Grumpy Cat, influencer, is dead

So, Grumpy Cat is dead at age 7. Of a urinary infection. Of course.

The New York Times ran her obituary today. (Did you even know that Grump Cat was female?) She was the second cat whose obituary ran in the Times.

There will never again be an “influencer” as pure as Grumpy Cat. Grumpy Cat made no actual decisions, but was revered simply for her bizarre appearance in internet memes.

She had 8.6 million followers on Facebook, 2.4 million followers on Instagram, and 1.5 million followers on Twitter. She did sell stuff. You can buy the Grumpy Cat fragrance, known as “Kitten Fur.”

If you aspire to be an “influencer,” you have two possible end states.

You can learn about something, research it, put in the effort to stay current and curious, and become an expert. This takes work.

Or you can look good, be brainless, and focus solely on self-promotion. Your end state is to become Grumpy Cat.

Dying young like Grumpy Cat is not required, but is likely to give a nice bump to your follower count.