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[itsmyregularcat]

Look at how cool these are!

They are (likely one-off) prints of two of @jelliclehell's Cats 2019 art pieces made just for me, plus a bonus cute-as-all-hell caked up Victoria sketch.

It is special to me to have to 2019 Jellylorum and Tantomile art as a print, because it was a special request I made from jelliclehell a few years. Plus, those two are my faves from the movie, so I am very happy to have some great art of them. Keena (the artist) made them both look so damn good, and I love how they captured both queens.

The Mungo, Rumple, and Victoria art is really cool too, as it perfectly captures the scene from the movie in a unique art style. The colours and posing are wonderful.

You are very welcome Keena for the support. Thanks for letting me purchase these, and thanks being a friendly contact in and out of the Cats fandom for years at this point.

As always, 2019 trash (now and) forever.

[statisticalcats2]

[mysticalcats]

Not sure if you would be willing, but a 2019 Jellylorum please, whenever you have time.

jelly!!

[jelliclehell]

cats are good at entertaining themselves, this is true

uncensored available offsite

[per-the-jellicle-magician]

Thanks to @realreulbbrband my vibes for drawing got somewhat resurrected so I did a little catified redraw of my fav moment in Cats Brno which is the Italian Aria

[the-cat-at-the-theatre-door]

Fabrizio Angelini and Natalia Scarpolini

[uppastthejelliclemoon]

I AM ONCE AGAIN THINKING ABT 2019 GUS AND SKIMBLE AND JELLY BEING THE MOST PRECIOUS FAMILY IN THE ENTIRE WORLD

[white-cat-of-doom]

Jellylorums a boring character and she serves no purpose

strongly agree | agree | neutral | disagree | strongly disagree

[lightingelectra]

cats 2019 as real cats cause why not

Jellylorum

coricopat

Tantamile

sillabub

Mungojerrie

Rumpleteazer

Victroria

Mr. mistoffoles mabey. the wiki didn't say his age

[femmepeterparker]

ive been putting a lot of thought into why this:

triggers uncanniness more than this:

and i think it mostly comes down to the silouettes of the characters and the overreliance of cgi for the bodies.

in the stage productions of cats, there's a lot of work put into each cat's costume. unless the characters are intentionally meant to have similarities (e.g: mungojerrie and rumpleteazer, munkustrap and tugger, coricopat and tantomile, etc), they all look pretty distinct. even when characters have similar color pallets, they have distinct enough silouettes that it's easy to keep them separate in your head.

here is demeter, bombalurina, and jellylorum in the 98 movie. they have similar colors, but each detail in their hair, ears, shoulders, and even tails stands out and helps them look distinct from one another.

now let's take a look at the same trio in the 2019 movie.

despite each cat now having a different color pallet, they all have the same silouette and blend into the ensemble. each of the character is incredibly important to the cast, and instead of being easily picked out from the crowd, i had to look up demeter and jellylorum on the fan wiki just so i could remember what they looked like. honestly, if you didn't know what taylor swift looked like, would you be able to pick bombalurina from the crowd?

in my opinion, the cg fur definitely does not help. it smoothes out purposeful imperfections in the stage designs. also, oddly enough, almost none of the cats have any fluff around their heads, leading to a very weird silouette. they literally just look like humans with ears and tails.

just look at tugger in both films.

would you be able to believe that the 2019 version is supposed to be a big, fluffy maine coon cat? why is his silouette so different from 2019's munkustrap when they're supposed to be brothers?

in the 1998 movie (and all stage productions if we're being honest) it is incredibly easy to see these two are related. even without matching colors, they have similar silouettes.

in the 2019 version, munkustrap just looks like any other cat. i genuinely don't think anyone who has only seen the 2019 movie would know that tugger and munk are brothers, let alone that they are old deut's sons.

cats 2019 was a failure in many, many ways, including adapting the story and butchering the songs and characters. but it's so visually offputting because of the decision to smooth out any physical quirks the cats originally had in their designs. they're too sleek and just blend in with everyone around them. it's genuinely so disappointing to see such a colorful, vibrant, and uniquely costumed show turned into a muddy cg nightmare.

