The sound comes from SpongeBob SquarePants, the long-running Nickelodeon animated series centred on the cheerful yellow sponge who lives in Bikini Bottom. SpongeBob's exaggerated vocal reactions have become a staple of internet humour, and clips of his disgust, panic and excitement are regularly reused as reaction sounds in memes and short videos. This particular groan is popular because it is instantly recognisable even without the picture, letting creators signal revulsion in a second. It continues to appear in TikTok edits, YouTube shorts and gaming clips whenever something gross needs a comic response.