Miette the cat isn’t just any feline; she’s an internet phenomenon. This article delves into the story of Miette, the beloved cat of poet Patricia Lockwood, and how one tweet imagining Miette’s dramatic reaction turned into the viral copypasta meme, “you KICK miette? you kick her body like the football? oh! oh! jail for mother! jail for mother for One Thousand Years!!!!” Explore the origins and spread of this hilarious meme that perfectly captures the melodramatic spirit of our feline companions.
The Genesis of a Meme: Patricia Lockwood and Miette’s Outrage
The Miette meme was born from a simple, relatable scenario experienced by cat owners everywhere. On March 19th, 2019, Patricia Lockwood, known for her witty and observant tweets, shared an imagined dialogue with her cat, Miette. In this tweet, Lockwood recounts gently nudging Miette with her foot to prevent tripping. Miette’s imagined response was anything but subtle. Picture the scene:
me, lightly touching miette with the side of my foot: miette move out of the way please so I don’t trip on you
miette, her eyes enormous: you KICK miette? you kick her body like the football? oh! oh! jail for mother! jail for mother for One Thousand Years!!!!
This tweet, instantly resonating with cat lovers familiar with their pets’ flair for the dramatic, quickly went viral. It garnered over 26,000 retweets and 60,000 likes, setting the stage for Miette’s entry into internet meme history.
Original Tweet Screenshot of Patricia Lockwood about Miette
From Tweet to Copypasta: Miette’s Meme Spreads
The humor of Lockwood’s tweet, perfectly capturing the perceived overreactions of cats, proved incredibly shareable. It wasn’t long before the “Miette” scenario transcended Twitter and began its life as a copypasta, particularly flourishing on platforms like Tumblr. Users began to replicate and adapt the format, applying Miette’s dramatic voice to various relatable situations involving their own pets.
One early example of this spread occurred on April 13th, 2020, when Redditor Early-Corgi0 shared a Tumblr screenshot referencing Lockwood’s original post on the /r/tumblr subreddit. This post gained significant traction, further amplifying the meme’s visibility. The “Miette” format became a template for users to express their cats’ (or even their own) exaggerated reactions to minor inconveniences or perceived slights.
Tumblr became a breeding ground for Miette-inspired content. Users crafted posts imagining their cats’ internal monologues in the “jail for mother” style. For instance, a popular Tumblr post from February 15th, 2020, depicted a cat reacting to being moved from a laptop with existential angst, declaring, “Father is…evil? Father is unyielding? Father is incapable of love? I am running away.” This post, echoing the dramatic tone of the original Miette tweet, resonated widely and further solidified the meme’s format.
Miette in the Memeosphere: Diverse Interpretations and Lasting Appeal
The Miette meme’s versatility lies in its adaptability. It’s not just about cats literally being “kicked” (though, of course, the humor comes from the hyperbole of a gentle nudge being interpreted as such). Instead, it taps into the universal experience of cat owners witnessing their pets’ theatrical responses to everyday occurrences.
The meme has inspired a range of creative interpretations, from fan art visualizing Miette’s dramatic persona to humorous scenarios applying the “jail for mother” logic to different contexts. Artists have depicted Miette in various styles, further cementing her iconic status within internet culture.
The enduring appeal of the Miette meme stems from its perfect blend of relatability and absurdity. Cat owners recognize the kernel of truth in the exaggerated feline reactions, while the over-the-top “jail for mother for One Thousand Years!!!!” line elevates it to comedic gold. Miette Cat has become a shorthand for feline melodrama, a meme that continues to resonate within the vast and ever-evolving landscape of internet humor.
References:
[1] Twitter – Patricia Lockwood: https://twitter.com/TriciaLockwood/status/1108102037072433153
[2] Reddit – /r/tumblr: https://www.reddit.com/r/tumblr/comments/g0g99h/you_kick_miette/
[3] Tumblr – Froody: https://froody.tumblr.com/post/190844703094/me-removes-my-cat-from-my-lap-to-do-something
