The sound is associated with Little Misfortune, the dark adventure game released in 2019, where its unsettling tone fits the game's mix of childhood innocence and horror. Short clips from the game circulated on soundboards and social media, where creators reused the clown laugh for Halloween edits, horror memes and reaction videos. It remains popular because the laugh is instantly recognizable as creepy without needing context, much like a FNAF jumpscare scream, and it works in only a few seconds.