Bozo the Clown was created in 1946 by Alan W. Livingston for Capitol Records children's albums, before moving to television in 1949 and becoming a franchised local show across the United States. The Chicago version became especially famous and ran for decades. Over time, the name bozo also entered everyday slang for a foolish or ridiculous person, which helped the character survive as a meme reference long after the shows ended. Online, creators reuse the name and clown imagery to mock bad takes, clumsy behaviour and people acting the fool.