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The article discusses what is referred to as evil laughter within U.S. popular culture, including in the video game "Super Mario Bros." and the American film "Predator," starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. An overview of the social aspects of laughter in popular culture, including the use of evil laughter to depict the antisociality of fictional villains, is provided.

This article investigates the nature and appeal of morally ambiguous protagonists, or antiheroes, through an evolutionary lens. It argues that morally ambiguous protagonists navigate conflicts between prosocial and antisocial motivational pulls. In so doing they present audiences with a window onto the conflicts inherent in human sociality. Working from this premise, the article analyzes the morally ambiguous protagonist Walter White from the TV series Breaking Bad, complementing the analysis with survey results. The article finally discusses critically the role of moral disengagement in enjoyment of stories with morally ambiguous protagonists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]