The laugh comes from Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight from 2008, in which Heath Ledger portrays the Joker as a chaotic criminal who treats violence as a joke. The performance became a cultural touchstone, and clips of the laugh were soon reused in fan edits, reaction videos and online memes. Its staying power comes from how instantly recognisable it is: even a few seconds signal menace, madness and dark humour without needing any context, which keeps it useful for creators long after the film's release.