[rabnerd28]

Watching Cats (2019) DvD Commentary

Thoughts as I watch:

Tom is literally basing this entire movie on the one time he saw Cats in 1981 when he was 8 years old

He called the movie a coming of age film about Victoria meeting characters that effect her and that Tugger represents the sin of lust (yes I am laughing)

He said abandoned three times in a row to describe Grizabella

Tom made up the thing about Grizabella used to be with Macavity happened because he wanted to cut out the idea that she was a prostitute

Has Bustopher eat trash because he thought that's what cats would be more interested in

The pause in Bustopher Jones when he says to gather the cats is a meta joke about the cats actually being people

The food was CGI

"Sees the implication of his unchecked appetites" in reference to Victoria and Bustopher Jones

Hooper brought his niece and nephew to set to play on the Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer set

He keeps insisting that there is a learning and growing arc for Victoria, but I have no idea what he's talking about

He has barely talked about the characters as actual characters and mostly just talks about how great it is to work with famous celebrity number five or how they're symbolical. I think he's making things up at this point

He added the love story because he thought Misto trying to figure out how to be a magician was a good parallel with Victoria's story of finding herself

Originally the first barge scene was longer with a lot of improv from James and Rebel as Growltiger went on

"Robbie Fairchild is brilliant" that is the only thing Tom said that makes sense

This man really said "women can be the god of cats in 2019"

Judie and Ian were the ones to decide that Gus and Old D had a thing...well at least they followed the pattern of cats actors making weird decisions for their characters

I've come to the conclusion that Tom chose his cast based on which famous actors he's always wanted to work with

Tom has no idea how to describe choreography...just like how he has no idea how to film it

Giving Victoria a solo to sing was ALW's idea

He thinks the call and response of Beautiful Ghosts and Memory is brilliant and doesn't understand how he fucked that up

They almost cut "Moments of Hapiness"

He keeps talking about how great this film is for women, but where is Demeter sir!

He didn't know that it's Jellylorum that sings Gus' song and because Ian couldn't tell what the relationship between the two was he cut out her singing it for him

He talks about the advantage of mixing the CGI with the practical clothing, and I'm like, you know what would be even better? No CGI!

I don't know who's playing Bomba, but she was the first person to be cast in Cats

He said that he thinks Macavity works better as a solo and it didn't need to be a duet...I have never felt more like murder in my whole life

Taylor Swifts dad gave him the idea for the catnip

He likes the idea of Macavity being evil yet still plays by the rules...why?

He's talking about the changes from the musical to Mr Mistoffelees, and boy is he not bringing up that Tugger is the one that sings the number

Talks about community like there was any in this movie

This man has no idea who Jemima/Sillabub is, does he?

He finally mentioned Mette Towley as Cassandra at least. Recognize that she's the best character in this film goddamit!

Apparently Munkustrap was supposed to be learning about leading this whole film...wat

Apparently he watched the 98 film several times while writing the script...and yet this movie is straight

I'm not watching the commentary for the end credits. Fuck I hate this man

[statisticalcats2]

Gus + family members

[clovenhoofedjester]

jellicle lineups; part 4/4

I FINALLY FINISHED THESE

grizabella | 🌃 🥀 🍂

i really wanted to mix revival and older replica for this one. the thigh-high boots, sparkly, tasseled dress, and generally the wig are all revival inspired, but the curly fur stays and the makeup is old because i really do like the very dramatic, gothic grizabella looks. her coat is also heavily 2019 inspired with the length and stripey purple fabric

i also was not sure how i wanted to do her hair other than it covering one eye (SHOUTOUT TO THE FANART I SAW WHICH HAD THAT. I CANNOT REMEMBER THE URL) esp the color so i did a gradient of light grey to dark brown, which i REALLY liked ! it also helped me decide that shed be chocolate smoke instead of a tabby

idk. ijust like her

i very much want to emphasize the "proud" and "indomitable" of her character in my portrayal of her; think betty buckley. i think shed be 61 in human years.

jennyanydots | ⏰ 🧶 👠

HER DESIGN... is very similar to her replica one because.... i really like it. very heavy emphasis in how her makeup is sometimes done with the HUGE lower lashes and squiggles. she also gets a cute little pink nose and blue eyeshadow

very 2019 inspired also. the hat, tasseled jumpsuit and bejeweled tap shoes stay ...... but i did want to give her the vest and collar from 2019. i just like that. shes also fat because yes

she remains sweet and nice yes. but i think warsaw was onto something when they made her Like That. shed be 56 in human years

jellylorum | 🎨 💐 👒

i ORIGINALLY drew her design a month and a half ago with the headcanon that shes gus' caretaker but bro. that jellylorum & asparagus jr. & gus family angst potential was too great. so i redid her as looking closer to gus. :3

idk why but i decided to go with a 1940s inspired formal look for her.... i quite like the hat and think it helps her to stand out, so i'm comfortable in that decision. her fur design is also mostly replica inspired. enjoy her neapolitan ice cream makeup too

