Mark Wills - Don't Laugh At Me

What this video is

Released in July 1998 as the second single from Mark Wills' album Wish You Were Here, 'Don't Laugh At Me' arrived during a period when Nashville country was increasingly engaging with social themes. The song peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in October 1998. Its cultural footprint extended well beyond radio: the song later inspired Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul and Mary) to found Operation…

Why it matters

A landmark example of late-1990s country pop's socially conscious turn, 'Don't Laugh At Me' demonstrated that mainstream Nashville could achieve significant chart success while engaging with themes of childhood vulnerability and empathy. The video's narrative-driven structure—intercutting…

The director

Jim Hershleder is an American director, cameraman, and screenwriter. After earning a BFA from NYU Film School (1982), he worked as a cameraman with fashion photographer Arthur Elgort and the music video directing team of Paula Grief and Peter Kagan. He built…