When Neglect Isn’t Working Anymore: The Unlikely Success of the Tuxedo Party
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Abstract
In 2012, Tuxedo Stan, a domestic long-hair cat, “ran for mayor” of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and a year later Stan’s brother, Earl Grey, “ran for premier” of Nova Scotia. What separated Stan and Earl Grey (who ran under the banner of the Tuxedo Party) from other politically minded felines was that the Tuxedo Party campaigns were not stunt or joke campaigns. While the cats could obviously not take office, the two campaigns were nonetheless political advocacy campaigns, with a clearly articulated message to make life better for feral and stray cats. This paper argues that the Tuxedo Party successfully elevated the issue onto the political agenda through their savvy mix of social media, and the use of positive imagery of cats in their campaigns.
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| All Time | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
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| Abstract Views | 385 | 75 | 23 |
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When Neglect Isn’t Working Anymore: The Unlikely Success of the Tuxedo Party
In: Society & AnimalsSearch for other papers by Keri Cronin in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Tim Fowler in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Douglas Hagar in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
In 2012, Tuxedo Stan, a domestic long-hair cat, “ran for mayor” of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and a year later Stan’s brother, Earl Grey, “ran for premier” of Nova Scotia. What separated Stan and Earl Grey (who ran under the banner of the Tuxedo Party) from other politically minded felines was that the Tuxedo Party campaigns were not stunt or joke campaigns. While the cats could obviously not take office, the two campaigns were nonetheless political advocacy campaigns, with a clearly articulated message to make life better for feral and stray cats. This paper argues that the Tuxedo Party successfully elevated the issue onto the political agenda through their savvy mix of social media, and the use of positive imagery of cats in their campaigns.
| All Time | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 385 | 75 | 23 |
| Full Text Views | 185 | 6 | 1 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 41 | 5 | 0 |