This type of running effect is widely used in online edits to imitate the sound language of classic television cartoons, where fast footsteps and chase cues signal instant motion. Rather than pointing to one definitive origin, creators usually treat it as a stock cartoon-style effect for slapstick timing. It remains popular in short videos because viewers recognize the joke immediately: someone is fleeing, chasing or scrambling. It is often used alongside cartoon chase sounds and other exaggerated effects to make simple movement read as comedy.