The Cat Championships at Meow-dison Square Garden
A Special Look at Special Needs Pets
The Cutest Cat Fashion in All of Japan
An Adorable Hipster Ice-Cream Truck
Who Makes Those Super Cute Cupcakes at Whole Foods?
It may seem strange that Vice Magazine’s online video extension would be home to a series showcasing furry animals given other VBS programs document pornography photographers, circumcision ceremonies, and islands of garbage. But I think that’s part of the appeal.
An equal opportunity purveyor of cute, The Cute Show includes the obvious cats and dogs, but also has an episode each on: hamsters, bunnies, baby lions, baby walruses, hedgehogs, and even non-mammalian fare like cute cupcakes. There are a several keys to The Cute Show’s success. One is context: cute on its own is nice, but having the respective owners talking about their charges and showing them off means we’re more sympathetic and ultimately more appreciative of the cute factor. Another key is the music: a fresh, bouncy, electronic keyboard soundtrack for each video – sophisticated in their simplicity, the tunes provide just the right pacing and set up for the pets, or…cupcakes.
There’s also a very touching episode on special needs pets: a heartstring-pulling-meets-cute double whammy.
Others that ply the cute trade, like Cheezburger and Ultra Kawaii are as much about stunts (cat on a turntable; cat jumping in and out of a box; cats or dogs playing with balls) as pure adoration. Whereas on The Cute Show, the lovely-voiced narrator gently queries the owner or trainer about the animals, and the owner shares their names, their tendencies, their back stories, while the camera (clearly of decent quality, not the case with many others of the genre) goes in close and gives us a prolonged take of each animal in its full glory.
Accompanied by the effective soundtrack and subtle narrative build-up, you’re sure to crack a smile for these creatures, and maybe even a giggle - they’re being taken care of, and they’re just all too cute. Check it out at VBS.TV.