Jorts (cat) explained
Jorts |
Species: | Felis catus |
Breed: | Domestic shorthair, orange tabby |
Gender: | Male (neutered)[1] |
Birth Date: | May 1[2] |
Occupation: | Office pet |
Known: | Door and trash can mishaps, involuntary application of margarine, "pro-labor icon"[3] |
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Jorts is an orange tabby cat that initially rose to internet fame in December 2021 for a viral Reddit thread discussing purported workplace attempts to train him that included him being smeared with margarine.
A Twitter account personifying Jorts (and his fellow workplace cat Jean) as a supporter of organized labor has since received recognition.
Description and early life
Jorts is an orange tabby cat.[4] [5] [6] He was a stray in his early years before being taken in by office workers. After being known to forage for food in dumpsters, the office workers, who already had a cat named Jean, provided care to Jorts.[7]
Office events
Jorts is noted for his failure to perform common daily tasks such as opening doors,[8] whereas Jean is described as a comparatively smart cat who helps Jorts.[9]
To prevent Jorts from being trapped behind doors, staff in the office space purchased a doorstop. Another staff member, alias "Pam," objected to this. Pam then compiled a list of training tasks for Jorts in the office, which was met with disagreement by other staff, who said that Jorts would not learn due to his low intellect. When a member of the office staff asserted that "you can't expect Jean's tortoiseshell smarts from orange cat Jorts," Pam stated that this was "perpetuating ethnic stereotypes by saying orange cats are dumb." Pam reportedly requested racial sensitivity training before agreeing to return to work.[10] "Jorts", "Jean", and "Pam" were stated to be pseudonyms to preserve the anonymity of the workforce.[9] Later, Jorts' Twitter account confirmed that Jorts and Jean were the cats' real names.[11]
The events led to the involvement of human resources management at the workplace.[12] Discussions with human resources led to the discovery that Pam had been applying margarine to Jorts in an attempt to motivate him to groom himself more effectively.[13] [14] These events were anonymously posted in December 2021 to Reddit's "Am I the Asshole" subreddit, resulting in publicity.
An agreement was ultimately reached to resolve the dispute.[10]
Twitter advocacy
The popularity of the Reddit thread discussing these office events led to the creation of a Twitter account that shares updates about the activities of Jorts (and Jean).[15] As of March 2022, the Twitter account had 170,000 followers.[16]
The Twitter account regularly posts pro-trade union messages, winning praise from cartoonist Tom Tomorrow,[9] Senator Elizabeth Warren,[17] and labor movement figures, including Liz Shuler, Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, and the United Farm Workers.[18] Jorts' labor advocacy has been compared to Scabby the Rat, the giant inflatable rodents that have been used to draw public attention to strikes for decades.[19] Other messages from the Twitter account promote public investment in education and public health. In addition, the account advocates for inclusive technology and policies, such as the alt attribute used to display text in lieu of an image for screen reader software, and protection of transgender people.
Public requests to create Jorts merchandise were rejected by the Twitter account. Instead, the account has encouraged followers to adopt cats from pet shelters,[20] donate to a strike fund, or customize existing clothing with the phrase "I LIKE JORTS THE CAT".[21]
The Twitter account criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom for not signing AB2183,[22] United Farm Workers-supported legislation that would allow agricultural workers, generally migrant workers, to choose their voting method in labor elections to choose to be represented by a union and to elect union leaders. On September 4, 2022, the White House issued a statement from President Joe Biden, supporting the legislation;[23] Newsom ultimately signed the bill into law on September 28, 2022.[24]
Influence
In January 2022, critique linking Jorts' lack of intelligence and apparent poor life skills to the color of his coat was refuted by the chief medical officer of the San Diego Humane Society.[25]
In popular culture
A mod of the video game Stardew Valley was made featuring Jorts and fellow office cat Jean as non-player characters.[26] [27] In the game both cats attempt to get workers to unionize.
