Expand dong began as an internet joke phrase linked to Donkey Kong memes, where edited images and captions stretched the character name into crude wordplay. Short voice versions spread through soundboards, gaming edits and stream sound alerts because the phrase is recognisable even without context. The Joel version is shared as a compact reaction clip, usually detached from any longer recording, and its appeal rests on instant recognition among meme and gaming audiences rather than on a specific scene or storyline that viewers need to know beforehand.