Challenging gore masculinity with cat memes: women-centered digital counter-culture and animal ethics in South Korea

This study examines the cultural shift in South Korean online communities through the transformation from the “I’m the Only One Without a Cat” meme (2017) to the “A Cat is Walking on the Frozen Han River” meme (2024). Through digital ethnography and interviews, this study argues that this evolution reflects a shift in online animal ethics amid South Korea’s male-dominated online culture characterized by “gore masculinity,” which exploits women and animals for profit. As a women-centered space, Twitter enabled safe expression of cat affection without fear of mockery. However, as multiple animal-themed content creators and memes were exposed to abuse, Twitter audiences started scrutinizing animal memes and videos for signs of mistreatment. This study argues that South Korea’s shifting meme culture reflects the possibility of ethical engagement with animals within platform capitalism, where animals are recognized as beings with particularity rather than mere commodities for human consumption.