Gary is SpongeBob's pet snail in SpongeBob SquarePants, the Nickelodeon animated series that premiered in 1999 and is set in Bikini Bottom. Gary lives with SpongeBob in his pineapple house and communicates by meowing like a cat, so SpongeBob calling his name is a recurring part of the show. Clips of the elongated shout were later shared on soundboards and in meme edits, where the familiar SpongeBob a few moments later style of cartoon panic helped it spread. It remains popular because one stretched name instantly signals a frantic search.