The drawn-out greeting traces back to the late 1990s Wassup advertising catchphrase, which was widely parodied in the 2000 film Scary Movie and turned the simple hello into a shared joke. As short clips moved to soundboards and social video, the shout survived as a meme because it needs no setup and everyone understands the reference instantly. Creators still reuse the elongated version for entrances and greetings, keeping the phrase alive long after the original adverts and parody scenes faded from regular television rotation.