Oscar winners, start up founders, prize winning programmers and tech company CEOs step aside. After “five days of compelling presentations from the brightest minds in emerging technology, scores of exciting networking events hosted by industry leaders, … and an unbeatable lineup of special programs showcasing the best new digital works, video games and innovative ideas the international community has to offer” at Austin, Texas’ South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive Conference and Festivals, the people have spoken about what they really want to see more of on the internet: “Grumpy Cat.”
Right now, there is no bigger internet star than the nefarious furry feline with a forever scowl who appears to despise anything and everything, even all the attention heaped on her. The annual event showcased original music, independent films, and emerging technologies but the longest lines were to meet the cat who loves to hate. Attendees lined up around a city block with lengthy wait times in the rain just to snap a quick photo with the famous sour puss, often mimicking her cranky expression instead of smiling. There were several stars and CEOs that snuck into the Mashable tent to post a celebrity citing with the apathetic cat. With more than 3,000 related tweets each day, Grumpy Cat was crowned queen of the convention, but she really didn't care.
Tabatha Bundesen, of Morristown, Ariz., is the owner of the 11-month-old, mixed-breed kitten whose real name is “Tardar Sauce.” She’s actually a quite cheerful kitten. but a condition called feline dwarfism causes her to look so ill content. In September, Tabatha let her brother, Bryan Bundesen, post a couple silly pictures of her new pet’s pouty face on Reddit as a laugh. Six months later, the Bundesens have responded to public demand and built a business as Bryan describes it, “by accident.” He said, "We thought it would get some laughs, with the Internet liking cats. And it just kept going." Bryan now manages the website which attracts 1.5 million unique visitors a month, a Facebook page that’s been “liked” more than 600,000 times, a YouTube channel boasting 90,000 subscribers with 15 million video views, and the official Twitter account with more than 50,000 followers. All in the name of “Grumpy Cat.” Tabatha handles the supply of photos and guest appearances like SXSW. They don’t give an exact number, but Bryan told CNN Grumpy’s growl has grossed the family an amount in the mid-five figures.
Some people are concerned that the siblings are exploiting the seeming annoyed animal and have created the hash tag #freegrumpycat. Feeling that all the attention and handling would stress out the cantankerous cat, they alerted animal activist group PETA that grumpy cat would be attending SXSW. Upon investigation PETA learned that Grumpy Cat was only available for an hour at a time, two hours a day with a “look but don’t touch” policy when it came to the public taking pictures. PETA campaign specialist Ashley Byrne said there was nothing to be alarmed about and that the Bundesens were keeping a close eye on their beloved pet. Bryan says she’s not stuck in a feline version of the Truman Show. “Ninety-nine percent of the time she is just a regular cat. She is not in front of the camera at all times, she is a normal house cat and we love her.”
It’s clear the Bundesens aren’t the only ones who love Grumpy Cat. Adoring fans online and in line at SXSW embrace the adorably evil attitude of the crabby kitty. SXSW participant and Grumpy Cat fan Mason Peatross explains, "There's this great universal quality that Grumpy Cat captures. Everybody's got that grumpy moment where they just hate things. The cat just makes me laugh every time."
Image courtesy of Grumpy Cat
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