LOLCATZ
I love a good LOLCATZ. The purity of the term has been corrupted though by its too liberal application to almost any funny cat photo posted on the Internet. Internet authorities like Wikipedia offer mushy, open-armed definitions that allow cute, yarn-whacking kittens to dive into and pollute the LOLCATZ pool willy-nilly. It’s time to set the record straight.
First, there is a difference between LOLCATS and their purer form, LOLCATZ.
An LOLCAT is any photo of a cute cat along with an irony-free caption. Example (photo credit):
Awwww. Cute. LOL. But not LOLCATZ.
An LOLCATZ is a photo similar in content, but one that captures the aggressive stupidity found in some parts of the Internet, such as 12-year-old boys who grew with the Internet their entire lives. (photo credit: LOLcatz)
The best LOLCATZ photos have an in-your-face attitude. All of them employ crudely written captions and are obviously ironic. Finally, they are science-fiction, a dire vision of the Internet extrapolated from the online habits of a few people who haven’t been fully socialized.
Here is a short quiz. LOLCAT or LOLCATZ?
1. Vet Cat
2. Bullets Cat
3. Idea Cat
4. Chips Cat
5. Sharpie Cat
6. Cake cat
UPDATE:
Okay, since a few people asked, here are answers to the quiz:
1. Vet Cat LOLCATZ.
2. Bullets Cat LOLCATZ.
3. Idea Cat LOLCAT.
4. Chips Cat This one is borderline. If the caption were “im in ur can / eatin ur chips” it would definitely be an LOLCATZ. A cat stuffed in a Pringles can has a hint of violence to it, and the hint of aggression, whether it’s through the language or image, is what separates the LOL WHEATZ from the LOL CHAFF. As it stands though, it’s just a clever caption and a cute hat. Heart strings tugged. Ruling: LOLCAT.
5. Sharpie Cat Definitely a LOLCATZ. Perhaps a masterpiece of work, as it combines two jokes in one photo. If frat boys were cats, this is what they would do.
6. Cake cat LOLCAT, LOLCAT, LOLCAT. A little nauseating too, even by LOLCAT standards.