The sound comes from the Emotional Damage Meme popularised by British-Chinese comedian Steven He, whose exaggerated reaction videos spread widely on TikTok and YouTube in 2021 and 2022. He plays an overbearing Asian father figure reacting to Western behaviour, and the catchphrase became shorthand for taking a joke personally. Creators lifted the short cry for reaction videos, gaming clips and edits, and it has stayed in rotation because the voice alone signals a mock-tragic overreaction without needing any context.