The frying pan sound comes from Team Fortress 2, Valve's class-based multiplayer shooter. In the game, the pan became memorable because its loud metal clang was funnier and more satisfying than many standard melee sounds. That made it popular in gameplay edits, machinima, and short meme videos, where creators use it as a shorthand for a goofy but forceful hit. It still shows up often because the sound is instantly readable, very short, and easy to sync with visual impact.