You know the feeling when someone tells you that your biggest, wildest dream is basically a joke? It’s patronizing. It stings. But there is a specific kind of satisfaction that comes later—the kind that George Gershwin captured so perfectly in 1937. And they all laughed isn’t just a song lyric from a Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movie; it’s the unofficial anthem for every underdog who ever actually made it.
Honestly, it’s kinda wild how a song written nearly a century ago still manages to perfectly describe the "haters" culture we see on social media today. When Ira Gershwin sat down to write those lyrics, he wasn't just trying to fill space in the film Shall We Dance. He was tapping into a universal human experience: the transition from being a laughingstock to being a legend.
The Genius Behind the Irony
The song lists a literal "who's who" of people who were told they were out of their minds. It’s a historical flex. Think about Christopher Columbus. People genuinely thought he was going to sail right off the edge of a flat earth. They laughed at him. Then there’s Thomas Edison and the lightbulb. Or the Wright Brothers. Imagine telling someone in 1900 that you were going to build a giant metal bird and fly it over a beach in North Carolina. You’d get laughed out of the room.
The Gershwins weren't just guessing here. They used real historical skepticism to build a case for their own romantic narrative. The lyrics mention "Ford and his Lizzie." People thought Henry Ford was a nut for trying to replace horses with a loud, vibrating metal box. But who's laughing now? This structure works because it anchors a simple love story in the bedrock of human progress.
It’s about validation.
Why the Song "And They All Laughed" Still Works
Most people forget that this song was introduced in a scene where Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers are dancing on a literal ferry boat. The choreography is rhythmic and percussive, mimicking the engine. But the words are what stay with you. The song suggests that being doubted is actually a prerequisite for greatness. If nobody is laughing at your idea, is it even big enough?
Maybe not.
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Musically, George Gershwin does something very clever. He uses a "circular" feeling in the melody that feels like it’s mocking the skeptics. It’s jaunty. It’s confident. It doesn’t beg for approval; it assumes victory. When you hear the line about Marconi and the wireless, you can almost feel the "I told you so" dripping off the notes.
From Tin Pan Alley to Modern Success Stories
If you look at the business world today, the "and they all laughed" trope is everywhere. Think about Reed Hastings when he tried to sell Netflix to Blockbuster for $50 million. The Blockbuster executives reportedly almost laughed him out of the room. They thought the idea of mailing DVDs was a niche hobby for nerds. Today, Blockbuster is a single store in Oregon kept alive by nostalgia, and Netflix is a global behemoth.
Or consider Sara Blakely. When she was starting Spanx, she was told by countless manufacturers that her idea for footless pantyhose was useless. They laughed. She persisted. Now she's a billionaire.
The pattern is always the same:
- The Vision: Someone sees a gap in the world.
- The Ridicule: The "experts" explain why it won't work.
- The Persistence: The visionary works in the dark.
- The Payoff: The world catches up, and the laughter stops.
It's basically the script of the Gershwin song played out in real-time in Silicon Valley and beyond.
The Psychology of Why We Laugh at New Ideas
Why do we do it? Why do humans feel the need to chuckle at things that seem impossible? Psychologists often point to "status quo bias." We like things the way they are because it feels safe. When someone comes along and says, "I'm going to change how we communicate" (Marconi) or "I'm going to change how we move" (Ford), it threatens our sense of stability.
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Laughter is a defense mechanism. It’s a way of saying, "You aren't smarter than the rest of us."
But the song flips the script. It turns that laughter into fuel. In the context of the movie Shall We Dance, the characters are dealing with rumors and public perception. They use the song to reclaim their narrative. It’s a way of saying that the public's opinion is usually wrong until it’s suddenly, inevitably right.
A Deep Dive into the Lyric Sheet
Let's look at some of those specific references Ira Gershwin tucked in there. He mentions Rockefeller. At the time, the idea of an oil monopoly or the scale of wealth he was building seemed absurd to the average person. He mentions the "wireless" (radio). To a person in the late 1800s, the idea of sound traveling through thin air without a physical wire was basically witchcraft.
The brilliance of the lyrics lies in the refrain: "Who's got the last laugh now?"
It’s a question that doesn't need an answer. The answer is the person who stayed the course. The song is a celebration of the long game. It’s about the fact that "now" is a very temporary state of affairs.
Actionable Takeaways for Your Own "Laughter" Moment
If you're in the middle of a project or a life change and people are starting to give you that "good luck with that" smirk, you're actually in good company. You’re in the first verse of the song. Here is how you handle it:
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Document the Skepticism
Keep a folder of the "no's" and the "that'll never work" emails. Not out of bitterness, but for the memoir later. Historically, the best stories start with a rejection.
Identify the "Expert" Trap
Remember that the people laughing are often experts in how things used to be. They aren't experts in how things will be. The Wright Brothers weren't aeronautical engineers because that field didn't exist yet. They were bicycle mechanics.
Pivot the Energy
Instead of trying to convince the skeptics, use their doubt as a barometer. If they are laughing, you are likely doing something disruptive. If they are nodding along, you might just be doing something boring.
Focus on the "Last Laugh"
Success is the only rebuttal that matters. You don't need to win the argument today; you just need to be standing when the dust settles.
The legacy of and they all laughed is that it gives us permission to be misunderstood. It’s a reminder that the world’s most important innovations—from the lightbulb to the internet—were once just "stupid ideas" that people joked about over dinner. So, let them laugh. You're just following a historical precedent set by some of the greatest minds to ever live.
Go build your lightbulb. Go sail your ship. The song is already written; you just have to finish the story.
Next Steps for Success:
Start a "Visionary Journal" where you track your most unconventional ideas alongside the specific criticisms you receive. Look for patterns in the criticism—if people are telling you it's "impossible" or "too expensive," those are often signs of a breakthrough rather than a failure. Once a week, revisit the story of a historical figure mentioned in the Gershwin song (like Marconi or the Wright Brothers) to ground your current struggle in historical reality. Focusing on the long-term timeline of success helps mitigate the sting of short-term social friction.