Screaming goats became a widespread internet joke in the early 2010s, when clips of goats making startlingly human-like cries were shared in compilations and edited into songs and movie scenes. The humour came from the mismatch between a calm farm setting and a sudden, panicked shout, and the format proved easy to reuse as a scream meme in reaction videos, pranks and short-form edits. Because the sound needs no context to be understood, it has stayed popular as a quick audio punchline long after the original viral wave faded.