Talk:Macavity

From Talk:Macavity (character)
NOTE: As of 29/12/18, all three of the citations (17, 18 and 19) referring to the 2007 Bus Incident are invalid. 122.162.13.129 (talk) 15:05, 29 December 2018 (UTC)

I think this article misses the point of the poem, that in fact Macavity does not commit any of the crimes attributed to him, and that this is why he's never there. At least, this was my reading of it...

that IS the point of the poem/song: a true criminal mastermind (such as Professor James Moriarty) would never be caught red-handed at the scene of a crime, and as such, Macavity's presence would remain unknown until it was too late to stop him --74.178.228.194 (talk) 21:51, 17 July 2009 (UTC)

As far as I've heard, Macavity kidnaps Demeter in all incarnations of Cats. Can anyone find otherwise? Is there some foreign production with a different kidnapee I don't know about? Claudia 08:50, 16 August 2005 (UTC)

I deleted this:
 * "(the author of the Sherlock Holmes stories) word for word. Moriarty, in turn, was based upon the real-life criminal mastermind, Adam Worth."

It's not wrong, but if Eliot was inspired (as seems the case) by Doyle, it makes no difference who Moriarty was based on, for Eliot wasn't drawing upon Worth. Leaving it in struck me as somebody trying to show how smart they were knowing that about Moriarty; want to know about him, go to Holmes or Moriarty. Trekphiler 17:24, 6 January 2006 (UTC) (PS: if I put that in to begin with, as I vaguely recall doing, I was stupid.)

I have a long personal history with the poem, and editted the page to clarify that the term "Peke" is a short form for Pekingnese dog, since it is not immediately apparent to most readers. Wondering why that clarification was deleted?
 * I've made it a link to Pekingese. --Townmouse 20:35, 23 March 2006 (UTC)

Thanks, that makes more sense.

I removed the bit about Macavity not being a Jellicle, as this boils down to the exact definition of a Jellicle (which is not the topic of the article). While many accept the Jellicles as being a specific tribe of cats, it is loosely implied in the Jellicle Ball that all cats are Jellicles through the range of descriptions. Also, while I have not confirmed this, it's been said that there is an unpublished poem of Eliot's which states that all cats are Jellicles. If this is the case, then Macavity, by being a cat, is obviously a Jellicle.

Regardless of which way it goes, the debate about the nature of Jellicles is better suited for the Jellicle article, and one way or another should not be represented here. --shadowcheets


 * "the main antagonist in T. S. Eliot's 1939 poetry book Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats."

Can he really be called the antagonist of the book? He only appears in the one poem and is not placed in opposition with any of the other cats. The book itself is a collection of self-contained poems, related by theme and style but without any kind of narrative running through them. 73.71.173.232 (talk) 18:10, 3 February 2021 (UTC)

Hey...
I've done a piece of English work in Year 4 relating to Macavity! --Das654 20:06, 6 February 2007 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:Mac the cat.jpg
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BetacommandBot 04:47, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:Mac the cat.jpg
Image:Mac the cat.jpg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If there is other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images uploaded after 4 May, 2006, and lacking such an explanation will be deleted one week after they have been uploaded, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.

BetacommandBot 12:10, 7 November 2007 (UTC)

Yeah-- I went to look for his picture and-- ah -- he wasn't there. Chuck

I know that bus...
I know Talk pages are meant for improving articles rather than dicsussing their subjects, but just this once I really can't resist mentioning... I used to get that bus! :-)-- Nick RTalk 17:01, 24 April 2007 (UTC)

Quote attributions
The quote in the article is a mixture of two quotes; the bus driver, and Paul Brennan, a passenger. Both are distinct in the referenced article at the Daily Mail. I'm currently experiencing wiki-anxiety, and don't know the best way to change the page. 77.103.231.158 (talk) 09:53, 16 February 2008 (UTC)

This is...
said to be merged with Macavity, the character from Cats. This is two totally different articles and in my belief shouldnd't be merged. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Warriormartin (talk • contribs) 01:03, 22 February 2008 (UTC)


 * On the one hand this story has nothing to do with the character from the musical "Cats".  But on the other hand, the article Macavity (character) includes references to the use of the name in politics and the T S Eliot poem, the article is not purely about the musical so this article could well be incorporated.  Belle pullman (talk) 16:01, 28 February 2008 (UTC)
 * I would NOT like to see this merged. This particular cat has acheived fame in his own right and should have his own article, stub class though it may be.LiPollis (talk) 19:21, 28 February 2008 (UTC)
 * If there needs to be a merger it should be an article on "Macavity" in general, with sections on the character of the musical, the real white cat and, of course, the poem. Otherwise, i.e. without a detailed description of the poem there is little to hold the existing articles together in one namespace.  Aditya (talk • contribs) 04:03, 21 March 2008 (UTC)

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Macavity may be a baby tiger or baby lion
From the excerpt:

"Macavity's a Mystery Cat: he's called the Hidden Paw - For he's the master criminal who can defy the Law. He's the bafflement of Scotland Yard, the Flying Squad's despair: For when they reach the scene of crime – Macavity's not there!

End: And they say that all the Cats whose wicked deeds are widely known (I might mention Mungojerrie, I might mention Griddlebone) Are nothing more than agents for the Cat who all the time Just controls their operations: the Napoleon of Crime!"

Maybe T.S. was putting a mystery in his book.

"Macavity's not there" could mean that at the time of the book 1939, all baby animals were allowed in U.K. without a license and none were considered exotic animals. Possibly Darwin's (Died 1889) successors and others were still cataloging all the animals of the world, and drawing them as well.

Verse 1: Scotland Yard and the Flying Squad go to the location looking for an adult exotic animal, but they find one less than three years old.

Verse 2: Mungojerrie and Griddlebone are the parents of the baby cat who are hunting for the baby's food, thus control their operations. T.S. mentions them but they are not there because they are not allowed in England at that time.

T.S. Elliot may be a pen name that is a possible play on words on "Linneaus et al".

"Linneaus et al" refers to Carl Linnaeus (Died 1778) who was known as the father of modern taxonomy. One would imagine Darwin was heavily influenced by him less than one hundred years later.


 * T. S. Eliot (just one L) is not a pen name. --Thnidu (talk) 22:54, 22 February 2021 (UTC)