Last night a crowd of crazy cat ladies (and men) descended upon the Memphis Brooks Museum for the Internet Cat Video Festival.
While a DJ blasted tunes like The Siamese Cat Song and The Meow Mix Song, attendees prowled around the lobby in leopard print skirts and cat ear headbands. We purred happily over sparkly feline baubles as we lapped at our “furballs” – a pink concoction involving rum, coconut milk, cranberry juice, and whip cream.
Then came the main attraction: internet cat videos.
Internet cat video aficionados (Yes, aficionados. I get to use my fancy words because we were at a museum) had already viewed many of these videos at home (or at work). But gathering together to watch these videos in a theatre packed with like-minded individuals lended the whole affair a certain je ne sai quoi in terms of public image. It was validating. High brow even!
It took me back to my belly dancing days on a Costa Rican mountain top when we danced to the beat of thunder pounding on the roof of our pagoda. (That is a true story I have always wanted to tell in an affected British accent at a cocktail party. It would make me sound so much more interesting than I actually am. Sadly, I have never been invited to said cocktail party to tell it. But that’s ok because I’m way too busy at home watching fancy internet cat videos to attend your silly cocktail parties anyway.) One day during my Costa Rica adventure, I sat in a room with 60 other belly dancer women and participated in a three minute laughing meditation. If you have never participated in a group laughing meditation, let me tell you, the first time is incredibly weird. You will be instructed to basically fake it ’til you make it. That’s right – just fake laugh nonstop with everyone else until the silliness of it all carries you into complete hysterics. It’s quite a catharsis really.
At any rate, sitting in the dark laughing for 15 minutes nonstop with crazy cat ladies was just like that but weirder and even more wonderful because there was no fake laughing involved. I watched grown men laugh until they cried over cat antics. And then I laughed until I cried. We all laughed and cried and it was this amazingly beautiful communal experience. It was!
And so I will leave you with a few of my favorite videos from the evening. For best results, make them big screen and gather a few friends (or strangers) to watch. Enjoy!
37 comments
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February 16, 2013 at 12:35 am
skatturcast
GAH! and I wasn’t invited! I get invited to come to yoga but no…you can’t invite me to go do something fun! :p
Loved the second video!
February 16, 2013 at 12:39 am
Lunar Euphoria
WHAT?! Yoga not fun? What could possibly be more fun than doing yoga to keep baby hearts healthy?! Blasphemy! It’s no wonder you didn’t get invited. Besides, it was Valentine’s Day and this was a date!
February 16, 2013 at 2:16 am
Samra Rose
Yeah! What Skattur said!
February 16, 2013 at 2:39 am
Lunar Euphoria
…says the second one who called in sick to yoga.
If you all would do more yoga your immune system would get stronger and you would be well enough to be invited on fun crazy cat lady adventures.
February 16, 2013 at 2:13 pm
skatturcast
LOL…immune system…stronger? ….says the one who is constantly sick from kiddie cooties! mmhmmmm
Sorry I really really tried to like yoga, but I just…can’t….make…myself! ugh :p
Sounds like an interesting date. Could ya see me taking Wendell to see that!? LMAO!
February 17, 2013 at 4:39 am
Lunar Euphoria
If it wasn’t for regular yoga practice strengthening my immune system I’m certain that those preschoolers would have surely killed me by now!
It’s really sweet that you have tried to like yoga and that you have so generously supported my practice. You might consider trying another teacher/style before you completely give up on it. Or not. It’s your little boat and you get to row it any way you like up or down the stream. …merrily, merrily, merrily,merrily…..Everybody sing along!
I bet Wendell would have laughed and cried right along with the rest of us. And then told awesome stories afterwards, just like when we drug him to the Poetry Slam.
February 16, 2013 at 3:28 am
el diablo
Mmmmm… Smells like jealousy in here.
February 17, 2013 at 4:40 am
Lunar Euphoria
I think that’s just you being strong. 🙂
February 16, 2013 at 3:53 am
Samra Rose
Hehehe ::hack hack::
February 17, 2013 at 4:41 am
Lunar Euphoria
Yoga makes you strong!
