So, how did Blahaj become so popular in the trans community? As is the answer for a lot of inexplicable memes, it’s because of Tumblr, where memes and pictures of people posing with the stuffed shark took off a few years back. First, it was a meme in Russian spaces, with people posting shots of the shark cooking, or people lined up with them on an escalator. Soon, someone posted a picture of one with a trans flag in the background, a shot that remains one of the first results for Blahaj on Google. From there, it took off.