Congressman's Virtual Call Goes Awry: 'Are You OK?'

Another day, another viral videoconferencing flub. If you're still laughing at the infamous "Cat Lawyer" Zoom clip, we have a new blunder to get you through Thursday. Mashable reports it comes courtesy of GOP Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota, who was piped in virtually for a meeting of the House Financial Services Committee, chaired by Democrat Maxine Waters. Video shows that as Emmer starts to address the chamber about the gig economy, something is not quite right—mainly, that his head appears to be floating upside down on the screen, which he appears not to (or pretends not to) notice. "Will the gentleman suspend?" Waters breaks in with the unintentionally funniest question of the day. "Mr. Emmer, are you OK?"

He replies that he is, at which point someone off-screen informs him of his predicament. He somewhat sheepishly replies, "I don't know how to fix that." As he tries to right himself, people can be heard laughing, with one voice asking, "Is this a metaphor?" Someone helpfully suggests, "Maybe you could stand on your head," while another adds: "At least he's not a cat." Emmer finally figures out how to remedy the issue, as someone notes, "I think you're going viral, Tom." In case anyone was wondering, Emmer also offered a definitive answer to another question later in the day, per the Star Tribune. "I am not a cat," he tweeted. (More Zoom stories.)