WHY CAN'T I HAZ MOAR ANGRY TOADZ?

February 17, 2013 12:50 PM

I enjoy the sidebar and the Best of Metafilter subsite that draws from it. I can't help but notice, though, that arguably the most popular posts are not well-represented there.

I refer, of course, to the cute critter posts.

Cats, dogs, hamsters, gerbils, even angry toads have made the front page. Videos of them, links to websites about them, even questions about them on AskMe, with all the inherent squee, crop up continuously on Mefi, yet they are conspicuously absent from the BoM site.

Now that I think about it, it seems strange no one has suggested an animal-themed subsite (Mewfilter?), given all the pony requests matt and the mods get. Why not let those ponies go free and pance right across these pages?

Maybe those automatons who look down on cute animal content, despite its prevalence across the internet, as nothing more than a curious anomaly are holding something incriminating over the Cabal (I'm thinking blackmail material, in the form of Furry videos, possibly involving cortex and a ukulele).

Or perhaps the Cat People vs Dog People debate is, like the Israel/Palestine conflict, considered too volatile a topic for us to do well?

Whatever the reason for this obvious oversight, as the 'Best of Metafilter' has no place for our fine feathered friends and the prancing pony page exists, for now, only as an illusory dream, why not use this thread today to properly address this lack? Let's document the cuteness. For posterity!

So, Mefites, show me the squee. What are your all-time favorite animal-themed posts?

posted by misha to MetaFilter-Related at 12:50 PM (48 comments total)

Cute pictures of animals are not the best of MetaFilter at all. I have no objection to this post though.
posted by grouse at 1:17 PM on February 17 [2 favorites]

Uh, it seems to me like (regardless of whether one considers these posts "best") that the blog and sidebar are for drawing users' attention to overlooked-but-awesome comments/posts/etc. If they're popular already, why does our collective attention need to be drawn to them?

Or, you know, just bookmark Cute Overload and keep it off the Blue.
posted by supercres at 1:20 PM on February 17 [5 favorites]

(Sorry; didn't mean for that last part to seem so bitter. I like these posts too but would look askance at one on the BoM blog or sidebar.)
posted by supercres at 1:22 PM on February 17

Elephants stomp on all your paltry domestic animals, puny humans.

Obligatory: "Most popular is not necessarily the best of"
posted by edgeways at 1:23 PM on February 17 [3 favorites]

Before everyone goes off on the semantics in this seemingly meant to cute and fun post, y'all should stick to the last line of her post:

"So, Mefites, show me the squee. What are your all-time favorite animal-themed posts?"
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 1:24 PM on February 17 [1 favorite]

crickets
posted by Cranberry at 1:32 PM on February 17 [1 favorite]

"Most Popular" has it's own subsite/site area/ranking. The sidebar/Best Of is for stuff that you might not have noticed on them, yes?
posted by The Whelk at 1:32 PM on February 17 [1 favorite]

Well, meta μετά is "in the midst of" or "among," ana ἀνά is "on" or "upon," leaving us with kata κατά for "downward."

Thus, CATAFILTER.
posted by Nomyte at 1:37 PM on February 17 [1 favorite]

Having said that. Ahem.

HERE ARE MINE THAT I POSTED THAT I LIKED:

ADULT CAT ON A RAM

CATS IN SPACE

PUPPIES GETTING GIFTS

KITTENS PLAYING WITH A NEWTON'S CRADLE

HI BATS (bats are cute no you
shut up)

TOO PEACEABLE KINGDOM

CAT LOVES GIRL

RACCOON LOVES KITTY

OH GOD GRASS YESSS


SQUIRREL WITH A BALL

CAT FLUNG

TIGERS LOVE PUMPKINS

and so on
posted by The Whelk at 1:40 PM on February 17 [9 favorites]

My only real contribution to the genre was "Backwards on a pig, baby monkey".
posted by dersins at 1:50 PM on February 17 [3 favorites]

BestOf is for pointing out neat stuff people might have missed, usually MeFi/AskMe comments or particularly interesting AskMe threads. Sideblog is for member-info type stuff. We have no indication that people are overlooking the cute animal posts and while I think there's an open question about whether they are "best of the web" material I find them personally, while enjoyable, not really the best of MetaFilter. I get that you were probably just employing hyperbole in the service of your main point which is getting people to share their "best of cute animals" posts, but I think it's not always clear when sarcastic digs-at-mods are covering for actual-digs-at-mods (as opposed to mid-sized dogs) so sometimes it's best to just be clear about that.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 1:53 PM on February 17 [5 favorites]

I'm pretty sure if a mid-sized dog was a mod they would easily win at Westminster. Just saying.

And now that I've brought up domesticated-animals-as-Metafilter-moderators, even as a cat owner and occasional lover, I would never want one as a mod for the same reason as I wouldn't be a very good one. We just wouldn't have the temperament for it.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 2:09 PM on February 17

Dog Who Is A Mod, now on ABC Family.
posted by The Whelk at 2:21 PM on February 17

You're the man now, mod!
posted by grouse at 3:06 PM on February 17

What if we just go bowling instead? I'm going to go bowling.
posted by boo_radley at 3:12 PM on February 17 [1 favorite]

Because Metafilter is a place for interesting links and intelligent discussions that you can't find anywhere else on the web, not the same cats that you see on Reddit and clogging up Facebook.
posted by Charlemagne In Sweatpants at 3:12 PM on February 17

In case you were not familiar with him, I direct you to the Frogman, who has your cute-animal (and large bearded man with amusing hat) needs ably covered.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 3:27 PM on February 17 [1 favorite]

The Dogfather starring Al Poochino, Houndie Garcia and Rottie De Niro won like every major award. How much more validation do they need?
posted by mannequito at 3:29 PM on February 17

Dr. Dog Who.


