While cat memes are nothing new on the internet, the Smurf cats have left many confused and scratching their heads as to why they have become so widespread. Like many memes, images of the Smurf cats seemed to start appearing on people’s social media accounts overnight, with no context or traceable reason for their sudden popularity.
While it remains a mystery why the Smurf Cat meme went viral, we do know where the image from the meme came from. The original image was a concept art piece created by talented artist Nate Hallinan. He never intended for his work to go viral, but he was definitely pleasantly surprised by the worldwide recognition it received.
Origins of the Smurf Cat Image
The original image of the Smurf Cat is Nate HallinanHallinan is a concept artist and illustrator who has created numerous concept artworks of fantasy and sci-fi creatures and animals. His portfolio includes “Smurf Sighting,” a realistic representation of a Smurf. Although Hallinan has not stated that his work is modeled after cats, many consider his Smurfs to have cat-like faces and features.
The growing popularity of the Smurf cat meme
Hallinan created Smurf Sighting on September 9, 2014, but it did not gain internet fame until nearly a decade later. It is unclear who first used the image as a meme, but it began to be reposted beginning in August 2023. It first circulated on Russian social media with the hashtag “Шайлушай” (which translates to “Shailushai” in English). The meme eventually appeared on TikTok, where it was also paired with the lyrics from Alan Walker’s song “The Spectre”, “We live. We love. We lie.”
It was only a matter of time before Smurf cat memes started taking TikTok by storm, and their popularity spread to other platforms like Instagram and YouTube. Discussions about Smurf cats also started popping up on Reddit.
As memes go viral, the Smurf Cat meme has evolved as people have added their own interpretations to it. The meme has become so popular that it has even inspired people to create their own versions in Minecraft and other popular games.
The Smurfcat meme reached its peak in popularity in the fall of 2023. Although the meme has since gone quiet, its impressive reach is notable: the hashtag “#smurfcat” has been viewed more than 3.4 billion times, while “#Шайлушай” has been viewed more than 1.1 billion times on Russian social media.
Why did the Smurf cat meme go viral?
It is unclear why the Smurf Cat meme became so popular so quickly; however, most speculations center around the idea that it has to do with many people not understanding its appeal. Once posts of the meme began circulating, many people took to social media to ask why the meme was so popular or to ask that it be stopped from being reposted. These posts and complaints appear to have caused the creation of more posts featuring Smurf Cats.
Conclusion
Whether you love Smurf Cats or are confused by them, there’s no denying that the Internet loves cats and creates cat memes and content. Although it has passed its peak of popularity, it is still a widely recognized meme. Considering that the original image was created almost 10 years ago, it would not be a surprise if this meme resurfaces and becomes popular again on social media platforms in the future. If it does become popular again in 10 years, that would be an impressive feat.
Featured Image Credit: Deviant ArtAll rights reserved.
