Politician's Press Conference Dogged By Accidental Facebook Cat Filter

David Moye

Politicians, take note: If you want to spread your mission far and wide, use a cat filter.

Shaukat Yousafzai, a regional minister in northwest Pakistan, discovered that the hard way on Friday when he did a Facebook Live chat in order to brief voters in his area.

Unbeknownst to him, a staff member added a cat filter on the camera, which made Yousafzai look, well ... adorbs?

Live viewers tried to alert the people doing the press conference, but The Verge reports the stream continued on with the cat filter for several minutes.

However, Yousafzai’s political party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, deleted the video after the conference wrapped.

Still, Agence France-Presse reports that screenshots of the conference quickly spread far beyond the area he represents. Yousafzai’s felined face ― pink cat ears and all ― went global.

The PTI released a statement on Saturday about the incident, which it blamed on human error, according to CNN.

The party insisted that “all necessary actions have been taken to avoid such incident in future” while claiming that its “social media team is deemed to be the pioneers of Social Media in Pakistan.”

Yousafzai seemed less defensive about the incident, but emphasized he wasn’t the only victim.

“I wasn’t the only one ― two officials sitting along me were also hit by the cat filter,” he told AFP.

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Photobombed!

Photobombed!

Oddee.com, a website that has presented all sorts of odd things to its fervent readership since its inception in 2007, is writing a definitive book on "photobombs," the term applied to pics where something unexpected -- and often embarrassing -- happens.
Oddee.com, a website that has presented all sorts of odd things to its fervent readership since its inception in 2007, is writing a definitive book on "photobombs," the term applied to pics where something unexpected -- and often embarrassing -- happens.

Photobombed!

Book author Beverly Jenkins combed through thousands of reader submissions and was especially interested in photobombs from weddings.
Book author Beverly Jenkins combed through thousands of reader submissions and was especially interested in photobombs from weddings.

Photobombed!

Jenkins says the best photobombs happen naturally, usually in inappropriate situations, which is why weddings are such a fertile source of material.
Jenkins says the best photobombs happen naturally, usually in inappropriate situations, which is why weddings are such a fertile source of material.

Photobombed!

The term "photobomb" is only about 10 years old, but Jenkins believes the activity dates back since the invention of the camera, as this photo from 1880s demonstrates.
The term "photobomb" is only about 10 years old, but Jenkins believes the activity dates back since the invention of the camera, as this photo from 1880s demonstrates.

Photobombed!

Jenkins says digital photography is responsible for the recent rash of photobombs because they let people save photos that would have been discarded in previous generations. Maybe for good reasons.
Jenkins says digital photography is responsible for the recent rash of photobombs because they let people save photos that would have been discarded in previous generations. Maybe for good reasons.

Photobombed!

Some photobombs happen by accident, but Jenkins says there are some people who get a kick out of photobombing people who will have no idea what is happening until they see the picture.
Some photobombs happen by accident, but Jenkins says there are some people who get a kick out of photobombing people who will have no idea what is happening until they see the picture.

Photobombed!

Jenkins says the key to a good photobomb is that the people who are taking the photo have no idea what you're doing until it's too late. It doesn't take much. Just something that reflects your unique personality.
Jenkins says the key to a good photobomb is that the people who are taking the photo have no idea what you're doing until it's too late. It doesn't take much. Just something that reflects your unique personality.

Photobombed!

However, there are some photobombs that can't be planned -- even if you wanted to.
However, there are some photobombs that can't be planned -- even if you wanted to.

Photobombed!

Celebrity photobombs are especially coveted by Jenkins, such as this one featuring 'That '70s Show' star Wilmer Valderrama, but she also wants ones where celebrities are doing the bombs. She says Michael Cera, Jake Gyllenhaal and Jack Black are famous photobombers.
Celebrity photobombs are especially coveted by Jenkins, such as this one featuring 'That '70s Show' star Wilmer Valderrama, but she also wants ones where celebrities are doing the bombs. She says Michael Cera, Jake Gyllenhaal and Jack Black are famous photobombers.

Photobombed

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