Internet Barks Back at New York Times Op-Ed Asserting That Dog GIFs Are Bad

March 29th, 2018 - 5:56 PM EDT by Matt Schimkowitz

14 comments | Contact Newsroom

Object labeling meme of digital dog labeled "the internet" chasing a digital mail man labeled "op-ed about dog gifs"

A recently published New York Times op-ed questioning whether what we see of dogs on the Internet is what they actually feel has the internet showing its teeth.

All dogs are good boys, but are all good boys happy boys? That is the question on the mind of New York Times contributor Alexandra Horowitz, who argues that the GIFs, pictures and short videos of dogs frolicking, licking and smiling we all like and share, are doing a disservice to man’s best friend.

The article entitled “Is This Dog Actually Happy?” published on March 27th, explains that many of the images we see of dogs show and tell more about what people want to see rather than what is actually happening. For example, images of dogs smiling or wearing clothes ignore the discomfort the animal might actually be in. Not exactly what the GIFs hungry world of social media wants to think about when checking out fine doggo, shoob and pupper.

"The reason is that these dogs are but furry emoji: stand-ins for emotions and sentiment,” writes Horowitz. “Each representation diminishes this complex, impressive creature to an object of our most banal imagination.”

“As the philosopher Lori Gruen has observed, to be seen as something other than what one is, or to be the object of laughter, robs one of dignity. Such treatment may not be mortifying to the dog, perhaps (in fact, that’s a legitimate question, whether dogs can feel mortified; I remain agnostic); but it is degrading to the species.”

Must we all feel guilty for wanting boop a snoot? Nay, the internet will continue to boop.

Fighting back against the op-ed are a pack of wild dog-related GIFs refuting Horowitz’s arguments and leaving behind a healthy ratio-ing in its wake.






However, it’s worth noting that if we love dogs so much, shouldn’t we be trying to better understand their thoughts, emotions and levels of comfort? Isn’t it worth considering that, like various other "viral videos" of animals doing perceived cute things, like "shower rat", these animals might not be as healthy as we think? Has an epidemic of gif-related dog discomfort has sunk its teeth into society? Shouldn’t we first figure out if the dog is actually happy before exploiting it for likes, faves, retweets and overall human joy? Shouldn’t we--

Aw, look at this good boy. Who’s a good boy? Who’s a good boy? What was I saying again? Ah, nevermind.


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This is typical commentary of "intellectuals" who have never had a pet.
I've lived with dogs my whole live, and it's impressive how expressive they are once you know them. They can understand your facial expressions and voice tone, and they are also capable of doing facial expressions themselves.
Dogs are quick to show discomfort, and it's easy to see if they are scared or uncomfortable. Most dogs are also capable of simply not caring about an issue if they have their mind in another thing.

I guess you could argue this thing in cats, who are not as sociable and tend to be less expressive, but dogs are social creatures that live in groups, and have evolved alongside humans, so it's easy to learn the way they express themselves.

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