Grumpy Cat – the miserable moggy that changed everything
Sour-faced and ever so slightly freaky, Grumpy Cat took the world by storm. An internet celebrity extraordinaire, the miserable-looking moggy was the poster kitten for viral memes. She remains top of the feline pops and an iconic figure that attracted attention across the globe.
Unique Expression goes viral
Grumpy Cat’s real name was Tardar Sauce, a name which is a little more memorable than Socks or kitty! But she will always be remembered as Grumpy Cat. Her unique expression was the result of feline dwarfism and an underbite. When a photograph of her looking particularly miserable was posted on Reddit in 2012, parodies created by Reddit subscribers quickly went viral.
Hilariously cynical look
Grumpy cat inspired a raft of hilariously cynical images. Her owner, Tabatha Bundesen was smart enough to realise she could capitalise on the popularity of her pet and the Victor Meldrew of felines became a profitable business. That unfortunate flat face and those crazy bubble eyes made Tardar Sauce superstar. She was a pioneer of meme culture although YouTube had already been built largely as a result of the popularity of cat videos.
Public appearances and advertising
Tabatha Bundesem left her job to manage her cat’s public appearances while her brother Bryan looked after the Grumpy Cat Website, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter accounts. The unique moggy garnered an amazing 8.3 million followers on Facebook! Her popularity led to her featuring in advertising campaigns for cat foods and Honey Nut Cheerios and she made several appearances on American TV shows. In 2013, Grumpy cat was even “interviewed” for Forbes Magazine!
Here is a clip of the Honey Cat Cheerios advert staring Grumpy Cat.