How do you feel about canned laughter?

[Sean Hollyman]

You know how it is, you're watching a comedy show, when something that is supposed to be funny happens. Suddenly, you hear laughter in the background, every time it happens. Sometimes it's actually filmed in front of a live audience, but often it's just added in later on.

I fucking hate it, it's as if the producers think we are idiots, and need to be told when to laugh. In most of the shows on Disney Channel have it, and they are ALWAYS not funny at all. So why the hell is it there? It ruins the moment when you are TELLING THE AUDIENCE WHEN TO LAUGH.

So anyway yeah.. what are your feelings towards canned laughter.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Terrible.

Especially as it's used as an excuse not to be funny. I remember watching some half-arsed show in which they use laughter for when a guy sits in a chair doing nothing, laughter when the doorbell rings, laughter when he gets out of his chair and goes towards the door, laughter when he opens the door and looks outside.

That is bullshit.

 

[Keoul]

I despise the stuff.

I think it's a psychological thing, like if one person in a group laughs the whole group will laugh even if noone cracked a joke. The canned laughter is there to make you laugh even if the jokes aren't funny.

They're getting into your head man.

 

[Sean Hollyman]

I despise the stuff.

I think it's a psychological thing, like if one person in a group laughs the whole group will laugh even if noone cracked a joke. The canned laughter is there to make you laugh even if the jokes aren't funny.

They're getting into your head man.

I feel kind of awkward when I'm with a group of people, and I'm the only one not to laugh.

And the canned laughter ruins the moment :/

 

[smithy_2045]

Canned laughter either exacerbates the poor quality of a show, or in some rare cases ruins a good one. No good can come of it.

 

[Casual Shinji]

I really don't mind at all.

Heck, even Monty Python had canned laughter and it didn't bother me there either.

The only time I hate it is when they add it to a cartoon.

 

[Marter]

Every tried watching a sitcom (that usually has a laugh track) without it?

Yeah, it's not very good. I'm fine with it as it improves the overall experience, whether it's cheating or not.

 

[Sean Hollyman]

Every tried watching a sitcom without the laugh track?

Yeah, it's not very good. I'm fine with it as it improves the overall experience, whether it's cheating or not.

Well I remember Malcolm In The Middle not having a laugh track, and that being fine.

 

[Marter]

Well I remember Malcolm In The Middle not having a laugh track, and that being fine.

Should have phrased my initial statement better, I think. If it's not built toward having one, then it doesn't count. But take away the laugh track that many sitcoms use as a crutch and you quickly find out how beneficial they are.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

Laugh tracks don't really bother me, I only notice when it's a badly placed laugh track.

Fun fact!

The series, M*A*S*H, also had a laugh track, except when the doctors were in surgery.

They considered it in poor taste.

 

[Flamezdudes]

I don't mind it at all.

I've watched sitcoms my entire life with it in them, i'm used to it.

 

[Hazy992]

Every tried watching a sitcom (that usually has a laugh track) without it?

Yeah, it's not very good. I'm fine with it as it improves the overall experience, whether it's cheating or not.

Yeah I'm gonna second this. If you take a laugh track out of a comedy that was supposed to have one then it seems weird, same if you put one in a comedy that wasn't meant to have one.

 

[Sean Hollyman]

Well I remember Malcolm In The Middle not having a laugh track, and that being fine.

Should have phrased my initial statement better, I think. If it's not built toward having one, then it doesn't count. But take away the laugh track that many sitcoms use as a crutch and you quickly find out how beneficial they are.

Why should they need to use it as a crutch though? If their show is funny enough, then they shouldn't need to use a laugh track in order to remind you that something is funny.

 

[Marter]

Well I remember Malcolm In The Middle not having a laugh track, and that being fine.

Should have phrased my initial statement better, I think. If it's not built toward having one, then it doesn't count. But take away the laugh track that many sitcoms use as a crutch and you quickly find out how beneficial they are.

Why should they need to use it as a crutch though? If their show is funny enough, then they shouldn't need to use a laugh track in order to remind you that something is funny.

They shouldn't, but I'd rather it be left in and keep the show somewhat funny than remove it and destroy any aughs it was going to get.

 

[Relish in Chaos]

I don?t mind it in shows that it works (e.g. Friends, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air). Remove the laugh track from some shows and the formula just breaks down. Shows that don?t use a laugh track work (e.g. Scrubs, Malcolm in the Middle) because they have a different style. It just depends on what kind of sitcom you?re going for, really.

Anyway, it?s a comedy trend and, to be honest, if the majority of sitcom-watching people didn?t like it, then they wouldn?t watch it and laugh tracks would be extinct. But they?re not, so stop whining just for the sake of whining.

 

[CJMacM]

I don't hate it but it drives me nuts when it's overused. Like when every tiny joke or action gets a laugh. Most of the time I don't even laugh when it plays. (For example, right now I'm watching Frasier and they used the laugh track about 8 times and I only chuckle a couple of times, and I like this show)

Most of the time I watch comedies that don't have canned laughter, which I really prefer, but I still like some shows with canned laughter

 

[Sean Hollyman]

I don't hate it but it drives me nuts when it's overused. Like when every tiny joke or action gets a laugh. Most of the time I don't even laugh when it plays. (For example, right now I'm watching Frasier and they used the laugh track about 8 times and I only chuckle a couple of times, and I like this show)

Most of the time I watch comedies that don't have canned laughter, which I really prefer, but I still like some shows with canned laughter

Haha you should stay far away from things like Disney Channel then. It's like every 2 seconds.

 

[repeating integers]

Like I said in the Big Bang Theory thread:

In Britain, a great many comedy shows are filmed in front of a live audience, and I find the laughter actually helps - since, after all, things always get funnier if you're in a group, and the audience helps produce that atmosphere.

 

[Lizardon]

It depends, as there are two types of laugh tracks.

One is where the creators take a pre-recorded laugh and place it where ever they think the audience will laugh. This kind irritates me as you get the laughs over jokes that fall flat and it is always the same recording which begins to get annoying. Example: Big Bang Theory

The other is where they show the completed episode to a test audience, recorded their reactions and put that over the show. I much prefer this kind as the laugher sounds more natural (since it is) and it's not the same sound at every joke. Example: How I Met Your Mother

 

[cerealnmuffin]

I hate laugh tracks or studio audiences held hostage made to laugh via laughing gas and machine gun-toting thugs. At least that is how I think they make people laugh at Big Bang Theory. I watched a few eps thanks to an 11 hour flight and all dead batteries.

Shows like Office and Curb Your Enthusiasm show laugh tracks aren't needed.