Serious Cat is one of the internet's earliest and most iconic image macros, featuring a white cat named Snowball looking directly into the camera with an uncharacteristically solemn expression. It first gained traction on 4chan and Something Awful in the mid-2000s, often accompanied by the grammatically incorrect caption 'I ARE SERIOUS CAT. THIS IS SERIOUS THREAD.' The meme became a staple for shutting down off-topic or silly discussions in forums, demanding that users focus on the matter at hand. Its legacy lives on as a quintessential example of early lolcat culture, representing a time when simple, high-contrast text on animal photos defined the digital humor landscape.