April 10, 2008

1) Keith G said (on 04/11/08 at 05:24 AM):

I can't explain it. I'm so glad there's someone else in the world who is as completely dumbfounded by the lolcats phenomenon. I felt like I was out of step with the whole world there for a second.

2) Faustus, M.D. said (on 04/11/08 at 07:26 AM):

I bet there are actually hundreds of us, if not thousands, harboring this secret. If we join with each other and take a stand, we might get something done about this.

Um.

3) adam875 said (on 04/11/08 at 07:50 AM):

I was baffled at first, but I soon gave in to the cuteness. I mean, the syntax is annoying, but beyond that what's not to get? It's funny/cute pictures of cats, with funny captions.

I bet if it were loldogs you'd like it.

4) Faustus, M.D. said (on 04/11/08 at 08:03 AM):

But that's the thing--the syntax is maddening and unfunny, and the pictures are second- and third-rate imitations of cuteoverload.com.

5) Molly said (on 04/11/08 at 08:51 AM):

It's that when you find that perfect one---like this one---it just makes your whole day better.

Also, some just make me giggle. Like this one.

6) David said (on 04/11/08 at 01:56 PM):

I can haz irony? K thnx, bai!

I love them. So pbltttttdt.

7) TED said (on 04/11/08 at 03:19 PM):

I'd be happy to explain the appeal. By creating a specific (albeit horrific) syntax, they create the pretense of irony. A thin veneer of pseudo-irony is all it takes to convince many people that what would otherwise have been terribly trite is now clever. So it gives people permission to look at saccharine kitten pictures. If you add in the fact that people take the (tiny, tiny bit of) time necessary to learn lolcats language and the viral nature of the Internet, you have something that people feel they're invested in and share with other people and that (they believe) not everyone knows. So: illusion of cleverness, illusion of belonging to a phenomenon, and illusion of being clued in.

I'm glad I could help.

I assume, of course, when you said "explain the appeal of" you meant explain the appeal of rather than "make me appreciate." God himself wouldn't attempt that one.

8) Logan said (on 04/11/08 at 04:15 PM):

I for one love the awkward writing style and check the site for updates probably as often as I check my email.

This one is my favorite.

9) Convivia said (on 04/11/08 at 05:37 PM):

I'm laughing at them, not with them, most of the time.

Although the one that depicts a Mesopotamian tomb relief with the caption "I'M IN UR" actually made me, er, laugh. Out loud.

10) birdoparadise said (on 04/11/08 at 07:32 PM):

I'm with you, doc. I really don't get the appeal at all. There are just so many better ways to be clever with language. "lolcats" doesn't use enough brain cells.

11) Andy said (on 04/11/08 at 11:58 PM):

Oh, I liked this one, too...and I don't like birds very much.

12) Andy said (on 04/12/08 at 12:11 AM):

No?

13) anne marie in philly said (on 04/12/08 at 09:20 PM):

nope, I don't get the appeal either.

I have 2 cats, but they speak intelligent, learned english.

do we REALLY need to dumb our language down any further?

14) Tom said (on 04/13/08 at 08:30 AM):

There's also Fail Dogs, a sometimes inscrutable canine knockoff.

15) Aidan said (on 04/13/08 at 06:46 PM):

Dearest Faustus, I fear that the humor of lolcats must be a little too sophosticated for you. loveyoumeanitbuhbye.

16) Eric said (on 04/14/08 at 11:07 AM):

I had LOADS of fun with LolCats when I did my own spoof of it, LolCarrie (Piper Laurie was never such a barrel of laughs).

17) Ochre said (on 04/14/08 at 04:46 PM):

I didn't really get it either. Not at first.

OK, that's kind of a lie, because they make me giggle hysterically now. It's the cuteness-meets-ridiculousness thing. And it makes me feel a hell of a lot more superior, at least in terms of grammar and syntax. I treat it as a parsing exercise now.

18) sahara said (on 04/15/08 at 12:34 PM):

I certainly didn't understand, so I looked it up. This must be some kind of woman/knit thing. Thank the ancestors my cat Felix, uses better grammar.

I must be turning into a crabby 'ole lady. It's just not funny for me to see animals do dumb things. Isn't this a form of abuse?

19) birdfarm said (on 04/21/08 at 11:54 PM):

cmon they're funny/cute. how can you not like the bunny one that Andy posted??? lol

20) Haakon said (on 05/13/08 at 03:31 PM):

Because they're full of Groove