Sorry Charlie comes from the long-running StarKist tuna commercials that introduced Charlie the Tuna in 1961. Charlie constantly tried to be caught for his good taste, but fishermen rejected him because StarKist wanted tuna that tastes good, not tuna with good taste, ending with the line Sorry, Charlie. The phrase escaped advertising and became everyday American slang for a gentle but firm no. Online, the short clip survives because that meaning is understood instantly, even by viewers who have never seen the original ads.