I think it may be some need to see that mockery is a form of propaganda, not of reasoned argument.

I watched a preacher on TV awhile ago mocking evolutionary theory -- basically walking around in an "ape"-like posture and making grunting noises and asking the audience if they thought claims of an ape ancestry for humanity made any sense, to which the believing (and one assumes selected) audience noisily laughed and shouted no.

I could readily identify at least three propaganda techniques going on -- bandwagon (the creation of an atmosphere of unanimity of opinion), plain folks (appeals to "common sense" and personal opinion as opposed to deferral to the views of the trained and wise), and "card stacking" (misrepresenting or even outright lying about the view being attacked -- evolution does not claim we are descended from apes but that we are apes).

That ridicule does not involve reasoning and contemplative thought but instead appeals to a semi-sadistic glee people get out of discomfiture of those they don't agree with is pretty obvious.  As such it should have no part in serious discussion and whenever it is detected the perpetrator. whether one likes what is going on or not, should be discredited.