Anthropomorphizing cats

RECENTLY, I added two cat images (see) that I thought were funny. I especially liked the commando-cat image. I thought the other image was iffy, humorwise.

One of our readers (MAH) objected to the commando-cat image. In a note to another reader (BS), she opined (in passing): “the cat with [the] gun is horrible!”

BS responded, noting (in passing) that he liked the “cat with a gun,” judging it to be a “creative” use of a yawning cat.

Later, MAH shared her usual thoughtful reflections about things, but she added:

All right: just to show my grumpiness at the June gloom, I don't even like the cat with mouse and laptop. I never did care for that kind of anthropomorphized imagery of animals. Remember those godawful commercials in the old days that made cats appear (not very well) to speak words? Hated 'em more than I can say. The magnificent creatures are interesting enough in their own right not to need "enhancement" with faked human activities. [I added the dictionary link.]

I briefly responded, arguing (good-naturedly, I hope) that the “commando” image either did not anthropomorphize or that it did, but in an acceptable way. I said that, at least for me, the humor of the image depends in part on the manifest absurdity of placing a cat in these settings—not on the idea that cats are like Rambo (or are like computer geeks). (No doubt MAH will explain to me that she doesn't need me pointing this out.)

I’m not sure, but I think that the commando-cat image is “fun” for me in part because it vaguely ridicules the embarrassing and unsophisticated “Rambo/Hollywood-commando” fantasy or mindset. It does not ridicule cats or suggest that cats are anything like one of these stupid cartoon-commandos. (I’m passing no judgment on real commandos.)

OK, so one point is this: I do not object to portraying cats as people per se, just as I do not object to portraying, say, babies as adults per se. (No doubt, MAH will agree.) I noted that the current E-trade commercials (portraying a baby/toddler as a kind of hip young male stock speculator) are funny and unobjectionable (at least re our attitudes toward babies). (See below.) Their creator is clever and understands the creepiness and absurdity of viewing babies as hip young traders. These commercials are generally striking and entertaining, to me. (On the other hand, they utterly fail to cause me to buy what E-Trade sells. In fact, I had to look up whose commercials these were!)

Along with MAH, I did not like those old Meow Mix talking-cat commercials and the like. (See below for the "meow" commercial, although MAH perhaps had some other commercials in mind.) These kinds of commercials don’t strike me as objectionable. To me, most of them are simply unclever and stupid. Do they imply anything about the nature or quality of cats? I don’t see how. I think they pander to a common capacity to be dazzled and entertained by stupid things. (OK, I am now flashing my “elitist” card.)

MAH is of course correct: some commercials anthropomorphize animals in the sense that they in some sense impute human thoughts and attitudes to nonhuman animals. And some of these commercials are stupid precisely on that score.

My candidate: the “Morris the cat” (9 Lives) commercials. (See below.) There’s something too easy, and somehow just stupid, about the "haughty cat" stereotype. Cats can be finicky, of course, but I don’t think they are ever haughty, and that's what these commercials suggest. Are they sometimes indifferent to our desires and actions? Well, no, for indifference implies awareness, but it seems to me that on those occasions that inspire talk of feline “haughtiness,” cats are not aware of our efforts or wishes. Are they disdainful of us? Well, again, no, for they seem to proceed as though we are not present. There’s nothing really present for them to be contemptuous or disdainful of. It seems obvious (to me) that cats are never contemptuous or disdainful, though they share some of the behavior associated with those attitudes among humans.

No doubt some of you will now reveal your claws.

As any cat person knows, it is possible to “connect” with a cat. With some effort, one can make a cat aware of one’s presence and needs or desires (to some extent). When prompted, cats have no trouble looking into a person's eyes and paying attention to them. Such occasions seem to interrupt the general flow of feline obliviousness to others. I think cats are more oblivious of others than humans are. It's just their way.

I guess I “object” to Morris commercials more or less in the way that I object to silly and crude stereotypes generally. Most of the time, crude stereotypical thinking strikes me as stupid more than wrong. But, obviously, it can be wrong, too.

