Peter Griffin is the central character of Family Guy, the animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane that first aired in 1999, with MacFarlane voicing Peter. Short clips of Peter's blunt lines have circulated for years through meme pages, edits and soundboards because his voice is instantly recognisable. This version spread under the racist Peter name as users reached for it whenever a joke or comment leaned on a racial stereotype, turning a television moment into a reusable online reaction.