Thunderbirds was a British science-fiction puppet series created by Gerry Anderson that first aired in the mid-1960s, famous for its Supermarionation puppets, dramatic rescues and larger-than-life villains. Its theatrical, old-fashioned style of performance made its villainous laughter especially easy to lift out of context and reuse. As short clips and soundboards spread online, the exaggerated ha ha ha became a shorthand for mockery and cartoon villainy, which is why editors still reach for it whenever a moment needs an instant, unmistakably smug laugh.