Story highlights
- Viral Web sensation "Grumpy Cat" is the star of South by Southwest
- Really named Tartar Sauce, the cat caught the Web's attention on Reddit
- Lines at the festival have stretched three blocks to see, pose with Grumpy Cat
Forget Elon Musk or Al Gore. The biggest star of the South by Southwest Interactive festival is less than a year old, sleeps all day and looks like she just swallowed a hairball.
Austin, meet Grumpy Cat.
The real-life cat, an Internet sensation since photos of her sourpuss face began circulating last fall, has been holding court during SXSW at the Mashable House, a temporary lounge run by the tech-news site. People have stood for hours, in lines snaking around the block, to get their picture taken with her.
Grumpy Cat, an 11-month-old mixed breed whose real name is Tardar Sauce, has ignored them all. Mostly she sleeps in a cat bed while fans pass by to pose next to her. Instead of smiling, many of them make pouty faces of their own.
Through it all, Grumpy Cat has remained unimpressed.
This is the feline face that's creating a stir online -- and live in Austin, Texas, too.
"People keep asking if we sedate her," said one of her handlers, Bryan Bundesen, on Sunday. (The answer is no.) "It's been crazy. Yesterday, they were lined up for almost three blocks."
Photos: Photos: Scenes from SXSW
Photos: Photos: Scenes from SXSW
Scenes from SXSW – Singer Ruben Albarran of Cafe Tacuba performs at the NPR show at the 2013 South by Southwest Music, Film and Interactive Festival in Austin, Texas, on Wednesday, March 13. The festival runs through March 17.
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Photos: Photos: Scenes from SXSW
Photos: Scenes from SXSW – A musician performs on the street near the festival on March 13.
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Scenes from SXSW – Fans attend the iHeartRadio showcase on Tuesday, March 12.
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Scenes from SXSW – The Canadian band Tegan and Sara performs on March 12.
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Photos: Photos: Scenes from SXSW
Scenes from SXSW – People crowd the streets outside the iHeartRadio showcase on March 12.
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Scenes from SXSW – Macklemore performs on March 12.
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Scenes from SXSW – Fans watch Macklemore & Ryan Lewis on March 12.
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Scenes from SXSW – Screens light up the bar at the VEVO TV Launch on March 12.
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Scenes from SXSW – Talib Kweli performs on Monday, March 11.
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Scenes from SXSW – Actor Tony Danza arrives at the screening of "Don Jon" at the Paramount Theatre in Austin on March 11.
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Scenes from SXSW – Director Joseph Gordon-Levitt introduces his film "Don Jon" at the Paramount Theatre on March 11.
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Scenes from SXSW – Actress Selena Gomez, left, director Harmony Korine and actress Ashley Benson gather in the green room to discuss their film "Spring Breakers" on Tuesday, March 10.
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Scenes from SXSW – "Spring Breakers" premieres during the 2013 SXSW Music, Film and Interactive Festival at Austin's Paramount Theatre on March 10.
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Photos: Photos: Scenes from SXSW
Scenes from SXSW – Gomez arrives at the "Spring Breakers" premiere on March 10.
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Scenes from SXSW – Tardar Sauce, better known by her viral Internet meme name "Grumpy Cat," has been a hit at SXSW. Read more.
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Scenes from SXSW – Venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki, left, and Amit Singhal of Google speak onstage at the Andy Rubin conversation with Guy Kawasaki on March 10.
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Scenes from SXSW – SXSW attendees play computer games on March 10 at the Austin Convention Center.
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Scenes from SXSW – A man advertises free tacos and beer during SXSW on March 10.
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Scenes from SXSW – SXSW attendees get a ride through the streets of Austin on March 10.
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Scenes from SXSW – Country singer Willie Nelson attends the March 10 premiere of "When Angels Sing" at SXSW.
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Scenes from SXSW – People attend a Samsung Galaxy event featuring "Arrested Development" creator Mitch Hurwitz and actors Will Arnett and Jeffrey Tambor on March 10.
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Scenes from SXSW – Band of Horses performs during the Samsung Galaxy Sound Stage at SXSW on Saturday, March 9.
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Scenes from SXSW – Black Thought and The Roots perform on March 9 during the Samsung Galaxy Sound Stage event.
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Scenes from SXSW – An attendee uses her mobile phone to snap a picture of The Roots' show on March 9.
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Scenes from SXSW – From left, director Joe Swanberg, actress Olivia Wilde and actor Jake Johnson attend the world premiere of "Drinking Buddies" on March 9 at SXSW.
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Scenes from SXSW – Chris Anderson speaks with Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX, co-founder of PayPal and Tesla Motors, during the Elon Musk Keynote speech on March 9.
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Scenes from SXSW – A capacity crowd fills the Austin Convention Center for the Elon Musk Keynote on March 9.
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Scenes from SXSW – Airbnb co-founder Nate Blecharczyk, from left, Juliet Gorman of Etsy, RelayRides founder Shelby Clark and Tom O'Reilly speak at the "David Over Goliath: Power of the Sharing Economy" panel on March 9.
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Scenes from SXSW – Attendees listen intently during the "David Over Goliath" panel on March 9.
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Scenes from SXSW – Fans line up for a screening of "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone" on Friday, March 8.
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Scenes from SXSW – Actor Jim Carrey poses with a fan on March 8 before the SXSW screening of his film "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone."
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Scenes from SXSW – Actors Josh Duhamel, left, and Dan Fogler attend the SXSW screening of "Scenic Route" at the Topfer Theatre on March 8.
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Scenes from SXSW – Attendees arrive at the Austin Convention Center on March 8 at the start of SXSW.
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This is the first official public appearance for Grumpy Cat, who lives with her owner, Tabatha Bundesen, in Morristown, Arizona. The cat first gained fame in September when Bryan, Tabatha's brother, posted some photos of her on Reddit, the social-news site.
"It was an accident," said Bryan Bundesen of the viral stardom that followed. "We thought it would get some laughs, with the Internet liking cats. And it just kept going."
Grumpy Cat now has a website that Bryan Bundesen said attracts 1.5 million unique visitors a month, plus a popular Facebook page, YouTube channel and Twitter account. Bryan manages her social media pages from his home in Ohio with occasional help from Tabatha, who sends him fresh Grumpy Cat photos every week or so.
"I don't mind it," Tabatha said of her pet's celebrity. "I'm thrilled to see that my cat brings joy to people."
The Bundesens declined to say exactly how much money they've earned off Grumpy Cat, although Bryan said it's in the mid-five figures.
They're also sensitive to charges that they're exploiting their pet. At SXSW, they have made her available to the public only for several hours each day, and Tabatha sits close by to make sure no fans get too cozy.
But that hasn't stemmed people's enthusiasm for the small cat with the cranky face. Oscar-winning filmmaker Danny Boyle ("Slumdog Millionaire") was doing an interview a few feet away Saturday, but people crowded past him for a glimpse of the cat.
Fans have come bearing cattnip toys and other gifts. One woman said she came all the way from Australia to see Grumpy Cat.
Mashable, a CNN.com content partner, invited the Bundesens and Grumpy Cat to Austin as part of their SXSW party space, which celebrates Internet memes. The result supports the notion that Internet fame is becoming as potent a force as other types of celebrity.
"There's this great universal quality that Grumpy Cat captures," explained Mason Peatross, who waited in line more than 90 minutes for his 30 seconds with the snoozing kitty. "Everybody's got that grumpy moment where they just hate things. The cat just makes me laugh every time."