See also
Further reading
External links
Notes and References
- 1509314614361686016 . JortsTheCat . Jorts (and Jean) . I am a cat. I had testicles but they were removed (and haven't grown back so far).
- 1511868628584566790 . JortsTheCat . Jorts (and Jean) . My birthday is May 1 (I chose it myself). Jean says she is a Virgo.
- Web site: How a fluffy orange cat named Jorts stole the internet's heart and became the pro-labor icon 2022 didn't know it needed. Insider. 2022-04-09. Yip, Waiyee. 2022-03-22.
- Web site: Kane, Vivian . 2021-12-27 . Jorts (and Jean) the Cat Continues To Be a Gift To Us All With Their Pro-Union Twitter Account . 2022-01-01 . The Mary Sue . en . 2022-01-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220101022000/https://www.themarysue.com/jorts-and-jean-the-cat-pro-union-twitter-account/ . live .
- Web site: A Reddit post about an orange cat named Jorts has spiraled out of control . 2022-01-01 . news.yahoo.com . 16 December 2021 . en-US . 2022-01-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220101021949/https://news.yahoo.com/reddit-post-orange-cat-named-210147509.html . live .
- Dickinson . Tim . Dickson . E. J. . Garber-Paul . Elisabeth . Marks . Andrea . Tozzi . Lisa . 2021-12-26 . 10 Moments That Made Us Smile in 2021 . Rolling Stone . en-US . 2022-01-01 . 2022-01-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220101021949/https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/moments-made-us-smile-2021-amanda-gorman-olivia-rodrigo-no-bones-day-1275398/ . live .
- Web site: Gopalan . Aparna . 29 March 2023 . Jorts The Cat Wants You To Fight Back . 2023-04-08 . In These Times . en . 2023-04-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230406215732/https://inthesetimes.com/article/jorts-the-cat-wants-you-to-fight-back/ . live .
- Web site: Krishnamurthy. Chaitra. 2021-12-16. Jorts the Cat story explained as Internet debates 'ethnic stereotypes'. 2022-01-01. HITC. en-GB. 2021-12-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20211220083719/https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2021/12/16/jorts-the-cat/. live.
- News: How a beloved orange tabby cat became a voice for America's union workers . Morrow, Allison . February 17, 2022 . CNN Business . 17 February 2022 . 17 February 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220217183320/https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2022/02/17/business/jorts-cat-unions-labor-movement/index.html . live .
- News: Jorts the cat: Everything you need to know about the internet's new favourite cat . Kooser . Amanda . December 21, 2021 . cnet . 17 February 2022 . 7 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220107142012/https://www.cnet.com/how-to/jorts-the-cat-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-internets-new-favourite-cat/ . live .
- 1503195155918032897 . Of course we are . Jorts (and Jean) . JortsTheCat.
- Web site: Cost. Ben. 2021-12-15. Jorts the ginger cat sparks debate about 'perpetuating ethnic stereotypes'. 2022-01-05. New York Post. en-US. 2022-01-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20220105135423/https://nypost.com/2021/12/15/jorts-the-ginger-cat-sparks-debate-about-perpetuating-ethic-stereotypes/. live.
- Web site: Kircher. Madison Malone. 2021-12-18. Nancy Reagan, Blow Job Queen?. 2022-01-09. Slate Magazine. en. 2022-01-08. https://web.archive.org/web/20220108224456/https://slate.com/podcasts/icymi/2021/12/blowjob-queen-nancy-reagan-jorts-the-buttered-cat. live.
- Web site: Higginbotham. Dannie. 16 Dec 2021. Reddit thread about Jorts, the dumb orange cat, goes viral. 2022-01-17. Young Post. 2022-01-17. https://web.archive.org/web/20220117051617/https://www.scmp.com/yp/discover/lifestyle/article/3159958/reddit-thread-about-jorts-dumb-orange-cat-goes-viral. live.