A canine universe character, combing plasticine quackery with trans-chronological hijinks. Think K-9 in charge, with a stethoscope and syringe.
posted by edgeways at 3:43 PM on February 17

I thought they were a band.
posted by Charlemagne In Sweatpants at 3:44 PM on February 17

grouse: “Cute pictures of animals are not the best of MetaFilter at all. I have no objection to this post though.”

I don't really have any actual response to this comment; I just wanted you to have this.
posted by koeselitz at 3:57 PM on February 17 [3 favorites]

Koeselitz, are you responding to the proposal with a threat display or a mating dance? Please clarify.
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 4:04 PM on February 17 [1 favorite]

Well, the only FPP that I've ever favorited that specifically involves animals is this one about Marine Bivalves.
posted by Confess, Fletch at 4:12 PM on February 17

I just wanted you to have this.

It is quite appropriate that I had to skip a Bentley commercial to see that video.
posted by GenjiandProust at 4:14 PM on February 17

Dogs On A Treadmill

Cat, cat, cats on a treadmill.
posted by John Cohen at 4:46 PM on February 17 [1 favorite]

The cutest animal video ever
posted by Charlemagne In Sweatpants at 4:58 PM on February 17 [1 favorite]

I am not diminished by the cute I have not seen.
posted by philip-random at 5:00 PM on February 17

"Mewfilter"

*facepaw*
posted by zarq at 5:01 PM on February 17 [4 favorites]

I don't really have any actual response to this comment; I just wanted you to have this.

I fully expect at some point that one of the Miss Universe contestants will wear a national costume like that of the sage grouse!
posted by winna at 6:14 PM on February 17

Hey, jessamyn, I wasn't trying for sarcasm, more lighthearted banter. Apologies for mucking up the humorous tone, everybody.

This is not a callout or a flameout and pb doesn't have to code up any ponies! It's really just a simple 'show me the cute' request. Thanks, Brandon, for pointing that out! I'm sick in bed (again!) and kinda depressed about that. Since I enjoyed the recent angry toad post so much, I thought I'd cull the hive mind for more of the same.

Feel free to close this up if you think it's best.
posted by misha at 6:23 PM on February 17 [1 favorite]

My favorite kitty videos revolve around the SNIDE Sylvester - The Talking Cat.


That's where I go
posted by TangerineGurl at 6:47 PM on February 17 [2 favorites]

If you're going to giggle over animals, you might as well do it while listening to Superchunk
posted by Charlemagne In Sweatpants at 7:28 PM on February 17 [1 favorite]

I like the Mewfilter idea. Or Meowtafilter, maybe. Something separate from the blue, unless of course there was something that elevates a particular Meowtafilter paws and whiskers above other matters on the web.

(Sometimes, I am in the mood for the kind of intelligently chosen kitty video that I have come to expect when highlighted on the Metafilter and it would be cool to click right to them, rather than searching the blue.)
posted by Tandem Affinity at 8:49 PM on February 17 [1 favorite]

Here, have a crapton of corgi videos.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:28 PM on February 17

Metachat.org often has cute bunnies.
posted by aniola at 9:30 PM on February 17

I have, to date, made 490 posts to the front page, and, if memory serves, exactly one of those has featured an animal: A frog catching bugs on a touchscreen.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 10:09 PM on February 17 [1 favorite]

Wait a minute... there was also this one. Um, and this one.

But none of them are squee material.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 10:13 PM on February 17 [1 favorite]

If this Metafilter starts to fill up with animal videos, than I gotta get out of this place.
posted by Charlemagne In Sweatpants at 10:51 PM on February 17 [1 favorite]

Too late, Charlemagne, too late.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 10:57 PM on February 17

Animals should be eaten and not heard.
posted by pipeski at 2:04 AM on February 18 [1 favorite]

Reddit.com/r/aww
posted by empath at 4:38 AM on February 18

You can't have moar angry toadz because it leads precisely to this kind of hoppita-moppita.
posted by drlith at 5:49 AM on February 18 [2 favorites]

None of them are squeeworthy
posted by The Whelk at 6:17 AM on February 18

Another one from the archives cause it is the best.


OWL FOND OF EVERYONE
posted by The Whelk at 6:47 AM on February 18 [4 favorites]

I don't think this was an FPP, but pygmy goat doing a happy dance.
posted by O9scar at 7:03 AM on February 18 [1 favorite]

Dear Misha, please use this website often.
posted by IndigoRain at 10:58 PM on February 18 [2 favorites]

flapjax at midnite: " But none of them are squee material."

The only two I can think of that I've done are Loom and "Can't Get to the Zoo?" :D
posted by zarq at 8:02 AM on February 19

Digs-At-Mods is such a good Ragabash Glass Walker character name that now I want to get the old gaming group back together.
posted by Errant at 9:50 AM on February 20