Last week we found out that not only is Jenny Slate and Dean Fleischer-Camp’s wonderful viral video “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On” being turned into a children’s book, it’s also being developed into a full-blown TV show. Though we love Marcel (and Jenny and Dean, for that matter), and are nothing but happy about this turn of events, we have to admit that we think it’s pretty wild that their homemade video has turned almost overnight into a burgeoning media empire. The news got us to thinking about other unlikely media empires that have cropped up in recent years, a phenomenon that will probably start happening more and more. Click through to see our list of unlikely media empires, and let us know which ones we’ve missed in the comments.
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There are infinite LOLs to be had on the internet, but only one book each year can win the Thurber Prize for American Humor. The contenders for an award that has in the past gone to David Sedaris and Jon Stewart this year include Sloane Crosley, Ian Frazier, Don Lee and Laurie Notaro. Among the unrecognized: the prevailing internet trend of LOLCats, which was translated into last year’s paperback I Can Has Cheezburger?: A LOLcat Colleckshun. Instead, this year’s nominations went to three essay collections and a novel. How did Crosley, nominated for I Was Told There’d Be Cake, take the news? She told us:
I’d be honored to be on the same e-mail chain as these other writers, so to be put up for the same prize is out of control.
As for Professor Happycat, there’s always next year.
Earlier today we were sent a link to the anitque postcard above, which dates back to 1905, is allegedly the oldest LOLCat image in existence. Intrigued, we decided to do a little digging. This card is the work of Harry Whittier Frees an American photographer who got his kicks dressing up animals in people-style clothes fashioned by his wife and posing them with props. According to a 1937 profile of Frees in Life magazine, his career started at a birthday party in 1906. He took some photographs of a cat wearing a party hat, and later sold them to a postcard printer. Read More »
We can’t decide if this is funny or awful. Or awfully funny? As always, your thoughts on the matter are greatly appreciated. [via Mashable]
This translates to: Mother, if my constitution is unfit for gymnast… The grist mill shall become my pommel horse and daily labor my reward! [Via RolCats]