- Web site: Hanson. Hilary. 21 Jan 2022. 21 Of The Funniest Tweets About Cats And Dogs This Week (Jan. 15-21). 2022-01-27. sg.news.yahoo.com. en-SG. 2022-01-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20220127014902/https://sg.news.yahoo.com/21-funniest-tweets-cats-dogs-164714898.html. live.
- News: Column: Newsom didn't meet with farmworkers on César Chávez Day. One internet cat is irate . Chabria . Anita . 2022-03-31 . 2022-04-26 . . 2022-04-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220425184428/https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-03-31/newsom-california-farmworkers-cesar-chavez-jorts-the-cat . live .
- Web site: 2022-02-22 . How Jorts, the cat on Twitter, talks about workers' union, gives advice . 2022-03-02 . The Indian Express . en . 2022-03-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220302020830/https://indianexpress.com/article/trending/trending-globally/jorts-the-cat-workers-union-america-7783839/ . live .
- Web site: On Jorts: The Labor Cat . February 8, 2022 . Hollister, Annie . On Labor . 17 February 2022 . 16 February 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220216212143/https://onlabor.org/on-jorts-the-labor-cat/ . live .
- News: Jorts the Cat vs. Scabby the Rat: Rising Labor Movement Needs New Mascots . Prang, Allison . April 26, 2022 . The Wall Street Journal . 29 April 2022 . limited . 29 April 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220429165136/https://www.wsj.com/articles/cat-labor-union-rat-mascots-organizers-11650985621 . live .
- Web site: Shankar. Louis. 2022-01-25. How two cats, Jean and Jorts, are using their viral success as a weapon for good. 2022-01-27. Screenshot Media. en. 2022-01-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20220127014144/https://screenshot-media.com/visual-cultures/internet-culture/jean-and-jorts-saga/. live.
- News: In praise of Jorts the Cat, unlikely labor leader . Brennan, Amanda . 2 April 2022 . Fast Company . 29 April 2022 . 29 April 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220429165135/https://www.fastcompany.com/90737005/in-praise-of-jorts-the-cat-unlikely-labor-leader . live .
- 2022 . 673 . An act to add Sections 1160.10 and 1162 to, and to add and repeal Sections 1156.35, 1156.36, and 1156.37 of, the Labor Code, relating to employment. . https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB2183.
- Web site: Biden . Joseph . Statement by President Biden in Support of California's Agricultural Labor Relations Voting Choice Act . The White House . 4 September 2022 . whitehouse.gov . 21 December 2022 . 27 January 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230127020743/https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/09/04/statement-by-president-biden-in-support-of-californias-agricultural-labor-relations-voting-choice-act/ . live .
- Web site: Porter . Jacque . Newsom signs AB 2183, bill that facilitates farmworker unionization . KTLA . 28 September 2022 . Nexstar Media Group . 21 December 2022 . 21 December 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221221031227/https://ktla.com/news/california/newsom-signs-ab-2183-bill-that-facilitates-farmworker-unionization/ . live .
- Web site: Cooper. Gael Fashingbauer. Busting cat-color myths: Your orange tabby isn't dumber than its feline pals. 2022-01-03. CNET. en. 2022-01-02. https://web.archive.org/web/20220102220548/https://www.cnet.com/news/busting-cat-color-myths-your-orange-tabby-isnt-dumber-than-its-feline-friends/. live.
- Web site: Allen . Jen . 2022-02-24 . 'Stardew Valley' mod adds viral cat stars Jean and Jorts . 2022-03-02 . NME . en-GB . 2022-03-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220302020830/https://www.nme.com/news/gaming-news/stardew-valley-mod-adds-viral-cat-stars-jean-and-jorts-3168811 . live .
- News: Chalk . Andy . 2022-02-23 . Stardew Valley mod adds viral kitty stars Jean and Jorts as NPCs . en . PC Gamer . 2022-03-02 . 2022-03-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220302020830/https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/stardew-valley-mod-adds-viral-kitty-stars-jean-and-jorts-as-npcs/ . live .