SpongeBob SquarePants premiered on Nickelodeon in 1999 and built much of its comedy around exaggerated background characters at places like Goo Lagoon, the show's beach. The surfer dude's easygoing laugh comes from that world of beach gags and laid-back locals. As short cartoon clips spread through meme pages, reaction videos and soundboards, brief character laughs like this one became reusable punchlines on their own. It has stayed popular because the SpongeBob reference is recognised instantly, even by viewers who cannot place the exact scene, and the laugh fits almost any relaxed, funny moment.