History Main / WhosLaughingNow

A specific variant of FaceHeelTurn and/or HeWhoFightsMonsters, and a form of FreudianExcuse. Compare StartOfDarkness, BewareTheNiceOnes, BreakTheCutie, WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds, KickTheDog, NotSoHarmlessVillain, and ThenLetMeBeEvil. Also compare TheDogBitesBack which is when this is a ''villain's'' reason for changing his ways.

** Likewise, Creator/HillaryClinton's [[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment controversial]] history and a widespread perception of her as too ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections-happy made her opponents (rivals and voters alike) all too happy to invoke this after said Election, especially since most polls had seemingly predicted a CurbStompBattle in her favor.

* In the ''Series/MarriedWithChildren'' episode where Peggy and Al attend their high school reunion, Al and the other former [[JerkJocks jerk jocks]] are stunned to see that the nerdy boys they bullied are now filthy rich and have numerous gorgeous women fawning all over them.

* On a different note, this is why nations and armies are expected to follow [[TheLawsAndCustomsOfWar certain laws and customs during warfare]]. Don't follow the rules and you're enemy will have no motivation to do the same, and will try to pay you back... ''with interest'' (and unfortunate consequences). [[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment And we'll just leave it at that]].

* In the climax of the IDW crossover ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' ''X'' ''Franchise/GIJoe'', the Joes and World Warriors defeat [[BigBad M. Bison]] and confess that the story's tournament was fixed. [[FatIdiot Rufus]], upset by this reveal, challenges [[AllAmericanFace Guile]] on the spot for bragging rights [[OneHitKO and is soundly defeated]] as everyone laughs. Angry and humiliated, [[note]]who can blame him? his girlfriend has been shamelessly flirting with Roadblock as Rufus gets pummeled[[/note]] Rufus unwittingly absorbs Bison's residual evil energy [[note]]Psycho Power is fueled by negative emotions[[/note]] becomes the monstrous Psycho Rufus, and unleashes hell on all the good guys.

* Tweedledee, the diminutive NonActionBigBad of ''TheUnholyThree'' tried his hardest throughout his whole life to rise above the humiliation and bullying he received and be a good (even heroic) person in spite of it, but once he finally reached his DespairEventHorizon, he stopped caring, gave into his bitterness and his evil impulses, and - with his two friends - began a violent crime spree; this was all an effort to stroke his ego by convincing himself that he was capable of elaborate, gruesome murders and was someone to be feared rather than mocked.

* Yuuri Katsuki of the ''FanFic/RivalSeries'' started as a ridiculed fan and then was ridiculed for his desire to defeat Viktor. Then, not only does he beat Viktor at the Olympics but takes the gold medal several separate times. The effect is mitigated, however, by the fact that Viktor does not mind as nearly as much as Yuuri thinks he does, a fact that Yuuri does not subconsciously realize until later.

* Yuuri Katsuki of ''FanFic/TheRivalSeries'' started as a ridiculed fan and then was ridiculed for his desire to defeat Viktor. Then, not only does he beat Viktor at the Olympics but takes the gold medal several separate times. The effect is mitigated, however, by the fact that Viktor does not mind as nearly as much as Yuuri thinks he does, a fact that Yuuri does not subconsciously realize until later.

* Countries often get a taste of this after being humiliated one time too many in the last war. Germany after WWI for example, was a broken nation, with the economy in shambles, the military in ruins, a new government forced upon the public, and national morale at an all time low. The victorious Allies were responsible for many of these, deliberately weakening Germany so that it could not rise up again like it did during the Great War. Unfortunately, the job was only half done, meaning enough to give cause for the German people to rally to gain vengeance, but not enough to actually cripple their ability to recover, and grow stronger than before. The results were, shall we say, [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII unfortunate]].

** Conversely, the expansion Cleveland Browns, who took over the original Browns' history and records in 1999, have been the ButtMonkey of the NFL since their debut, with 24 different starting quarterbacks and nine head coaches (including the recently-hired Hue Jackson) in 17 seasons.

Who's laughing now, hero? Who's laughing NOW?!

** And like Brexit mentioned above, the entire world has been laughing non-stop at Trump's... unconventional... demeanor as president.

** And then subverted, as the vote to leave the EU has resulted in [[DidNotThinkThisThrough economic downturn, loss of jobs, scientists and nurses leaving in droves, billions of investments/funding lost, and a hung parliament.]] It's the EU that's laughing now.

** And like Brexit mentioned above, the entire world has been laughing non-stop at Trump's...unconventional...demeanor as president.

* In ''TabletopGame/{{BattleTech}}'', the Urbanmech has long been considered to be one of, if not the worst canon Battlemech every made. In one book, it was given a variant that mounted an Arrow IV Missile Artillery variant that, it was immediately pointed out, was capable of carrying [[NukeEm nuclear warheads]].

* Wrestling/JimCornette was initially just a photographer selling his work at Jarrett family Continental Wrestling Association shows. One day he asked his mother, who also sold merchandise in the area, for more money so he could become a manager, an aspiration that earned him endless mocking from the likes of Bill Dundee and Wrestling/JerryLawler, derision from what wrestlers would give him a chance and lots of jeering from the fans. Laughed out of CWA, Cornette went to Mid-South, found Dennis Condrey and Bobby Eaton, then put together one of the greatest tag teams of all time, Wrestling/TheMidnightExpress, who helped him get back at the fans by antagonizing popular acts like Magnum TA, The Street People, Wrestling/LegionOfDoom and, [[ArchEnemy of course]], Wrestling/TheRockNRollExpress. He'd also manage the likes The Grappler, Wrestling/BigVanVader, The Heavenly Bodies and The Head Hunters against former managerial clients who spurned him, lead his [[Wrestling/SmokeyMountainWrestling own promotion]] in an invasion of Wrestling/{{WCW}} and the NWA itself against the WWF, which resulted in the oft overlooked skirt wearing Head Bangers being trust into stardom.

->''"A lot of people have laughed at me over the years. Now they're not laughing so much.''"
-->-- '''UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump'''

-->-- ''UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump''

->'''Mr. Incredible:''' I was wrong to treat you that way. I'm sorry.\\
'''Syndrome:''' See?! ''Now'' you respect me, because I'm a ''threat!'' That's the way it works. Turns out there are a lot of people, ''whole countries'' who want respect, and they will ''pay through the nose'' to get it! How do you think I got rich? I invented weapons, and now I have a weapon that only I can defeat!
-->-- ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles''

[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/TotalDrama http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cathartic.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Watch who you devolve into Gollum next time.]]

!!Examples

-->'''Dynamo''': Thought it was pretty funny back in the Zone, didn't you? What's the matter, bitch? Why aren't you laughing?
-->'''Amber''': [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome Because there's nothing funny about a dickless moron with a battery up his ass.]]