There are few occasions more weighty than court hearings, in which lives can hang in the balance. So when lawyer Rod Ponton was caught looking like an indignant cat during a Zoom call with clients, the internet went wild with delight.
Judge Smith issued a public service announcement to remind people to check their zoom video options prior to joining any calls, with hopes that his message would be taken seriously by everyone involved.
What Happened?
Rod Ponton became instantly famous online after appearing as a cat during a Zoom call and struggling to remove an emotive feline filter during an appearance in Presidio County court hearing. This video went viral, endearing Rod to both cat lovers and internet viewers alike.
As it turned out, it only took less than a minute to resolve the problem and continue the hearing as planned. Following his discovery of this incident, Judge Roy Ferguson issued a public service announcement for Zoom users: If your computer has been used by children prior to joining a virtual hearing session, be sure to review ‘Zoom Video Options’ to ensure filters are disabled;
The cat-themed Zoom slip-up may not have the same lasting impression as viral videos like Knife Kid or BBC Dad, but it serves as an entertaining reminder of how quickly information spreads online and emphasizes the necessity of checking Zoom video options before initiating calls.
Why It Happened
The cat lawyer video has gone viral as an irreverent chuckle at a time when the world seems more dire. Yet it also serves an important purpose – showing how easily unseasoned users of Zoom can be fooled by filters, emphasizing how vital it is to check settings before joining video calls.
Rod Ponton of Presidio County in Texas was attending a civil forfeiture hearing via Zoom during the coronavirus pandemic when an unexpected filter showing him as an adorable kitten took effect. While only lasting briefly, this video quickly went viral online and remains one of its iconic moments to this day.
James Ferguson, the judge in this case, tweeted out a link to this video as part of a public service announcement: If you use Zoom for virtual hearings – especially during this challenging pandemic – be sure that all video options have sound enabled so everyone can hear you (Image Credit: Thomas Smith/Gado Images).
What Happened Next
An accident-prone Texas lawyer, Rod Ponton, became famous when the internet went gaga over it. Ponton had joined an online hearing with a judge to discuss civil forfeiture case but was unaware that Zoom had added a feline filter to his face – it quickly went viral!
Ponton soon realized he had been transformed into an unhappy kitten and sought ways to remove the filter. Ultimately, he asked the judge whether proceedings could continue even though Ponton would now present himself as a cat for hours on end.
Ponton quickly got rid of the kitten filter within one minute, as judge approved of her proceeding and approved of Ponton becoming “the cat lawyer.” Since then, the video has gone viral and Ponton is known as “the cat lawyer.” This incident serves as a reminder that individuals should always check their Zoom video settings to avoid appearing like sad kittens in any Zoom videos they take.
Conclusions
Rod Ponton’s cat filter mishap was just one of many video call gaffes to go viral during this era of Covid-19 work-from-home and virtual hearings, as many bosses turned into potatoes while family members appeared unclothed accidentally during Zoom calls. While Rod was taken aback at first by all this attention as “Zoom Cat Lawyer”, we wish him good luck in trying to shake it off – you can watch his clip below to witness this for yourself!