BTW: it turns out that Morris the Cat is a fairly decent guy. According to Wikipedia,

Morris has appeared in [various] media over the years. He starred in the movie Shamus with Burt Reynolds and Dyan Cannon in 1973. He also appears as a "spokescat" promoting responsible pet ownership, pet health and pet adoptions through animal shelters. To this end, he has "authored" three books: The Morris Approach, The Morris Method and The Morris Prescription.

In 2006, Morris was depicted as adopting a kitten from a Los Angeles animal shelter, L'il Mo, who represents the first in a campaign known as Morris' Million Cat Rescue.

Yes, I know. It would be naive to conclude that the "9 Lives" people are focused on the welfare of pets.

Morris the cat “9 Lives” commercial:


E-Trade “talking baby” commercial:


“Meow Mix” singing cat commercial:

The importance of thinking through the things we say

Gary Robbins at the OC Reg has been busy again:

• CSUF enrollment could drop 5,000 this fall

Cal State Fullerton says the recent decision by voters not to approve ballot initiatives that could have raised money for higher education, and other financial problems the campus faces, will likely force Orange County’s largest university to reduce fall 2009 enrollment by 5,000 full and part-time students.

The cuts would involve freshmen and transfer students.
…
We reported earlier this week that CSUF could be forced to cut about $29 million out of its 2009-10 budget under a funding scenario put forth by the state. But it’s also possible that the campus might have to cut an additional $12 million or so in the current fiscal year, which is about to end.

That would bring real and proposed cuts for Fullerton to about $41.3 million, and will could mean furloughs and pay-cuts for staff, in addition to a larger reduction in enrollment.

• How budget crisis might affect O.C. college students

Q: Will local colleges and universities be forced to cut enrollment further?
…
[T]his much is clear: About one-third of all CSU students are the first member of their family to attend college. This fall, some students won’t be able to enroll at a CSU campus, and they will likely find it harder to turn to local community colleges to take the lower division classes they need to complete as part of their education.

Q: Could the community college system help achieve the budget savings it needs to make simply by raising course fees, which are comparatively low?
A: Yes. But CCC officials say that there’s been a big enrollment drop every time fees rise. And many of the people currently looking to community colleges for help are laid off workers who are trying to gain new job skills.

In this morning's Inside Higher Ed:
• Defender of the Humanities

Get ready for a change in tone. James A. Leach was officially nominated by President Obama Wednesday to serve as NEH chairman. In an interview with Inside Higher Ed Wednesday, Leach had this to say when asked about the culture warriors of past humanities endowments: "I believe in standing up for culture, rather than warring on culture."

In the interview, Leach said that the humanities are as important as ever and that he hoped to bolster public understanding and support for such work….
…
While Leach didn't get too detailed about his plans for the NEH, he did touch on some issues that have come up at the endowment:
…
Peer review. Critics have suggested over the years that the humanities endowment was sometimes "flagging" grant proposals seen as controversial so that higher-ups at the agency might reverse the decisions of peer review panels. Leach said that he couldn't promise he would never ask questions about any grant, but that his inclinations are to let peer review panels decide on grants….

Digital work. The NEH under Bruce Cole, President George W. Bush's chairman, stressed programs that support the digitization of collections. Leach called those efforts "important and impressive."

…[A]s a politician for many years, Leach said he has a strong interest in (and some concerns about) political rhetoric and the lost meaning of political words.

"One of my concerns relates to the vocabulary of American politics," he said. "It's important for Americans to think through some of the terms thrown about willy-nilly in American society – terms like 'fascism' and 'communism' and 'socialism,' as applied to political leaders." He said that he has been "shocked by the nonchalance" with which some politicians have used the term "succession" of late.
…
"I think we have a unique president and a unique time and he clearly wants to reach out to all elements of American society. I have a very great respect for the traditions of American conservatism, and a very deep respect for the traditions of American liberalism, and I think the challenges are to bring a sense of togetherness in which society can better understand the differences as well as the similarities in these great traditions"....

• Were Muslim Student Union free speechrights infringed upon? (Matt Coker, OC Weekly)

UC Irvine administrators drew widespread criticism for allowing—or not damning vehemently enough—the Muslim Student Union's May 5-21 wrath-a-thon "Israel: The Politics of Genocide." But fourth year psychology major Alaa Alomar accuses the same university officials of denying the same free speech rights to MSU as it does to other campus groups….