Cat memes are common online, but the Smurf Cat meme became surprisingly popular without any clear reason. Like many viral trends, Smurf Cat pictures suddenly appeared everywhere on social media.
The source of the Smurf Cat image is known, even if its popularity isn’t fully understood. Artist Nate Hallinan created the original artwork as a concept piece. Though he didn’t plan for it to go viral, he was happy when his work became famous worldwide.
Origins of the Smurf Cat Image
Nate Hallinan, a fantasy and sci-fi artist, made the first Smurf Cat picture. He drew “Smurf Sighting,” which showed what a Smurf might look like in real life. While he never said he based it on a cat, many people noticed it looked like one because of its face and features.
The Rise in Popularity of the Smurf Cat Meme
The Smurf Sighting image was created by Hallinan in 2014 but only became popular online in 2023. It first spread on Russian social media with the tag “Shailushai” before moving to TikTok. On TikTok, people often use “We live. We love. We lie” from Alan Walker’s song “The Spectre.”
The Smurf Cat meme quickly became popular on TikTok before spreading to Instagram, YouTube, and Reddit.
The Smurf Cat meme spread quickly online, with people creating their versions and changes. It became so popular that fans started recreating it in video games like Minecraft.
The Smurf Cat meme was huge in late 2023. Though less popular now, its impact was massive. The meme got over 3.4 billion views with #smurfcat, and another 1.1 billion views using its Russian tag #Шайлушай.
Why Did the Smurf Cat Meme Go Viral?
The Smurf Cat Meme’s quick rise to fame is a mystery. Many think it got popular because people didn’t get why it was popular in the first place. As more people shared the meme, others went online to ask about the big deal or beg people to stop sharing it. This only made more people share the Smurf Cat, making it even more widespread.
Conclusion
The Smurf Cat meme, whether you like it or not, shows how much people on the internet enjoy making cat-related content. While it’s not as popular now as it once was, many people still know about it. Since the first Smurf Cat picture came out nearly ten years ago, it might become popular again someday. It would be something if people were still sharing it ten years from now.
