ODDLY ENOugh

ODDLY ENOugh

Garfield creator clarifies cat’s gender

Garfield’s gender has become the subject of an internet debate.

The Washington Post reports Wikipedia locked changes on the animated cat’s page after the site’s volunteer editors battled over whether the animated cat is male or not.

The controversy bubbled up two years after Garfield creator Jim Davis told viral content site Mental Floss that as a cat, Garfield is “not really male or female.”

Davis sought to clear up the controversy recently, telling the Post that “Garfield is male” and has a girlfriend named Arlene. Davis’ spokeswoman tells The Associated Press that he also told the Post he likes animals because “they’re not perceived as being any particular gender, race, age or ethnicity” and says the “humor could be enjoyed by a broader demographic.”

Petition urges Obama to run for French president

PARIS

“Oui on peut!”

The slogan on posters in Paris streets translates as “Yes We Can!”

Heard that before?

The people behind the campaign are urging former U.S President Barack Obama to join the French presidential race.

Their online petition has already attracted more than 45,000 signatures in 10 days and they hope to reach a million supporters by March 15.

With the buildup to the April-May presidential election so far dominated by the corruption investigation targeting conservative Francois Fillon, organizers say they want to inject a dose of humor in the campaign.

The whole thing started as a big joke between friends, one of the organizers told The Associated Press. He identified himself only as “Antoine,” declining to give his real name because the posters have been put up illegally and he feared a fine.

Antoine, who spoke to the AP in Paris with his face covered by a cut-out mask of Obama, said that he and his friends decided on the campaign over a drink, after realizing they didn’t know for whom they would vote.

Antoine said he invested $1,592 in the campaign, printing out 500 posters. The team has also had mugs and T-shirts made with the image of Obama, which they are selling on their website.

They say the profits will go to a scholarship fund for students from poor neighborhoods attending classes at Sciences Politiques

Associated Press