The Walker Art Center's Second Annual Internet Cat Video Festival
August 29, 2013 1:38 PM Subscribe
On Wednesday, the Walker Art Center held its second annual Internet Cat Video Festival. This year, it was held at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand. Some of the featured videos can be seen at Animal Planet's website. Minnesota Public Radio has a gallery of photos of the Festival and City Pages presents "Five types of feline-frenzied fans seen at Cat Vid Fest." A butter sculpture of a cat was created for the Festival and you can watch a video of it being created. (Previously.)
I love that there was a celebrity appearance by Tardar Sauce.
posted by sparklemotion at 2:00 PM on August 29, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by sparklemotion at 2:00 PM on August 29, 2013 [1 favorite]
It's been a while since I've been to the MN state fair. Back then the only non-Princess Kay of the Milky Way butter sculpture was a Palm Pilot. Oh how times have changed.
posted by ckape at 2:05 PM on August 29, 2013
posted by ckape at 2:05 PM on August 29, 2013
You'd think curators would be more dog focused. (One for the Patrick O'Brian fans).
posted by yoink at 2:23 PM on August 29, 2013
posted by yoink at 2:23 PM on August 29, 2013
I'm betting this is all part of an elaborate sting to get a bunch of cats gathered together in one place to be deep fried.
posted by Atom Eyes at 2:50 PM on August 29, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by Atom Eyes at 2:50 PM on August 29, 2013 [2 favorites]
From the Walker's page on the Festival: "NOTE: The Minnesota State Fair does not allow pets. Please leave your furry companions at home."
posted by Area Man at 2:56 PM on August 29, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Area Man at 2:56 PM on August 29, 2013 [1 favorite]
I am very concerned with the fact that nearly every mention of Minnesota in the national news has been in a zany/bizarre vein. Since the NY Times article on Minnesotans keeping alpacas as pets, the other one about a dude building a house and burning it down as an art project, the whole Bachmann thing, and the Michael Brodkorb case, we almost certainly look like a bunch of loonies. Now we're about to elect a french fry magnate as Minneapolis mayor and our most well known event is playing host to a cat video festival. Can't we just do something newsworthy and non-wacky like a scientific discovery or a sport victory?
posted by miyabo at 5:06 PM on August 29, 2013
posted by miyabo at 5:06 PM on August 29, 2013
The Lynx won the WNBA that one time.
And we figured out that whole marriage thing.
And I'm sure the Mayo has been sciencing up something or other.
Honey Boo Boo's family isn't from here, we let public unions negotiate salaries, and we aren't big on mass shootings. I'd say we are pretty much ok, doncha know?
posted by sparklemotion at 5:18 PM on August 29, 2013 [3 favorites]
And we figured out that whole marriage thing.
And I'm sure the Mayo has been sciencing up something or other.
Honey Boo Boo's family isn't from here, we let public unions negotiate salaries, and we aren't big on mass shootings. I'd say we are pretty much ok, doncha know?
posted by sparklemotion at 5:18 PM on August 29, 2013 [3 favorites]
Atlanta has its own version, The Feline Film Festival, on Oct 19.
posted by Sophont at 5:45 PM on August 29, 2013
posted by Sophont at 5:45 PM on August 29, 2013
I attended this event.
We needed a sherpa to get to our seats in the grandstand.
There seemed to be an lot of filler this year. The woman who they flew in to host was kind of unfunny and awful, which was a shame, because the guests, both human and feline, were really endearing.
Li'l Bub met Grumpy Cat, which went about as well as one might expect. Li'l Bub trundled around the stage for a bit, much to my delight, and Grumpy Cat is super darling.
Also, there were some cat videos. Unfortunately, the fix for last year's small screen (which I later found out was due to the fact that they basically had NO BUDGET) was - three small screens. This was good for visibillity, but it was impossible to read VERY IMPORTANT SUBTITLES from the upper grandstand.
Overall, it felt less organic and spontaneous than last year's festival. I suppose that's to be expected, considering that in 2012 they thought they were going to have maybe 200 people on the lawn of the Walker, and ended up with over 10,000. But then we got to picnic and talk and move about freely, and the spirit of the fun and strangeness of it all percolated through the whole event. This year it just kind of deadened once we took our seats, which is a shame, because there was so much enthusiasm and cat-people-crazy to be enjoyed.
posted by louche mustachio at 6:08 PM on August 29, 2013 [2 favorites]
We needed a sherpa to get to our seats in the grandstand.
