Friskies Internet Cat Video Awards Fete Furry Friends
Oct. 13, 2013— -- Fans of felines frolicking online can tune in to a special event this Tuesday, when "The Friskies Internet Cat Video Awards" will stream live.
"With the Nobel prizes being awarded this week, it really drives home the importance of awards in general. And as prestigious as the Nobel prizes are, I think The Friskies are even more so," said cat lover and comedian Michael Ian Black, who will host the event.
The show will award $25,000 in total cash prizes and gold-plated Catuette trophies to four category winners and one Fan Favorite that will be voted on in real time.
But in anticipation of the event, Black was reluctant to play favorites himself.
"I like anything where cat meets water," he said.
Actress Angela Kinsey, who will be presenting the Lifetime Achievement Award to Internet sensation Grumpy Cat, is more of a retractable electronics fan herself.
"I love cat videos," she said. "Anything that spits out a tray and a cat bats at it, I love. Having a 5-year-old, you can just watch these videos together and not have to worry. It goes across age groups and genders and cultures and it's just good fun."
Black concurred -- sort of.
"The most important thing I want people to take away is that it's easier to embarrass a cat than you think," he deadpanned. "Everyone thinks cats are so cool and collected, and they are, but it's really easy to embarrass them and you should feel encouraged to do so."
Still, neither of the stars said they've been able to capture their own pets on video.
"I don't know if my cat is camera shy or just particularly boring, but mine doesn't seem to do anything entertaining while we have the camera on," Black said.
Meanwhile, Kinsey said her rescue cat prefers to stay out of the spotlight.
"Getting to see Otter is like seeing an albino rhinoceros in the wild," the actress said with a laugh. "It's such a privilege. She's very hard to catch on camera because she likes to come out at night and she's very shy in general."
Cats like Lil Bub, Snoopybabe and others who have amassed cult followings online clearly don't suffer from the same sense of modesty. In fact, in anticipation of the event, Black said he expected Grumpy Cat's presence at the awards show to eclipse his own.
"Well, the thing is that with a true celebrity, you're going to get upstaged every time," said the comedian. "If I were asked if I wanted to perform alongside Tom Hanks, I would. But he's always going to shine. And that's also the case with Grumpy Cat. He'll outshine you every time."
"The Friskies Internet Cat Video Awards" will stream online at 7 p.m. ET Oct. 15 at TheFriskies.com.
