# Woman Yelling at a Cat
> Woman Yelling at a Cat is a two-panel meme format combining Taylor Armstrong's crying face from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills with a white cat named Smudge looking confused at a dinner table, first paired by @MISSINGEGIRL in 2019.
Woman Yelling at a Cat is a two-panel meme format that places a screencap of Taylor Armstrong crying and pointing on *The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills* next to a photo of a white cat named Smudge sitting at a dinner table looking confused. First combined by Twitter user @MISSINGEGIRL on May 1, 2019, the format exploded into one of the most popular memes of 2019, winning Meme of the Year at the 12th Shorty Awards[5].
## Origin
The two images that make up the meme came from completely different corners of the internet, years apart.
**The left panel** is a screenshot from "Malibu Beach Party From Hell," the 14th episode of season two of *The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills*, which aired on December 5, 2011[5]. During the episode, cast member Taylor Armstrong broke down while confronting Camille Grammer over gossip about Armstrong's allegedly abusive marriage to Russell Armstrong. Fellow housewife Kyle Richards tried to hold her back as she pointed and screamed at another partygoer[8]. The *Daily Mail* published a recap the next day on December 6, including the now-iconic still of Armstrong mid-scream, which spread online as a reaction image[6].
The scene had a painful backstory. Armstrong later revealed she had been experiencing domestic violence, and after she filed for divorce and spoke publicly about the abuse, her ex-husband died by suicide[2]. Armstrong told *Oprah Daily* that during the screaming scene, she was "truly terrified for my life and my safety"[3].
**The right panel** originated on June 19, 2018, when Tumblr user deadbefordeath posted a photo of a white cat sitting in a chair at a dinner table in front of a plate of vegetables, captioned "he no like vegetals"[4]. The post picked up over 50,300 likes and reblogs within a year[6]. The cat, from Ottawa, Ontario, was named Smudge. According to his owner Miranda Stillabower, Smudge was antisocial around humans and disliked not having a chair at the dinner table. When a guest left their seat (with salad still in front of it), Smudge hopped up and made his signature confused face[5]. An Instagram account, @smudge_lord, was created for him on May 27, 2019[4].
**The combination** happened on May 1, 2019, when Twitter user @MISSINGEGIRL posted both images together with the caption: "These photos together is making me lose it." The tweet blew up, pulling in over 78,900 retweets and 276,800 likes in two months[4].
- **Creator:** @MISSINGEGIRL (combined the two images), Taylor Armstrong (subject, left panel), Miranda Stillabower (photographer, right panel / Smudge's owner), deadbefordeath (original Tumblr post of Smudge)
## Overview
The meme is a side-by-side image split into two panels. The left panel shows a tearful, angry blonde woman pointing and screaming while another woman holds her back. The right panel shows a white cat with a flat, bewildered expression sitting in a chair at a dinner table with a plate of salad in front of him[4]. The contrast between the intense emotion on the left and the deadpan confusion on the right made the format irresistible for labeling any two-sided argument where one party is furious and the other is baffled[7].
People typically add text labels to each panel to represent opposing sides of a debate, argument, or absurd situation. The woman represents the angry, accusatory side, and the cat represents the clueless or unbothered party[3].
## How It Spread
The format moved fast. On May 2, 2019, just one day after @MISSINGEGIRL's tweet, Twitter user @lc28__ created what appears to be the first captioned meme using the format[4]. On June 2, Redditor PerpetualWinter posted the first known object-labeling version, riffing on New York Knicks fans, which kicked off the meme's Reddit career[5].
June 2019 was the breakout month. On June 9, a meme template was posted to r/memes, and on the same day a post by Redditor Apple-Trump hit over 38,600 upvotes[4]. Highly upvoted posts flooded r/dankmemes and other subreddits in the following days[4]. The format's flexibility was key to its spread. People used it for everything from daily annoyances like encountering spiders to debates about violence in video games and word pronunciations[5].
By fall 2019, the meme was everywhere. On October 13, Facebook user KucingMenangid posted a remix video swapping Smudge for fellow internet cat Thurston Waffles, which pulled in over 727,000 views and 25,000 shares in just over a week[4]. EbaumsWorld published a roundup of notable examples on November 4[1]. The meme also crossed into the physical world: it showed up as Halloween costumes (Armstrong herself posed with a costumed "Smudge" at a party) and on a protest sign at a September 2019 event in Guatemala[5].
## How to Use
The standard format places two images side by side. The left panel (Armstrong screaming) represents whoever is angry, accusatory, or emotionally intense. The right panel (Smudge at the table) represents whoever is confused, unbothered, or wrongly accused.
Most versions use object labeling:
1. Pick a scenario with two opposing sides, where one party is worked up and the other doesn't get what the fuss is about
2. Label the woman with the angry/accusatory position
3. Label the cat with the confused or innocent position
4. Optionally label Kyle Richards (the woman holding Armstrong back) as a third party trying to mediate
## Cultural Impact
Woman Yelling at a Cat crossed from internet joke to mainstream cultural reference within months. Halloween 2019 saw numerous couples and groups dressing as Armstrong and Smudge, with Armstrong herself posing for photos with costumed fans[3]. The format appeared on protest signs in Guatemala and was used by institutions like Library and Archives Canada for public communication[5].