There seemed to be an lot of filler this year. The woman who they flew in to host was kind of unfunny and awful, which was a shame, because the guests, both human and feline, were really endearing.
Li'l Bub met Grumpy Cat, which went about as well as one might expect. Li'l Bub trundled around the stage for a bit, much to my delight, and Grumpy Cat is super darling.
Also, there were some cat videos. Unfortunately, the fix for last year's small screen (which I later found out was due to the fact that they basically had NO BUDGET) was - three small screens. This was good for visibillity, but it was impossible to read VERY IMPORTANT SUBTITLES from the upper grandstand.
Overall, it felt less organic and spontaneous than last year's festival. I suppose that's to be expected, considering that in 2012 they thought they were going to have maybe 200 people on the lawn of the Walker, and ended up with over 10,000. But then we got to picnic and talk and move about freely, and the spirit of the fun and strangeness of it all percolated through the whole event. This year it just kind of deadened once we took our seats, which is a shame, because there was so much enthusiasm and cat-people-crazy to be enjoyed.
posted by louche mustachio at 6:08 PM on August 29, 2013 [2 favorites]
Everything louche mustachio said. Last year's was this perfect, weird thing that encapsulated why I love Minneapolis. This year's was a shitty drag that left me disappointed in the Walker, hating the state fair, and never wanting to hear another word out of Julie Klausner.
posted by COBRA! at 6:14 PM on August 29, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by COBRA! at 6:14 PM on August 29, 2013 [1 favorite]
AND: if you work in marketing in Minnesota and use the phrase "on a stick" with anything involving the state fair (as the Walker did here), you basically need to light yourself on fire for your enormous laziness.
posted by COBRA! at 6:16 PM on August 29, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by COBRA! at 6:16 PM on August 29, 2013 [3 favorites]
and never wanting to hear another word out of Julie Klausner.
Especially not "gay."
posted by louche mustachio at 6:45 PM on August 29, 2013
Especially not "gay."
posted by louche mustachio at 6:45 PM on August 29, 2013
Worth mentioning that this year's festival will also be showing in Brooklyn, NY at the Warsaw on October 25th. Not sure if they will have more voting, or if it's just going to be a touring program. But maybe we'll get lucky and Princess Monster Truck will drop by?!?
posted by GameDesignerBen at 7:01 PM on August 29, 2013
posted by GameDesignerBen at 7:01 PM on August 29, 2013
I went to the one at the Walker last year, but this thing at the State Fair was pushing a little too hard to turn this into an "event." Seeing a local band play at a packed dive bar is fun, but take that band into an arena and the magic is gone. Cats are pretty awesome either way though.
posted by antonymous at 8:40 PM on August 29, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by antonymous at 8:40 PM on August 29, 2013 [1 favorite]
I'd like to see a video of the buttercat being eaten.
I want an army of cats led by Lil Bub and Tardar Sauce let loose onto the stage to lick the buttercat!
posted by BlueHorse at 9:04 PM on August 29, 2013
I want an army of cats led by Lil Bub and Tardar Sauce let loose onto the stage to lick the buttercat!
posted by BlueHorse at 9:04 PM on August 29, 2013
I LIKE HOW YOU THINK.
Someone! Put BlueHorse in charge of something!
posted by louche mustachio at 11:00 PM on August 29, 2013 [1 favorite]
Someone! Put BlueHorse in charge of something!
posted by louche mustachio at 11:00 PM on August 29, 2013 [1 favorite]
http://mashable.com/2013/08/28/grumpy-cat-lil-bub-meet-vines/
More video of Bub and Grumpy Cat!
I'm not saying I love Bub, but I have two separate 2013 calendars with her. :3
posted by Pope Guilty at 4:26 AM on August 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
More video of Bub and Grumpy Cat!
I'm not saying I love Bub, but I have two separate 2013 calendars with her. :3
posted by Pope Guilty at 4:26 AM on August 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
Worth mentioning that this year's festival will also be showing in Brooklyn, NY at the Warsaw on October 25th.
And in Walnut Creek, CA September 9th.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 11:46 AM on August 30, 2013
And in Walnut Creek, CA September 9th.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 11:46 AM on August 30, 2013
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posted by JHarris at 1:56 PM on August 29, 2013