Veggie Discourse: Animal Celebrities that Took the Internet By Storm in 2009

December 18, 2009

Animal Celebrities that Took the Internet By Storm in 2009

As the end of the year draws near, Chinese Netizens count off the most famous animals of 2009.

The loneliest panda: "brother is looking not at the sky but at loneliness"

"Beida cat": he likes to engage people in long soulful stares, though no one could fathom what lay behind the face marked by the vicissitudes of life. Occasionally becomes friendlier if the person is someone he likes.

The cat possesses superb taste in courses, favoring philosophy and art over others. Once during a lecture on Thoreau's Transcendentalism, he gently shook his head. This old cat with stubby tail is a long time resident of Beijing University, appearing as early as 2004.

He is indifferent towards petting and very tolerant of us the youngsters. Independent and hard working, he even remembers to turn off faucets after every use. Nevertheless, he is quite old, with a body like plump chicken. Among the numerous cats roaming the Beida campus, this one has to be the most knowledgeable. He has often been sighted in computer and science classes.

Pant-less panda: The panda acquired a broken leg during brawls. To help with treatment, his behind was shaved bald. Picture of his naked butt catapulted this naughty boy to stardom.

Keeping vigil: he belonged to a homeless person, who died under Huangshi Interchange Highway in Guangzhou (黄石立交桥底). The dog tried to follow his owner when workers from a funeral parlor came to remove the body. After the crowd dispersed, the dog returned to the man's sleeping mat with an expression unspeakably sad.

A dog with career aspirations: this photo was taken by a citizen of Yueyang (岳阳), Hunan. The dog works daily alongside his owner who happens to be a traffic director. His impeccably erect posture won the dog many hearts.

A close-up.

The saddest dog: the name of this wrinkled, melancholic-looking pug is Newman, thus called by his owner to commemorate the late Paul Newman. Picture below shows the depressed Mr. Newman outside of Cafe Trieste in San Francisco.

Chris Michel the photographer wrote: "He was hanging around looking for somebody to love him. I tried to cheer him up – he seemed happy to me." One Netizen said: "I really want to give him a hug to make him feel better."

The most faithful (like the Butterfly Lovers): when one dog got hit, his companion try to heave the injured to the side of the street and away from danger. Rather than hiding from the on-coming traffic, he fearlessly shielded his friend.