she also gets a pink nose and her collar from the 2019 version. idk why the collars went so hard in that movie

i LOVE one of her 3 words being practical... yes, she is THE practical cat. i think shed be 59 in human years

bustopher jones | 🌹 🤍 🍛

VERY replica inspired.... with notes of other productions. opera populaire had full glasses bustopher which i liked. an older makeup look also had stripes which i also thought looked nice (and makes him look more related to mistoffelees) ! there are also multiple bustopher designs that have the moustache and beard 2 for 1 dealio..... and decided to incorporate that as well

he also gets the fishbone hanky crevat thing and a fishbone brooch. i almost made his rose white but i liked the contrast of the red. enough that i decided to give him lipstick too . and youd best believe that he has a giant fucking pipe that he smokes out of

i love the idea of him being the older generations' tugger in his time. i believe it. i think hed be like 55 in human years

skimbleshanks | 🚂 🎆 ⏳

I COULDNT RESIST BASING HIM OF THE MOVVIEEEEEE im not sorry that was peak skimble. the whistle and chains, the MATCHING conductor hat and pants, the moustache, the tap shoes..... truly, it was too good. my only regret was that i couldnt show the suspenders in this design because i wanted to keep the vest

i did keep the makeup/fur pattern very similar to his replica design though. idk. its just good. emphasis on the brown in his tail, the brown of his clothes, and the bell

anyone else get handsome gay silver fox vibes from him? anyway [being rushed out the door] i think hed be 56 in human years

asparagus jr. | 🧷 🎲 ⛲

lets go babey asparagus jr. inclusion ! i Really struggled with the clothes because i wanted to include the weird yarn poncho but didnt want to make him look hippyish (hippies are cool it just wasnt the vibe i was going for).... so it is reincarnated as this strange tassel-y scarf shawl thing. idk

he also gets a collar similar to jellylorum's because i like the idea of them living in the same house :^3. his makeup is also pretty different from how it appeared in the 98 version because i wasnt really feeling it. i like stripes. so stripes he shall get

hes also wearing a corset thing. idk what my propensity for designing men with a slightly feminine touch says about me (IM A FEMININE QUEER MAN)

not much notes on his personality other than i think he really looks up to his father (enough that he took on his more dignified name). hed be 57 in human years

gus | 📖 🌌 🔭

MUH OLD MAN... i love him. very much based on a bunch of different replica designs for him. he gets a beard and sideburns because i think i really do love the costumes w facial hair, and i think it just fits. he also gets glasses

he gets the coat and handkerchief (now a scarf) that typically hides the growltiger costume... which has a crisp formal outfit underneath. maybe he takes the coat off during his number to signify having moments of clarity and humor during his song

i do think in my interpretation hes well enough to joke around during his number and play the rumpus cat but like. damn you can tell this cat is old. hed be like 93 in human years

old deuteronomy | 🌕 🍮 ⭐

i have fully abandoned replica deut. say hello to haute couture resplendent transgender old deuteronomy. fit with a gigantic white coat, velvet dress, and gigantic fluffy hat. and yes, she did have 99 wives

she also gets the pendant that she was drawn with in the concept art for the 2d animated movie.... what was up w/ that....

ANYWAY YEAH UH. shes very different from the replica deut and other nonrep deuts mostly thanks to judi dench, with her saying that her version of deut was a transgender woman, and her complaining about not looking regal enough in the movie. here you go girly. the nose freckles/dots from some replica makeup get to stay though

she gets a lot of design notes from her children. the grey from munkustrap, macavitys white eyelashes, eye and mouth makeup, and tuggers cheek heart. shes also a light grey to kind of reflect her appearance in 2019

not much to add here other than i love her. i think she would be 88 in human years

AND THERE YOU GO. AHHHHHHH ITS DONE

[real-reulbbr-band]

The Reimagining of Cats Undermines Female Characterization

My anxiety's going to eat me alive if I keep being chicken about posting this so here's my more in depth feelings regarding what I mean in this post. All opinions expressed are my own and based on what I know of pac. Anyone is free to disagree with me. and thank you to @pinkieclown and @per-the-jellicle-magician for proof reading!

I”ll keep this simple cause I don’t want to get ranty on Tumblr, but by removing and cutting so many aspects of the show out they’ve lost key characterization for the female cast and replaced them with virtually nothing.

My problem isn’t that the characters don’t resemble their stage counterparts; that was expected. The issue is that they aren’t given much of a character at all. You could switch their names, and nothing would change. This problem isn’t apparent with their male counterparts with previously established on-stage storylines. 

