Sea lion vocalisations have long been shared in animal sound libraries and short online clips because their barking calls sound close to human laughter. As meme editing grew, creators began isolating the funniest bursts and reusing them as a standalone reaction sound, separate from the original footage. The clip spread through soundboards and social video where animal reactions are popular, often placed over pets, zoo animals or people trying not to laugh. Its appeal has lasted because the sound needs no context to be understood as amusement.