Fred Figglehorn was created by Lucas Cruikshank for a series of YouTube videos that began in the mid-2000s, with Fred's frantic, high-pitched voice becoming his defining trait. As early YouTube nostalgia grew, clips of Fred, including his distinctive laugh, were reused in memes, reaction edits and soundboards by viewers who grew up with the character. The laugh endures because it is instantly recognisable even without the visuals, instantly signalling chaotic, childish humour from a very specific era of online video.