chapotraphouse

Idk but the one I'm hugging rn is so cute and cuddly and comfy

Potential struggle-session topic: If you're going to complain about misrepresentations of Sweden, please use the å: Blåhaj (and not say "blah hadge"; "blaw high" would be much better). :cat-trans:

buy your blahaj from AliExpress. not only does it come with more stuffing and a zipper, but you're helping china export shark-shaped socialism

I bought mine for the meme and quickly found out the toothy friend is just amazing for emotional support. You get a decent-sized plushie for a good prize and the overall shape is very huggable, just works very nicely as a comforter. Mine got me through a lot of rough patches in that critical timeframe before i could start HRT, the one where every day is a war against your own body and the wait list simply crushes you.

Also sharks are misunderstood, stigmatized beings. They are often portrayed as predatory monsters, but actually play a vital role as a keystone species in marine ecosystems, exactly like trans folks.

its existence is resulting in increased deforestation around the world

as much as I hate to defend a massive corporation, I don't think this is actually true. IKEA claims to use 99.9% FSC-certified wood, so it's coming from forests where the trees are planted at the same rate that they're harvested. it makes sense for companies to do this even from a profit-driven perspective, since it would be quite bad for their business if there weren't enough trees

the main cause of deforestation is agriculture, especially animal agriculture. 80% of de-forested land in the amazon rainforest is being used to rear cattle

There's quite a bit of misinformation and assumptions on the trans-shark connection. The real deal of Blåhaj is actually rooted in the tragic rejection many of us face. I would argue actually that it is a currently developing piece of our culture and heritage. Blåhaj became popular with the trans community because it's a cheap stuffed animal from a cheap furniture store. Since so many of us get rejected and have to start our lives over sans financial supports, housing, or furniture, many folx have found themselves getting some basic furnishings at IKEA. So as they get the stuff they need, they pass by a bin of cute plushie sharks that are cheap. Small comforts like this can make a big difference in such a difficult time. It's a symbol of starting new, healing, and growing.

Counterpoint: I'm hugging one right now and it's great.

I'm cis though.

Blahaj is innocent! The trans community just adopted him because he has a pink mouth, white underbelly and blue surface. These resemble the colours of the trans flag. To the best of my knowledge, Ikea is not behind this. They might be capitalising on it now, but it's not really much different than when Subaru noticed that a not-insignificant number of their customers were lesbians and started marketing specifically to them.

Can you explain how Ikea is helping with camouflaging any hatecrimes? More-so I haven’t heard any news about hatecrimes against muslims in Sweden, they have people burning their religious book. But that is far from a hatecrime. Perhaps I missed something.

I choose to believe that it is because trans people, like sharks, grow rows of teeth