The meme drew attention to a larger pattern of reality TV moments gaining second lives online, with writers citing it as a prime example of how previously aired media can find new cultural relevance years later through meme culture[5]. It also sparked conversation about the ethics of turning a moment of genuine distress into comedy, though Armstrong's public blessing helped ease those concerns[2].
In Canadian politics, the template became a vehicle for expressing generational political divides during the 2019 federal election, with millennials using it to push back against older voters' support for the Liberal party[7].
## Fun Facts
- Smudge's trademark expression happened because a dinner guest vacated their chair and the antisocial cat immediately claimed the seat, looking confused at the salad left in front of him[5].
- Armstrong told *Oprah Daily* she thinks she's "easily meme-able" because she's "very animated, especially when I am upset," noting there's plenty of Housewives footage of her "screaming, crying, eye rolling and laughing to choose from"[3].
- Smudge's owners donated all t-shirt merchandise proceeds to Furry Tails, a cat rescue nonprofit[5].
- The original Tumblr post's caption "he no like vegetals" used deliberate internet jargon that helped it go viral on its own before the combined meme existed[5].
- Snoop Dogg, John Cena, and NFL linebacker Bruce Davis all publicly shared Smudge memes or wore Smudge merchandise[5].
## Frequently Asked Questions
### What is Woman Yelling at a Cat?
It's a two-panel meme format pairing a screenshot of Taylor Armstrong screaming on *The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills* with a photo of a white cat named Smudge sitting at a dinner table looking confused[4]. The format is used for object labeling, where each panel represents opposing sides of a conflict.
### Where did Woman Yelling at a Cat come from?
Twitter user @MISSINGEGIRL combined the two previously separate images on May 1, 2019, writing "These photos together is making me lose it." The Armstrong screenshot came from a December 2011 episode of *Real Housewives*, and the Smudge photo was posted to Tumblr in June 2018[6].
### What does Woman Yelling at a Cat mean?
The format represents any situation where one party is furiously upset and the other is confused or unbothered. The woman symbolizes intense emotion or accusation, while the cat represents calm bewilderment[7].
### How do you use Woman Yelling at a Cat?
Add text labels to each panel. The left panel (the woman) gets the angry or accusatory label, and the right panel (the cat) gets the confused or innocent label. Optionally label the woman holding Armstrong back as a mediating third party[3].
### Is Woman Yelling at a Cat still popular?
The meme peaked in late 2019 and won Meme of the Year at the 12th Shorty Awards in May 2020[5]. While no longer at peak virality, the template is still recognized and used occasionally.
### Who is the woman in the meme?
Taylor Armstrong, a cast member on *The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills*. The screenshot comes from a season two episode where she was arguing about domestic violence she experienced from her ex-husband[2].
### Who is the cat in the meme?
The cat is Smudge, from Ottawa, Ontario, owned by Miranda Stillabower. She posted his photo to Tumblr in June 2018 after he jumped into a guest's chair at the dinner table[5].
### What is the backstory behind Taylor Armstrong's image?
During the December 2011 episode, Armstrong was confronting Camille Grammer over gossip about Armstrong's abusive marriage. She was "truly terrified for my life and my safety" at the time, as she later told *Oprah Daily*[3]. She has since remarried and works with domestic violence shelters[2].
### Did Taylor Armstrong approve of the meme?
Yes. On October 27, 2019, Armstrong tweeted that she has moved on from her past and said "It's ok to laugh at the images that have been created." She actively engages with fans posting versions of the meme[2].
### Who originally combined the two images?
Twitter user @MISSINGEGIRL posted both images side by side on May 1, 2019. The tweet earned over 78,900 retweets and 276,800 likes[4].
### What awards did the meme win?
It won Meme of the Year at the 12th Shorty Awards on May 3, 2020, presented to both Taylor Armstrong and Smudge[5].
### How did Smudge become famous from this meme?
Smudge's Instagram account grew to 1.4 million followers, spawned a "Smudgeposting" Facebook group with 23,000 members, and led to a merchandise line. Celebrities including John Cena and Snoop Dogg shared Smudge content[5].
## References
1. [66 'Woman Yelling at a Cat' Memes That Still Slap in 2021 | eBaum's World]()
2. [The Story Behind Popular 'Woman Yelling at a Cat' Meme Was Actually the Result of Abuse]()
3. [What is the Cat Meme? The 'Woman Yells At Cat' Meme, Explained]()
4. [Woman Yelling at a Cat - Know Your Meme]()
5. [Woman yelling at a cat]()
6. [List of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills episodes]()
7. ['Woman Yelling At A Cat' is Derived From Two Popular Memes]()
8. [Woman Yelling at a Cat | The Great Canadian Encyclopedia of Political Memes]()
9. [Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills: Taylor Armstrong has meltdown over husband Russell | Daily Mail Online]()
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Source: https://meme.com/memes/woman-yelling-at-a-cat
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