TikTok has been known for making some surprising trends go viral. Most recently, however, TikTok users have started to notice a blue cat – or Smurf – with a resemblance to the titular characters from the classic Hanna-Barbera animated series.
The small creature, referred to as both “cat Smurf” and “Smurf cat,” can be seen walking through a forest scene with a mushroom on his head and a snail on his back. Now the meaning behind the image has been revealed. Surprisingly, it can actually be dated as far back as 2014.
The photo first surfaced after being created by artist Nate Hallinan. As he explains on his website below, the piece was conceived by posing the following question: “What if Smurfs were real?”
Hallinan continues to use the photo’s description to explain the origins of his “real” Smurfs. As you can see below, he has a very interesting origin for the creature, and it would certainly make for a great live-action take if they chose to go a different direction with the brand than the previous attempts from Sony did.
“The Smurf is actually the result of a symbiotic relationship between two organisms. 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,” writes Hallinan.
“Smurfs are believed to be a hunter gatherer society. As you can see, this little guy is returning from a successful venture. It is generally difficult to spot a Smurf; they are very apprehensive and cunning. Sadly though, it is rumored that they are hunted for their medicinal properties. It’s hard to determine, but it is thought that there are not many colonies of Smurf left.”
Here’s one such example of how the Smurf cat image is now being used to go viral on TikTok:
@aim.vsp WE LIVE WE LOVE WE LIE️#catsmurf #smurfcat #thespectere #edit #vsp #youthshake #meme #fyp ♬ original sound – .♂️
It’s certainly interesting to see what happens to go viral on TikTok. Especially since the social media platform often manages to dig up old video clips or photos in order to do so. As always, stay tuned to ScreenGeek for additional news in what’s going viral online.