Forget Second Life, Get Yourself a Lolcat

Theyz In Ur Ad Budjit, Steelin Ur Dolarz

Posted by Ken Wheaton on 05.01.07 @ 08:56 AM

No, the copy desk didn't fall asleep on the job and let that sub-headline through. I'm referring to internet trend sweeping the nation: Lolcats. What's a lolcat you ask? It's simply a cat photo with a misspelled caption that, for some weird reason, strikes some as completely hilarious. Photos of dogs, walruses, sloths and hamsters can sometimes be substituted. You can build your own here.

How do I know it's a trend? Aside from the periodic e-mail from relatives and kitty-loving high school friends, Lolcats have been mentioned on Gawker, Shake Well Before Use and, now, by me. No, I can't explain myself. Full disclosure: My girlfriend, who's been known to talk to puppies and stuffed animals, laughed at me for putting the I Can Has Cheezeburger site on my RSS feed.

But I'll say this much for Lolcat fans. Unlike the pasty-faced Second Life freaks who live in their bedrooms and buy virtual clothes and eat virtual food, Lolcat readers not only leave their computers to go shopping in the real world (presumably for cat food), their favorites often spread around like a virus.