The internet has a way of running with random somethings, making them go viral, and giving them their own crazy names that they'll forever be known by. Take for instance a few recent internet sensations — Alex from Target, Apparently Kid, and Grumpy Cat. The feline is the star of Lifetime's newest holiday movie, Grumpy Cat's Worst Christmas Ever , premiering Saturday night. But how did we ever know that little kitty was grumpy? Did anyone ask her? Sure, her face has a big frown, but what if she was thinking happy feline thoughts about eating food, chasing string toys, and jumping onto that high shelf? Not everyone wears their heart on their sleeve — or face, as it would be here. In true internet fashion, Grumpy Cat's name is actually Tardar Sauce. (Yup, that's the right spelling.)
Doesn't have the same ring to it, does it? Either way, more than 6 million people have come to adore Tardar Sauce's little frowny face, which has launched books, coffee blends, and tons of media appearances. Born in April 2012, MSNBC actually named Grumpy Cat/Tardar Sauce as the year's most influential cat (apparently that's a thing) at not even a year old. That's hard to top, but Grumpy did — in 2013, she won BuzzFeed's Meme of the Year Award at the Webby Awards and won Friskies' Lifetime Achievement Award.
There's actually a lot more about this famous cat beyond the meme. Here are some key facts you should know.
Grumpy Cat's Owners
There's a famous saying that says you don't own a cat — it owns you. But in this case, Grumpy Cat does have owners who care for her. She was born as Tardar Sauce on April 4, 2012 to normal cat-parents, along with a brother, Pokey. Former Red Lobster employee Tabatha Bundesen is Grumpy's human mom.
Fun fact: Chrystal, the main character in Grumpy Cat's Worst Christmas Ever, shares a name with Bundesen's 12-year-old daughter, Crystal.
Where the Frown Comes From
That frown isn't because Grumpy Cat/Tardar Sauce is moody or Grumpy. It actually comes from feline dwarfism and an underbite. Despite her facial uniqueness, Bundesen says the kitty has a pretty normal life as a housecat — you know, napping, eating, and going to photo shoots. Yeah, except for that last one, unless you count constantly Instagramming photos of your cat as "photoshoots."
How It All Began
On Sept. 23, 2012, Bundesen's brother Bryan took a pic of baby Tardar Sauce and posted it to Reddit with the caption, "Meet grumpy cat." And that's all it took. From there, the post earned 4,020 upvotes and 693 comments. Soon, the image became a meme that spread like wildfire and people fell in love with the kitty who they called Grumpy Cat.
"It was an accident," Bryan Bundesen told CNN. "We thought it would get some laughs, with the Internet liking cats. And it just kept going."
Images: Chris Helcermanas-Benge/Lifetime; Giphy; Getty Images (2)
