Family Guy premiered in 1999, created by Seth MacFarlane, who also voices Peter Griffin, the bumbling father at the centre of the show. His calls to his wife Lois Griffin became a running shorthand for his character, repeated across episodes in different situations. Short Peter lines were later clipped for soundboards and meme edits, where the Hey Lois format spread because anyone could recognise the voice instantly without context. It remains popular as a brief reaction clip that signals a familiar cartoon interruption.