The phrase became famous through Steven He, a Chinese-American comedian whose short sketches about Asian family life spread widely on TikTok and YouTube in 2021. In the original bit, a character reacts to a cutting remark by screaming emotional damage, turning a family joke into a dramatic overreaction. The line was quickly clipped, remixed and reused as a reaction sound, and the Emotional Damage Meme now appears whenever creators want a loud, instantly recognisable way to flag hurt pride.