Feline History Moment

November 2, 2007 11:26 AM

Finally, the Ben Burrns history of the LOLcat.
posted by ObscureReferenceMan (37 comments total)

1:15, brilliant.
posted by nims at 11:32 AM on November 2, 2007

I actually LOLed at the "Kitteh rights activist." Also at, "although he may never has that cheeseburger." I wanted to hate this, but it's wonderful.
posted by uncleozzy at 11:38 AM on November 2, 2007

This was way better than I thought it would be. The inclusion of kitteh "experts" was genius.

PBS KITTEH SAYZ "I CAN HAS MORE DOKUMTREEZ PLZKTHXBAI"
posted by WolfDaddy at 11:51 AM on November 2, 2007

I loved it! But Firefox hated the G4 player, so here's a Youtube link.
posted by maryh at 11:52 AM on November 2, 2007

Ben Burns?
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 11:52 AM on November 2, 2007

amusing, and I am not a lol cat fan, I almost wish it was longer, not much, perhaps a total of 5 mins or so,
posted by edgeways at 11:52 AM on November 2, 2007

SCDB, you really should watch it if you're going to comment. Makes you look less ignorant.
posted by Eekacat at 11:57 AM on November 2, 2007

No, Steven C. Den Beste, Ben Burrns.
posted by piratebowling at 11:58 AM on November 2, 2007

I'm in a swamp of confusion here. Cute meme that I'm nonethless sick to death of, taken on in an amusing fashion by lousy writers and lousy voice actors who nonetheless hit a few high notes.

I weep for the better video that this could have been if made by someone who, on account of better talent and budget, would probably never bother to make it because, at that point, why would you bother?
posted by cortex at 11:58 AM on November 2, 2007 [1 favorite]

But cortex, it's funny and charming because it's hack. If it tried to be "clever" in any significant way, it'd be just like all the other unfunny, tries-too-hard hipster bullshit on the web. Not that I'm saying it's the end-all-be-all of funny (which is, incidentally, Shovel to the Head), but it's better than most of the junk out there.
posted by uncleozzy at 12:07 PM on November 2, 2007 [1 favorite]

I enjoyed that much more than I should've. I actually watched the whole thing.
posted by slogger at 12:10 PM on November 2, 2007

That was pretty good, but I dislike the notion that some words and phrases - kitteh, "I can has" "ur", even LOLcat itself - even have an actual pronounciation, or if they really only exist in the typed, internet world. I wouldn't pronounce it "loll-cat" myself, since the whole joke is that it's an abbreviation, but "ell-oh-ell-cat" doesn't make any since either.

I have the same problem with insipid television commercials that feature little kids presumably speaking in instant-message speech.
posted by yhbc at 12:18 PM on November 2, 2007

LOLcat history just isn't complete without a link to The Laugh-Out-Loud Cats.
posted by maryh at 12:21 PM on November 2, 2007 [3 favorites]

since, sense. At least I didn't spell it "cents".
posted by yhbc at 12:22 PM on November 2, 2007

The assassin bit got me.
posted by Cyrano at 12:22 PM on November 2, 2007

I have the same problem with insipid television commercials that feature little kids presumably speaking in instant-message speech.

TISNF!
posted by danb at 12:29 PM on November 2, 2007

Boo-urns.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 12:54 PM on November 2, 2007 [3 favorites]

Was Ben Burns involved in making War of the Words?
posted by homunculus at 1:27 PM on November 2, 2007

I suppose I'm way not uncool for the room, but I still get a chuckle out of the occasional LOLcat. And LOLtheist. This was just too good to pass up.

And, I actually agree with cortex. It could have been way funnier with a little effort. But still, I liked it.
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 1:41 PM on November 2, 2007

RIP Happycat.

.
posted by anthill at 2:05 PM on November 2, 2007

I am doing a service to the MetaFilter Community by NOT making a Front Page Post out of EdgeCurve's Caption Game Does a LOLcat. You're welcome.

"HA! I just gave away the dog on Craig's List. Yessss!"
posted by wendell at 2:21 PM on November 2, 2007

I was prepared to hate this as last month's humour, but Razzmatazz had me ell oh ell.
posted by Nelson at 2:32 PM on November 2, 2007

I can not has actual pronounciation for kitteh?
posted by Artw at 2:40 PM on November 2, 2007

Thats funny yhbc when I heard LOLcat spoken, it didn't sound right. I thought the video started off good with the Egyptian bit, but kind of faltered after that.
posted by Sailormom at 2:42 PM on November 2, 2007

Did you know that 26% of all emails contain a LOLcat photo?

I don't know about you guys, but 0% of my emails contain LOLcat photos.

I hate to be a stick-in-the-mud, but I loathe cheezburger-speak. I get a bit embarrassed for the writer when I think of all the effort that goes into crafting alternate spellings or pronunciations for words.
posted by necessitas at 3:48 PM on November 2, 2007

was anyone else reminded of the Chris Morris brass eye bit where it says 'the ancient egyptians worshipped cats because they thought they were funny' and then it shows that (two of) of the pyramids at giza are actually the ears on a massive underground cat head.

that was funnier.
posted by leibniz at 4:02 PM on November 2, 2007

Probably a good opportunity to post this.
posted by ORthey at 4:09 PM on November 2, 2007 [2 favorites]

Related- Bobo: An Intimate Portrait

[not really related]
posted by quin at 4:13 PM on November 2, 2007

My IT-professional fiancé is online every day and has never heard of lolcats. How is this possible?

Note: never, ever try to explain a meme without an example available.
posted by desjardins at 4:18 PM on November 2, 2007

Lolcat? I say ell oh ell cat. But I do say lolrus. Because it rhymes, you see!
posted by sugarfish at 5:17 PM on November 2, 2007

You actually say ell oh ell?! LOL! Let me tell you, young people today are not only pronouncing it lull, the word is often spoken aloud in place of actual laughter.
posted by finite at 1:50 AM on November 3, 2007

If you'd like to learn how to speak like a pro-gamer IRL, just watch some episodes of Pure Pwnage.
posted by finite at 1:52 AM on November 3, 2007

I know, it's square of me. I don't do the mega word shortening in text messages, either. What do people have against vowels? And get off my lawn.
posted by sugarfish at 7:33 AM on November 3, 2007

I've heard my own mother say "butts ell oh ell". Heh.
posted by cortex at 8:20 AM on November 3, 2007

My IT-professional fiancé is online every day and has never heard of lolcats. How is this possible?

She's lying. Break up with her now.

See what I did? Just saved you an AskMe.
posted by maryh at 2:31 AM on November 4, 2007

I've heard my own mother say "butts ell oh ell". Heh.

My brother's #1 Myspace buddy is Jesus. Ain't the web somethin'?
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 2:51 AM on November 4, 2007

I liked it and all, but lolcats started with ICHC? It's like Caturday never existed. ICHC was the beginning of the end.
posted by mosessis at 4:48 PM on November 4, 2007