Cat Fancy Parody Twitter Suspended After Real Mag Complains
One of the funnier uses of Twitter- the prolific “parody account”- is also one of the most controversial, and fans of the fake Cat Fancy Twitter were dealt a blow this week as the user was taken offline following a complaint from the magazine Cat Fancy.
The Cat Fancy Twitter parody tweets were not too over-the-top offensive, but some certainly fell into the “questionable” category. Among some of the tweets published to the fake Cat Fancy feed before the man shut it down:
[N]ew cat pope ushers in 1,000 year reign of hell on earth.
Cats ignoring shrill cries for help coming from the basement while enjoying wine spritzers at a Super Bowl party.
Joyous pile of cats at Burning Man.
How many kittens can u fit in your mouth?
DEATH TO ALL DOGS.
Just a few days ago, the account had amassed several thousand followers, and news coverage of its popularity led to the actual Cat Fancy people learning about the Twitter parody. The mag’s editors moved swiftly, complaining to Twitter that the Cat Fancy Twitter account was harming their brand and creating a false impression for users. When the mag first learned of the account, the editor-in-chief of Cat Fancy Susan Logan said in an email:
“We appreciate the creativity people use in harnessing Twitter for satire and humor, but we cannot condone hijacking our trademark and undermining the trust our readers have in us for good, solid advice.”
An email which she signed off “Purrs.” No, really. Logan also addressed the parody account on her own Twitter feed, on which she observes that the fake Cat Fancy Twitter says some “disturbing things” and distressingly, “sometimes against cats.” (Which makes you wonder what could be more disturbing than coining the hashtag #TunaTuesday.)
