TikTok is a wild place as it brings out things that no one would expect. Talking about wild things, a cat has been all over the social media platform and is labeled as a viral Smurf cat. As the color of the cat is blue, it looks like a unique blend of a Smurf, a cat, and a mushroom.
Being the hotly discussed trend on the platform, Шайлушай, also known as Blue Smurf Cat, Blue Mushroom Cat, We Live We Love We Lie, or Shailushai in English has turned into a Russian language meme. The viral blue cat-like creature called Shailushai is accompanied by Alan Walker’s song, The Spectre, and a Russian hashtag, #шайлушай is an image created by Nate Hallinan in 2014. For nearly a decade, the image has been all over TikTok as many are having a blast.
What Is the Smurf Cat Meme?
What started on TikTok has been all over the other social media platforms. The cat’s face is designed similarly to a Smurf, and the creatures are called “Шайлушай” in the Impact font captions. It is a gibberish word in Russian and is similar to the word “шалопай” which translates to “the scamp” meaning “little scoundrel” in Russian.
The Smurf Cat is seen walking through a forest with a snail hanging from a stick, and it just went viral for God knows what reasons. It goes with the sound of Alan Walker’s The Spectre with the lyrics of “We live. We love. We lie.”
How the Smurf Cat Was Originated?
Back in 2014, the original image from which the meme originated was created by artist Nate Hallinan as he titled his work “Smurf Sighting.” The artist wondered what the blue creatures would look like if they actually existed.
He described the work on his website as he wondered what the blue creatures would look like if they actually existed.
“We believe that Smurfs put their ’embryos’ in the button of a developing mushroom. From a distance, Smurfs seem like they are wearing a hat and pants but as you can see this isn’t true. The fungus provides camouflage and protective epidermal layers for the creature, while the creature provides nutrients and mobility for the spreading of spores,” said the description posted on his website.
How Smurf Cat Became a Meme?
Even the artist might not have imagined that his work would turn into a viral meme after 9 years.
A TikToker named @ghojam1 posted a photo slideshow with eight photos, set to Dr. Dre’s song Keep Their Heads Ringin, and had a square-cropped version of Nate Hallinan’s art.
Later, another user named the creature “шайлушай,” inserted it into meme templates, and it reached millions of people on the internet.
The original creator of the image has yet to comment upon the situation, but do you think this is the recognition he might be looking for?
While the netizens are enjoying the meme, let us know in the comments what you think about it.
