The History & Origin of Cat Memes: From the 18th Century to lolcats; Or, How Cats have Basically Changed the Internet and the World Furever
Sewell, Claire; Keralis, Spencer D.C.
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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/105506
Description
Title
The History & Origin of Cat Memes: From the 18th Century to lolcats; Or, How Cats have Basically Changed the Internet and the World Furever
Author(s)
Sewell, Claire
Keralis, Spencer D.C.
Issue Date
2019
Keyword(s)
lolcats
memes
literature
photography
popular culture
viral media
media archaeology
Abstract
Animal trainer Vicki Hearne, following poet John Hollander, described cats as “infinitely interpretable texts,” and authors and artists have inscribed meaning onto cats in a variety of media for centuries. On the Internet, cat memes gained popularity in the mid-2000s, but with this timeline we argue that their origins stretch back to at least the 18th century. Our timeline traces the evolution of cat memes from 18th century emblems through the rise of Internet popular culture.
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