February 16, 2013 at 6:11 am
panoramaofthoughts
Oh watching cat videos is a lot of fun 🙂
February 17, 2013 at 4:42 am
Lunar Euphoria
Ridiculously so.
February 16, 2013 at 3:33 pm
westseventhfreelance
My sides hurt from laughing…I missed this when it was in Minneapolis at the Walker. Drat!!
February 17, 2013 at 4:43 am
Lunar Euphoria
Oh no! Well it’s touring around the museum circuit apparently. Road trip!
February 16, 2013 at 4:36 pm
petspeopleandlife
Lady you had me laughing as I read your hysterical post. You are funny in this one. Good writing. Henri the cat is the best. He took the top award at some kind of cat film festival. He even beat out the Japanese cat Maru but I bet you know that.
February 17, 2013 at 4:45 am
Lunar Euphoria
I’m glad it made you laugh. Henri is awesome if you love those tortured artist types. I do. I am married to the human version of Henri.
February 16, 2013 at 5:21 pm
Cathy
omg… i laffed so hard at them lol
February 17, 2013 at 4:48 am
Lunar Euphoria
That little girl captioning the cat pics was soooooo great. “I’m your mom!” “No…you’re…not….”
I had that same book when I was her age.
February 17, 2013 at 1:49 am
Jackie Cangro
I love the video of Henri. The voiceover is just perfect. Poor Henri. Such a dismal existence. 🙂
February 17, 2013 at 4:53 am
Lunar Euphoria
Dismal indeed. Immortalized on the wall….but forgotten on the floor.
February 19, 2013 at 3:10 am
Dana
First of all, an evening of watching cat internet videos in a gallery sounds like an evening in heaven. I loved that first video, especially the quote you mentioned above in the comments (re: I’m her mom! Priceless.)
Will show these to Marty when he gets back from his workout. We love to veg out and watch inane videos on the internet. These ones will fit the bill nicely. 🙂
February 19, 2013 at 6:41 pm
Lunar Euphoria
I hope ya’ll enjoyed the videos and had lots of giggles.
February 24, 2013 at 7:17 pm
Kathy
So glad you had the opportunity to tell that Costa Rican story. I could even hear that affected British accent in your voice. 🙂
February 24, 2013 at 7:18 pm
Kathy
OK, I just watched a couple of videos–just enough to copy your page and send it to my daughter for chuckles!
February 25, 2013 at 1:54 am
Lunar Euphoria
Oh yay! Thank you for sharing my page!!
February 25, 2013 at 6:44 am
Debra Parmley
Thank you for sharing these videos! Cats are so funny!
This was not an event I could have dragged Mike to. He grew up being told cats were to be outside living in the barn and catching mice, but not come near the house. He is more a dog person.
My sister would have loved this though.
February 25, 2013 at 2:23 pm
Lunar Euphoria
Cats are loads of fun to watch. I grew up around cats so most of my life I’d considered myself a cat person, but somewhere along the way I’ve become equal parts dog and cat person.
February 26, 2013 at 11:04 am
1annecasey
Hysterical – love it!!
February 26, 2013 at 12:11 pm
Lunar Euphoria
I’m so glad! Thank you for dropping in. 🙂
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March 8, 2013 at 11:49 pm
1annecasey
I’ve saved this post to my desktop – just keep coming back to it – soooo entertaining. Thank you!!
March 8, 2013 at 11:50 pm
Lunar Euphoria
Awesome! I am so glad you like it. 😀
July 15, 2013 at 2:14 pm
Beth Ann
Thank you so much for posting the link to this post in comments on my blog. OMG—I had not seen the pattycake one (and here I thought I had watched every single cat video on YouTube) and I was laughing like a ninny! Even in small screen and by myself. Henri is one of my favs—so tortured and distraught over his dismal existence. The night at the museum sounds awesome!!! Thanks again!
July 15, 2013 at 2:16 pm
Lunar Euphoria
🙂 Glad it gave you a laugh!
July 15, 2013 at 2:18 pm
Beth Ann
More than one!! Thanks!
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