Cartoon Cartoons was the branding Cartoon Network used for its original animated series in the late 1990s and early 2000s, a period when shows made specifically for the channel became its defining lineup. The short ident played before those programmes, so for many viewers it became shorthand for that era of the channel itself. As clips and compilations spread online, the sting was lifted out of its original context and reused as a nostalgic cue, and it remains popular because it instantly signals classic cartoon television without needing any dialogue or explanation.