Play him off, Keyboard Cat! (The Story)

Every morning as The Jeff Elliott in the Morning Show prepares to end the show, Keyboard Cat (named FATSO by the owner) plays us off. This is seriously a youtube phenomenon.


In case you haven’t yet seen them, Keyboard Cat videos all follow the same formula:

They all have the name “Play Him/Her Out, Keyboard Cat”
They begin with a segment in which someone humiliates or hurts himself or herself
They cut to a strange video featuring a cat playing a tune on a cheesy home keyboard

The Wikepedia Definition!

Keyboard Cat is an Internet meme. It consists of footage from 1984 of "Fatso", a cat (now deceased) owned by Charlie Schmidt of Spokane, Washington, wearing a blue shirt and "playing" an upbeat rhythm on an electronic keyboard. In reality, Fatso was manipulated by Schmidt. (tee-hee, really? lol)

The clip, originally posted to YouTube as "Charlie Schmidt's 'cool cat'", has gained popularity by being appended to blooper and other viral videos as if to "play" that person offstage after the mistake or gaffe in a similar manner as getting the hook in the days of vaudeville, usually accompanied with the title Play Him Off, Keyboard Cat or a variant.

Here is the ORIGINAL FIRST VIDEO by Charlie Schmidt where he calls Fatso, the Keyboard Cat "Cool Cat" as the original title to the video.




NOW...here is a funny video...Keyboard Cat playing off...ANOTHER KEYBOARD CAT!!!!




There is an official 'Play him off Keyboard, Cat' blog website! Click HERE to view!


Well, it is certainly a phenomenon and RIP Fatso. CNN covered the story, as well as the Colbert Report and I am certain, countless others. So, if you are ever bored...just search youtube for "play him off, Keyboard Cat" and you will have hours of entertainment, and if you HAVE a funny blooper, MAKE YOUR OWN! :-)

Cheers and have a great weekend!

Sandra Foxx
sandra@wirk.com