The Laughing Tom Cruise meme features a series of photos and video stills of the Hollywood actor engaged in intense, manic laughter, most notably from a 2008 Scientology promotional video. The meme gained massive traction online as a reaction image used to express derisive amusement, hysterical joy, or a sense of losing one's mind in an absurd situation. Users typically pair the image with captions about hearing a blatant lie or witnessing a spectacular failure. Its enduring popularity is due to Cruise's highly expressive and somewhat unsettling facial expressions, which perfectly capture the feeling of being overwhelmed by the ridiculousness of a moment.