The 'Laughing Tom Cruise' meme stems from a 2008 press conference in Tokyo for the film 'Valkyrie,' where Cruise broke into a fit of intense, seemingly uncontrollable laughter. The image captured his wide-mouthed expression, which many internet users found slightly unsettling or manic. It first gained traction on platforms like 4chan and Reddit as a reaction image to denote extreme amusement or to mock someone's ridiculous statement. Over time, it has become a staple for representing 'out of touch' reactions or simply expressing that something is so absurdly funny that you can't help but lose your mind.