward the end when it discusses a health scare."

I saw the film when it was screened in Bloomington, following a meet-and-greet photo op with Bub. When I watched this part of the film, I got nervous and I thought to myself, "Did Lil Bub die??" ...completely forgetting that I had met her barely over an hour ago.
posted by Nedroid at 8:05 AM on September 7, 2013 [7 favorites]

Now THAT's excellently built dramatic tension, Nedroid!
posted by nicebookrack at 8:07 AM on September 7, 2013

That was my vicarious dose of cat for the week. Thanks!

And good job, whoever chose this to include on the soundtrack.
posted by maudlin at 8:12 AM on September 7, 2013

A new cat. With a (whole bunch of cardboard) hats.
posted by jeather at 8:19 AM on September 7, 2013 [4 favorites]

I gotta say that that serial killer guy and those two guys who were manipulating their cat's mouth were disturbing.
posted by dobbs at 8:39 AM on September 7, 2013

Is it weird that I use Metafilter and Reddit as my two primary sources of INTERNETS and I still did not know who the fuck Lil Bub was? Before the video started I thought maybe that was a new name for Bubb Rubb. Totally different.
posted by m0nm0n at 8:48 AM on September 7, 2013 [3 favorites]

Lil Bub is a cute cat and all, but there was always something that stuck me as a little infantalizing and ableist at giving Bub a kid's voice.

IM IN UR TUMBLR

                                     ,
              ,-.       _,---._ __  / \
             /  )    .-'       `./ /   \
            (  (   ,'            `/    /|
             \  `-"             \'\   / |
              `.              ,  \ \ /  |
               /`.          ,'-`----Y   |
              (            ;        |   '
              |  ,-.    ,-'         |  /
              |  | (   |        hjw | /
              )  |  \  `.___________|/
              `--'   `--'

CRITIKKIN UR PRIVILIJ
posted by DaDaDaDave at 9:18 AM on September 7, 2013 [13 favorites]

Bub's voice is supposed to be a kid's voice? Weird. To me, Bub's voice is more of a benevolent alien voice. You know, since she's from space and all.
posted by palomar at 9:41 AM on September 7, 2013 [2 favorites]

Lil Bub is a cute cat and all, but there was always something that stuck me as a little infantalizing and ableist at giving Bub a kid's voice.

Bridavsky describes her look as "perma-kitten" and I'm pretty sure that's what it's based on.


"The film gets kind of tense toward the end when it discusses a health scare."

I got teary-eyed and bummed out by it, but this post on her tumblr talks about how traveling seems to help her health problems and why.
posted by Pope Guilty at 10:36 AM on September 7, 2013

Picture a young man, gazing through a dirty windshield at a lighted window...

Potomac Avenue, is your acquaintance Brian Posehn?
posted by dhens at 11:05 AM on September 7, 2013 [2 favorites]

I like the cats. They are good.

I'm also thinking of the days a few decades hence when we'll be looking back on the odd popularity of cats in celebrity culture of the period we're living through. Why were they *so* into their cute cats? Did they fulfil some sort of cultural need that other celebs didn't provide? (This alone spawns the department of fuzzycuteness studies).

Nah, just kidding. We'll never get over 'em. That's their whole niche.
posted by aesop at 12:16 PM on September 7, 2013

For Lo! Grumpy Cat is jealous, and He revengeth, and is furious; the Surly Lord will take vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserveth wrath for his enemies!

And behold, His voice is loud and terrible. He thunderith from Above, and hath not a small and squeaky voice.
posted by BlueHorse at 1:50 PM on September 7, 2013

_{Grumpy Cat is a girl
Just want to roll that in there before we go nuts with the Capital He's in our worship.}
posted by Joviwan at 3:40 PM on September 7, 2013

I quite liked this -- there were a couple bits there were a little "oh, yeah. Vice." Like the poop cleaning up and the thing with the party at the studio that seemed kind of out of nowhere with the "Taste the rainbow" shirt and stuff, which made me glad I didn't ask my neighbor's kids if they wanted to watch too... but it was pretty enjoyable. And I do like watching cats!
posted by Rev. Syung Myung Me at 4:30 PM on September 7, 2013 [1 favorite]

(also, I loved the main Bub Theme -- does anyone know which particular piece of music in the credits that was?)
posted by Rev. Syung Myung Me at 4:34 PM on September 7, 2013

Grumpy Cat is a girl

Ah, well...yes.
So embarrassed. And that does explain the smitings.
posted by BlueHorse at 4:48 PM on September 7, 2013

For lo, Grumpy Cat is a girl, and she did encounter Li'l Bub in the sight of scores of thousands, whereupon we did witness them meeting. And though they were small in stature and flufy, we did tremble.

And lo, upon their meeting, there was some aprehensive sniffing, and some disinterested side-eye, and that's pretty much it. Then L'il Bub did trundle about the stage, and she did sniff many things, and Grumpy Cat gave no fucks.
posted by louche mustachio at 5:49 PM on September 7, 2013 [3 favorites]

While I could step into this holy war espousing the values of the more tranquil Eastern paths of Shironeko or Maru, I think instead, I'll just link these, which just went up for pre-order:

10" Grumpy Cat Plush by Gund

11" Grumpy Cat Plush by Ripple Junction
posted by radwolf76 at 6:13 PM on September 7, 2013

Pope Guilty, the revelation that traveling improves Li'l Bub's bone health makes me very happy. I always feel a little bad for celebrity cats made to travel, since most cats I've known have been decided homebodies, but the travel making Li'l Bub feel better makes a pleasant trade-off.
posted by nicebookrack at 3:15 PM on September 8, 2013

Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am Grumpy Cat. However, soft plush is acceptable in mine eyes.
posted by BlueHorse at 3:49 PM on September 8, 2013 [2 favorites]

I unabashedly, unironically love Lil Bub and I will totally watch this later. Thanks!
posted by jess at 12:57 PM on September 9, 2013 [1 favorite]

Bub AMA on Reddit! She answered my question! :3 !
posted by Pope Guilty at 4:50 PM on September 10, 2013 [3 favorites]