This sound is built around the exaggerated vocal-and-impact style strongly associated with Tom and Jerry, the long-running animated series created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera in 1940. Short clips from the cartoon have circulated online for years because its slapstick audio reads instantly, even out of context. Meme editors keep using this kind of Tom and Jerry scream because it compresses panic, pain and comedy into a couple of seconds, making it ideal for reaction posts, fail edits and absurdist remixes.