The line comes from South Park, the animated series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone that premiered in 1997. Eric Cartman, voiced by Trey Parker, says "respect my authoritah" in early episodes while roleplaying as a police officer, and the mispronunciation became one of the show's earliest catchphrases. The moment spread through TV reruns, quote sites and later soundboards and short video edits, where it remains a shorthand reaction for anyone abusing a tiny amount of power.