Tom is the grey cat from the long-running Tom and Jerry cartoons, where his exaggerated screams became a running gag whenever Jerry outsmarted him or a trap backfired. Clips of that scream spread on YouTube, TikTok and meme soundboards as a shorthand for panic and cartoon pain, because listeners recognise it instantly even out of context. It remains popular because it is short, loud and unmistakably comedic, fitting fails, pranks and reaction videos without needing any explanation.