Why Do We Take Show Dogs With Good Breeding More Seriously Than Internet-famous Pets?
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Last weekend, a cat - a cat who has nearly 2 million Instagram followers, mind you - made history.
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Internet-famous Grumpy Cat made her Broadway debut in - you’ll never guess - the musical, Cats. The feline, whose permanent frown is her claim to fame, fulfilled every theatre performers’ dream without having to lift a paw. Mimicking the sad-faced animal, the cast posed with Grumpy after the show, presumably still internally reeling from their talents being overshadowed by a house pet.
Why do we take show dogs with good breeding more seriously than Internet-famous pets? Back to video
The realization that a four-year-old cat has achieved more notoriety for its underbite than you’ll ever hope to attain can hit hard. At a time when so many struggle just to make ends meet, animals are making successful careers for themselves.
Just look at Lil Bub. The pint-sized kitty was born with “a multitude of genetic anomalies,” and has a tongue that is always hanging out. Lil Bub became famous after memes of her lovable look went viral, and now the cat has branded merchandise ranging from t-shirts to phone cases; mugs to calendars.
The realization that a four-year-old cat has achieved more notoriety for its underbite than you’ll ever hope to attain can hit hard
We tend to sneer at the earning potential of these animals, as though it’s a crude symptom of a culture in decline, yet when the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show rolls around, our attitudes are a bit different: we take those pets seriously.
When a prized canine was suspected of being poisoned at England’s Crufts last year, news graced front pages while insiders pointed fingers at each other, turning every owner, judge and audience member into a suspect.
Meanwhile, breeding racehorses is more than just a hobby among the incredibly wealthy. It’s a lucrative business. Stud fees for stallions can range from $2,500 to $500,000 per mare in North America, while horses are frequently auctioned off for millions of dollars.
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Making a profit from animals is not a new concept, but in the era of YouTube and Instagram, an unusual pet doing something cute gives just about anyone the ability to draw countless views and likes. But why are we so dismissive of Internet fame, while simultaneously accepting of show pets and thoroughbreds?
Internet star Grumpy Cat to join Broadway’s Cats, but is reportedly not thrilled about it
Watch our interview (yes, interview) with Grumpy Cat, the world’s most famous feline
Talk of the frown: Unpacking Grumpy Cat, ‘the most lucrative meme of all time’
The success of those animals is often determined by their breeding, while the opposite seems to be true for the animals of Instagram. As author Wendy Diamond recently told Reuters, online pets gain popularity if they have either a “deformity or a disability.”
It seems as though we’re still holding on to an arbitrary ideal when it comes to the “legitimate” ways to earn money off animals: the traditionally elite means remain de rigueur while the more accessible channels are considered tres gauche.
