The magic of the format relies on emotional whiplash. In traditional narrative media, sadness requires resolution. On vertical video platforms, sadness demands an absurd payoff.
Creators tackled this by splicing the crying kitten directly into the spinning cat animation trend. The most frequent companion was Maxwell the Cat, a 3D polygonal model originally based on an image of an odd-eyed tuxedo cat named Dingus, posted to Imgur in 2020. Rendered in retro, low-resolution geometry, Maxwell pirouettes endlessly on a single axis.
Pairing an emotionally crushed kitten with an unbothered, endlessly rotating digital prop created an appealing contrast. The Monday Tuesday Wednesday lyrics established relatable human disappointment, while the dancing feline trend that followed provided instant ironic detachment. Online audiences seized on this emotional shift. It provided a visual shorthand for enduring terrible news, immediately followed by dissociating and dancing through the fallout anyway.
