The line comes from SpongeBob SquarePants, where barnacles work as Bikini Bottom slang for something worthless or untrue, making the phrase a family friendly way to call something nonsense. Clips of the moment were cut down and shared on soundboards and short video apps, where the short runtime made it easy to drop into edits. It stayed popular because the meaning is clear even without context, the cartoon delivery exaggerates the frustration, and it fits almost any bad excuse, rumour or disappointing reveal online today.