Male characters in the reimagining, such as Munkustrap, Rum Tum Tugger, and even Macavity, retain or gain distinctive characteristics and storylines. Munkustrap is portrayed as an MC not a leader but still very much leading the show, it’s the same general role; Rum Tum Tugger as a charming rogue though slightly more akin to his 2019 movie counterpart except he still manages to ‘save the day’ at the end, and Macavity, despite his thievery, is given a more comical persona with a deeper relation to his now fellow jellicles.

 In contrast, female characters are stripped of their individuality and reduced to plot devices or mere extensions of male characters. Victoria doesn’t experience a coming-of-age or even touch Grizabella here. (It’s old Deut pretty sure which…I have problems with) She’s simply another attendant at the ball with a solo at the start that lacks deeper meaning. She’s portrayed as a ‘drag baby,’ and as stated by her actress  this isn’t even her first ball. No pas de deux or additional solo is performed to further her importance in the narrative. This reduction strips Victoria of her journey and her role within the tribe or in this case community. 

Demeter and Bombalurina have no dark history with Macavity, which affects Demeter’s characterization more than Bomb’s. They are reduced to his drag daughters and are merely other competitors at the ball who further Macavity’s story by being the ones he steals for. This change eliminates the layers of trauma and complexity in Demeter’s character, reducing her to a plot device for Macavity’s storyline.

If the female characters aren’t given distinct roles, their characters end up heavily associated with male counterparts: Jellylorum with Gus, Jennyanydots with Munkustrap, and of course, Bombalurina and Demeter with Macavity. They don’t exist as individuals without these associations, as their typical roles are relegated to the background.

In the original stage show, despite its issues in instances, female characters like Demeter and Bombalurina exhibit significant agency and emotional depth. Demeter’s fear of Macavity and Bombalurina’s protective nature towards her and the kittens add layers to their characters. The reimagining erases this agency, reducing them to passive participants who exist only to further male characters' narratives. Namely Macavity’s here.

Now, it is important to note that a lot of characterization happens outside of the character’s main numbers. Things like who they interact with in their down time, what they do when they’re not actively participating in a song besides simply watching and waiting for the next que; that’s when the actors are given time to just be the character. The actors don’t have as many opportunities to do that here just due to the formatting of the show with the runway catwalk and walking space outside it. During which they’re mostly interacting with the audience or reacting to what’s happening on stage. They don’t have a lot of moments to just interact with each other to give the audience a better feel of who they are. 

The reduction of female characters in 'Cats: The Jellicle Ball' reflects broader patterns of misogyny in the media. Historically, female characters have often been sidelined, their stories minimized, and their roles diminished to support male-centric plots. This reimagining perpetuates this problematic trend by failing to provide female characters with the same depth and development afforded to their male counterparts.

I know what you’re going to say ‘but Grizabella’. Yea, Grizabella has fifteen minutes of stage time and she’s the character who resembles her stage counterpart the most. That’s why these issues negate her and she’s of the few I don’t have this problem with, the others being Rumpleteazer, Cassandra, and Skimbleshanks as her role has never had a deeper narrative meaning outside of reflecting the behaviors of the tribe as a whole.

In conclusion, the reimagining of 'Cats: The Jellicle Ball' is a missed opportunity to reframe and enrich the narratives of its female characters. Instead, it falls into the trap of diminishing their roles and individuality, perpetuating a longstanding issue in media representation.

[toweroftickles]

Tickle Tier List: 100 Random Characters

And I mean RANDOM. This may elicit a WTF or two. Some of these are famous, some are obscure, some are literal background characters. Whatever popped into my head over the last few days, I added it. No thought, just instinct. Take it as you will.

This isn’t necessarily a measure of how ticklish these characters are; just how they react to the idea.

*Handy dandy guide:*

Krystal, Jellylorum (Cats 2019), America Chavez (MCU), Inigo, Hero of Brightwall (Female, Fable 3), Natsu, Elise (Nodame Cantabile), Nightcrawler, Rouge the Bat

Sakura Kasugano, Palutena, Jenny Wakeman XJ-9, Wii Fit Trainer (F), Princess Anna, Princess Celestia, Isabelle, Peni Parker (Spiderverse), Otherin (Slow Life Isekai)

