SpongeBob SquarePants, created by Stephen Hillenburg, premiered on Nickelodeon in 1999, with Tom Kenny voicing SpongeBob and his distinctive high pitched laugh becoming one of the show's signature sounds. Clips of the laugh were shared widely on YouTube and in meme edits, often looped over chases and sped up footage. It sits alongside the baby laughing meme and cat laugh meme clips that creators reach for when a reaction needs instant cartoon silliness, and it remains popular because the laugh is recognisable even without the picture.