Macavity - in Popular Culture

In Popular Culture

Mystery Readers International presents the Macavity Awards annually in several categories, including Best Mystery Novel, Best First Mystery Novel, Best Bio/Critical Mystery Work, Best Mystery Short Story. Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, when still Chancellor of the Exchequer, was likened to Macavity by Liberal Democrat Shadow Leader of the House, David Heath, who labelled Brown "the Macavity of the Cabinet" when talking about tax credits during Business Questions on 23 June 2005. Lord Turnbull echoed this two years later, opining that "the chancellor has a Macavity quality. He is not there when there is dirty work to be done." After Harold Pinter received the 2005 Nobel Prize in Literature, Mary Liddell of The Guardian said: "Pinter has become the Macavity of English letters".

Polish author Maciej Wojtyszko's children's books feature a character named Macavity the Cat, a criminal mastermind who loses a chess duel with dog detective Kajetan Chrumps and is then persuaded to become Chrumps' assistant. Gillian Robert's schoolteacher detective Amanda Pepper has an elderly male companion cat whose métier seems to be relaxation. Following books by Roberts feature Macavity the cat: Claire and Present Danger (2003), Helen Hath No Fury (2001), Adam and Evil (1999), The Bluest Blood (1998), The Mummer's Curse (1996), How I Spent My Summer Vacation (1995), In the Dead of Summer (1995), With Friends Like These… (1993), I'd Rather Be in Philadelphia (1992), Philly Stakes (1989), Caught Dead in Philadelphia (1987).

In 1995, New Jersey punk band Gimp released an album called Smiles for Macavity.