Barbara Gordon (The Batman 2004), Ahsoka Tano, Balan, Lisa (Ponyo), Shantae, ROLL.EXE, Alita, Harmony Faith Lane (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang), Kiri, Jaden Yuki, Wonder Woman (DCEU), Luffy, Alicia Lopez (Astral Chain), Lisa Minci, Beast Boy, Robin Hood, Neteyam

Kiki, Deku, Coraline, Victoria (Cats 2019), Ellie, Laurel Lightfoot, Ian Lightfoot, Lena Oxton/Tracer, Yip Gaming, Frogger

Ahmanet, Mowgli, Amy Rose, Midna, Ben 10, Gwen 10, Josha, Gella Twins (Star Wars prequels), Kairi, Sora, Jeanne, Rottytops, Drew Saturday, Miles "Spider" Sorocco, Lilith (Darksiders)

Alexis Rhodes, Dust (An Elysian Tail), Booster Mbube (Speed Racer), Berecca (adult, Ninjala), Jonathan Morris, Korra, Wii Fit Trainer (M), Kazuko Suda (The Night is Short, Walk on Girl), MEGAMAN.EXE, Elemental Hero Burstinatrix, Sly Cooper, Mayday Parker (comics), Princess Atta, Vignette Stonemoss (Carnival Row), Melusine (Final Fantasy XV), Zakumi (FIFA mascot)

Gwen Stacy (Spiderverse), Pit, Kate Bishop (MCU), Nefer (Mummies), Arcee, Tiffany Case (Diamonds are Forever), Knuckles, Big League Chew girl, Nightsister Merrin, Munkustrap (Cats 2019), Suki, Fish Lady, Momohime (Muramasa: The Demon Blade), Dr. Madeline Bergman (Metroid: Other M), She-Hulk

Neith (Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown), Risky Boots, Kisuke (Muramasa), Phoebe Spengler, Toph, Veran (Zelda), Sabe (Padme’s double), Zuko, Buttercup (older, FusionFall)

[the-cat-at-the-theatre-door]

❤️,💛, 🧵, 🎁, 🎬,📌, 💎

Thank you for the abundance! I'll answer under a read more to avoid getting too long.

❤️ What's your favorite romantical ship?

I already answered this one here, however as close runners up, I also wish for the following kitties to kiss:

💛 What's your favorite familial ship?

I also love Sillabub being the daughter of Alonzo/Demeter, because that makes most sense to me, especially in her older Broadway and Hamburg iterations where she was more golden coloured (like Alonzo and Demeter are):

🧵 What's your favorite production and why?

Any production of CATS is pretty much swell in my book, so I do like a grand majority of them (including things like the original Italian Tour which is fab), but the Original Broadway production owns my entire ass. There is a richness and pop-culture history with that one that is...indescribable. Every one saw it or heard of it. It was so *massive*, its replicas significantly outnumbered London ones for a time, yet now it's sort of quietly slunk into the shadows. Sad.

🎁 If you could give any of the ensemble cats a song, who would it be? What would it be about?

Jellylorum would get her own song because she had her own poem so that seems like a logical shoe-in, no? By all technicality she sings *Gus'* song, so she already has one, but I want one for her specifically and she deserves one - being cheerful and helpful and bright. Running with theme, probably swing it in a way where she thinks she's "helping" her humans out by straightening picture frames and moving vases and dusting things with her tail, but the tongue in cheek twist is that her rummaging around is just standard kitty messing with things and the owners being exasperated by it.

🎬 What's your favorite moment from the show? (can be from any production)

I love you entirety of Gus the Theatre Cat - to me you will always be famous (this is always number one in my book - just Gus the Theatre Cat though, excluding any of the other numbers in it. My main love is that number).

I also love you Alonzo Shadow Dance, I love you patter portion of Skimbleshanks, I love you Gumbie Tap solo, I love you Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats, I love you updated Pas de Deux, I love yo- <3

📌 What was Cats 2019's biggest mistake, in your opinion? (OTHER than 'bad cgi') If you don't think it made any notable mistakes, what's your favorite thing about it?

Hiring Tom Hooper to direct. That's the long and short of it. That man barely squeaked by with his Les Misérables shenanigans, and suddenly he's a "musical movie director" with one qualification (who does not even like musicals - which I mean isn't a criteria but you know...helps a bit in how to execute).

💎 If Andrew Lloyd Webber coughed up a sequel to Cats (as he did Phantom) would you go see it?

Would I *pay* to go see it? Probably not. That would be travel, lodging and ticket expenses for an ALW sequel, which already has a 0% track record. I know for a fact it would likely LOOK pretty, but the substance would be....questionable.

However, would I see it through...other means? Perhaps I could be persuaded.