What Does "Please Do Not the Cat" Mean? Exploring an Absurdist Meme

"Please do not the cat" is one of those internet mysteries that often leaves people scratching their heads in confusion. Where did this peculiar phrase come from and why is it so popular? This meme‘s absurd grammatical error and repetitive spread represent a thriving corner of online absurdist humor.

In this in-depth guide, we‘ll unravel the story behind "please do not the cat", analyze why these anti-memes gain traction, and explore what makes absurdist internet culture so appealing. Read on to finally understand the nonsensical meme taking over social media.

The Origins of an Absurd Meme

While the exact origins are murky, the meme is commonly traced back to a WikiHow illustration posted on September 30, 2019. The illustration features a person reaching ominously toward a upset cat along with the caption "Please do not the cat."

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The original WikiHow article containing this meme-worthy illustration has never been found. However, the image quickly spread after WikiHow Image Macros shared it on their Facebook page. It received over 3,900 reactions, indicating the absurdist humor immediately resonated with people.

In an interview with KnowYourMeme, Facebook user Ashley McDowell takes credit for creating the original image as part of her responsibilities handling WikiHow illustrations. She intentionally left out a verb to spark confusion and laughs. Her hunch clearly paid off.

The odd illustration subsequently spread across meme-loving corners of Reddit like r/engrish, where a post received 18,000 upvotes. The comments highlighted the absurdity of the sentence construction.

User thatweirdhorsegirl wrote: "I love how my brain just accepts this as correct grammar for a hot second."

And a post on r/comedyheaven earned over 3,200 upvotes as people embraced the confusing anti-meme format.

Why "Please Do Not the Cat" Blew Up on TikTok

In 2022, the meme found a new home on TikTok and inspired even more absurd variations. Videos featuring cats were soon flooded with comments like "Please do not the cat" and "I did the cat."

The copypasta nature of the meme only added to its absurdist appeal. The repetitiveness amplified the nonsense.

Some of the most popular TikTok videos further promoted the meme:

• TikToker @drappep created a video repeating "Please do not the cat" over and over – earning 1.6 million views.

• @catsdoinganything‘s video showcasing funny feline moments has a top comment with 16,000 likes saying "pls do not the cat."

• @meow.mix‘s profile is flooded with comments pleading "do not the cat."

Part of what made "please do not the cat" reach such a vast audience on TikTok was the flexibility. The phrase could be applied to any video featuring a cat without any specific context. People ran wild with the absurdity.

Why We Can‘t Get Enough of Absurdist Anti-Memes

Memes like "please do not the cat" with intentionally incorrect grammar and pure absurdism have become widespread online. What is it that makes these anti-memes so appealing?

According to Dr. Vaughn Bell, a clinical and research psychologist who studies humor, absurdist memes allow us to revel in irrationality.

"They permit our minds to enjoy nonsensical thinking," Dr. Bell explained. "Finding meaning where there is none is against how we‘re usually ‘supposed‘ to think and behave. Absurdist memes let our minds be illogical, just for the joy of it."

Absurdist humor thrives on creating confusion, then building repetition around that confusion. The more a nonsensical meme spreads, the funnier it becomes.

Dr. Bell compared it to repeating a word over and over until it sounds weird. "These memes take that feeling and amplify it across the internet," he said.

This genre also plays with taking concepts completely out of context. Applying a phrase like "please do not the cat" to any video with a cat creates a surreal feeling.

Internet culture expert Lesley Rawlings-Jackson further highlights the detachment from reality in absurdist memes.

"Taking something familiar like a cat then adding a bizarre phrase with no grounding creates dramatic irony," she commented. "It tickles people‘s funny bones specifically because it lacks sensible meaning."

The Evolution of Absurdist Internet Humor

Tracing the history of the web reveals that absurdist humor has deep roots online. Early internet memes in the 2000s often derived laughs from being weirdly random.

Dadaism, an artistic movement valuing absurdity and irrationality, also influenced early internet culture. Web users embraced exercising creativity by rejecting logic.

Today‘s absurdist memes can be seen as an extension of those early silly and irreverent trends. Professional meme creators intentionally try to spark confusion, curiosity, and laughs by stripping away context.

"Please do not the cat" joins other absurd anti-memes like "I can‘t believe it‘s not butter" applied to completely unrelated images. There‘s also a recent trend of purposefully garbled text meant to confuse readers.

Dr. Bell summarized the lasting appeal of absurd memes: "Internet culture has always had an avant-garde quality. Absurdism gives people a space to play with possibilities beyond the literal. It satisfies our need for novelty."

So the next time you encounter an anti-meme like "please do not the cat", embrace the opportunity to leave sanity behind for a brief laugh. Just don‘t try to make too much sense of the nonsense!