The line comes from Blazing Saddles, Mel Brooks' 1974 Western comedy, spoken by Cleavon Little as Sheriff Bart, the newly appointed Black sheriff of Rock Ridge. In the scene Bart addresses a hostile crowd, reaches into his bag, and produces his commission papers, turning an apparent threat into a visual gag. The film became a lasting comedy classic, and the quote survived as a standalone meme for reveals and fake-outs online, shared in edits and soundboards because the setup is instantly recognisable even without the picture.