The line comes from fan-shared clips of The Amazing World of Gumball, where surreal one-liners are often lifted for meme soundboards. The exact phrase about smelling dancing and tasting purple stood out because it reads like synesthesia, making it perfect for absurdist humor. It spread through short-form edits and soundboard sites where users collect out-of-context cartoon quotes. It remains in use because the wording is vivid, family-friendly and instantly strange, fitting any edit that needs a harmless trip.