Meme virality can generate sustainable income for owners within days.
Evidence
A renowned example is that of “Grumpy Cat” – the Arizona-based cat born with dwarfism, an underbite, and a perpetual scowl – who has been a sustained meme celebrity since 2012. Grumpy Cat, whose real name is Tardar Sauce is owned by 33-year-old Tabatha Bundesen, and first went viral when Bundesen’s brother uploaded a photo of the pet on Reddit. Her image clocked millions of views in a matter of days, going viral on other aggregate sites such as Buzzfeed and even appearing on traditional news outlets such as CNBC, to the extent that appearance fees and image licensing rights enabled her owner Bundesen to quit her job as a waitress “within days” of Grumpy Cat’s virality on social media. — Crystal Abidin, Internet Celebrity, 173
Categorization
- CANDY: The fact that Grumpy Cat’s virality let her owner quit her waitress job within days is a fun, memorable elevator fact.
- XREF: connects to: Meme celebrities institutionalize their viral fame into sustained commercial businesses. — Crystal Abidin, Internet Celebrity: Understanding Fame…, 172; Viral fame monetized through podcasting, casino appearances, and meme coins — W. David Marx, Blank Space: A Cultural History of the…, 815; A viral news meme can generate chart success without radio or labels — W. David Marx, Blank Space: A Cultural History of the…, 282 (+3 more)
Broader Connections
- Viral fame monetized through podcasting, casino appearances, and meme coins
#expands(0.85) — W. David Marx, Blank Space, 815 - Eyewitness viral fame rarely translates into sustained financial return
#contradicts(0.80) — Crystal Abidin, Internet Celebrity, 160 - A viral news meme can generate chart success without radio or labels
#corroborates(0.75) — W. David Marx, Blank Space, 282 - Viral meme fame can be non-consensual, damaging, and unmanageable by the subject.
#contradicts(0.75) — Crystal Abidin, Internet Celebrity, 182