i have a ball python and she eats live mice...hell i even have a mice colony setup so i dont have to buy them everyweek...
OP: i think mice are very interesting to watch, and show traits of being smart, but they can be very stupid and are much crueler/nastier than their predators...one of my females had babie last week and i saw the male and other 2 fems eating live babies on more than one occation, and yes, they had plenty of their regular rat food, and no, this wasnt her first litter (for those who dont know its common for them to eat the entire first liiter)...they are also highly inbreed...this has to have an effect on mental ability and physical makeup, but i could care less...they are all food as far as i'm concerend...i agree with prev posters...there is no diff in feeding a snake a mouse than u eating a burger, just cuz u dont watch doesnt mean it didnt happen...it is no more/less humane...as far as the screams...they dont usually bother me...maybe i am too desensatized? i dunno, nothing about a mouse squeak makes me wana cry...
now...onto the laughing and comments and entertainment value of the feeding...my best guess is desensatation (spelling/grammar)...i usually watch my snake eat for multiple reasons: to make sure she doesnt get bit, make sure she doesnt get it stuck, make sure it gets down, and it is very interesting (to me at least)...sometimes i get a little bit of enterainment because of how fast it happens...i know its comming...then BAM...before u know what happens, the mouse is bitten and wrapped up...ill admit, ive even laughed at it when the mouse is jerking its legs because it is getting squeazed to death...am i sadistic? maybe...but i think it is just because some people dont make a relation between animal and human...if u were to see a human in the same circumstance...not many people would find an ounce of humor...and animal however, is much differnt, in the eyes of some/most at least...i think it also has something to do with what i call the insect effect....there are so ****** many...to see a few or hundres dies has no effect...step on an ant...boo fcking hoo...kill a mouse...wahhh...i personally see rabbits, guinne (sp) pigs, and cats the same way....however...many snakes could probnably eat a small dog...and if i saw this i would probably feel pretty bad...is this hypocritical? maybe, it depends on each person...some people LOVE dogs (me) , some people love/hate cats....some people love all animals (PETA) ...it all depends on your personal background as to how u will percieve the act...maybe it is the prehistoric man comming up in those people? the thrill of the hunt/kill...watching one species power over another...
some other reasons people may think it is cool/entertaining:
they dont see it often (at least IRL)
its interesting
maybe they were an ant bully as a child
everyone else is watching