Twitter Rep. Tom Emmer upside down.
A Minnesota Congressman, Tom Emmer, went viral after appearing on video at a U.S. House committee upside down. It didn’t quite eclipse the viral Texas cat lawyer video, but it gave people a few chuckles.
Emmer was appearing virtually before a U.S. House Financial Services Committee when others noted that he looked like an upside-down floating head.
Here’s the video:
He started talking about the gig economy and COVID-19’s impact on it. “Today’s gig economy sprung up from the last recession, it offers a job to anyone who wants one,” Emmer, appearing upside down, said. “During Covid-19 we must make sure that our nation’s sole proprietors and the smallest of small businesses receive timely –”
“Will the gentleman suspend. I’m sorry, Mr. Emmer, are you Ok?” asked Rep. Maxine Waters of California, who was chairing the hearing.
“I am,” Emmer said.
“You’re upside down, Tom,” someone said.
Here’s what you need to know:
Emmer Explained That He Didn’t ‘Know How to Fix That’
I am not a cat.
Emmer eventually straightened out the problem, but it took a bit. However, Emmer appeared to treat the situation in a light-hearted manner, sharing a screenshot of his unwieldy appearance and assuring people, “I am not a cat.”
During the hearing, he was briefly puzzled about how to fix the glitch.
“I don’t know how to fix that,” said Emmer.
“Is this a metaphor?” someone said.
“I don’t know, but he’s upside down,” responded another person.
“I don’t know how to fix it,” Emmer repeated.
“At least you’re not a cat,” someone said.
“You’re going viral Tom,” another person warned.
“I don’t know what happened. It just came out this way,” said Emmer.
Emmer is a Republican. “Congressman Tom Emmer was sworn in for his first term in the U.S. House of Representatives on January 6, 2015. He is currently serving his fourth term,” his bio reads. “After practicing law for several years, he opened his own law firm. The next 20 years were spent balancing family, business, coaching hockey, and serving on the city councils in Independence and Delano. Before coming to Congress, he served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2004-2008.”
The Cat Reference Referred to a Different Viral Video Involving a Texas Lawyer
The references to the cat in the Emmer situation refer to another viral video – that one involving a Texas lawyer.
In the widely shared video, the Texas lawyer, Ron Ponton, appeared for a court hearing with a cat filter on. He also told the judge that he couldn’t figure out how to turn the filter off, so he appeared for several minutes to be an animated cat.
Ponton also took the incident in good humor, appearing on the Today Show and explaining that he had used an assistant’s computer and wasn’t aware at first that the cat filter was on.
“Mr. Ponton, I believe you have a filter turned on in the video settings,” the judge said. “I can hear you. I think it’s a filter.”
Ponton then told the judge, “I’m here live. I’m not a cat.”
“I can see that,” responded the judge. “I think if you click the up arrow…”
“It can happen to anybody, but yesterday it dang sure happened to me,” Ponton later told the Today Show. Judge Roy Ferguson of the 394th Judicial District of Texas shared the video on social media, according to Today, and it was viewed millions of times.
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