Ralph Wiggum first appeared in The Simpsons, the long-running animated series created by Matt Groening that premiered in 1989, and became one of its most quoted supporting characters. His simple, earnest lines are frequently clipped for reaction memes in English and Spanish. The Spanish phrase tengo miedo spread through meme pages, short video edits and WhatsApp audios, where its short length and clear emotion made it easy to reuse out of context. It remains popular because Ralph's voice signals vulnerability without serious danger.