False laughter

[Armchair Expert]

Why do comedy creates like Friends, Not Going Out anf so on put this generic background laughter into the films.

It can be annoying!

[bigandclever]

Based on those examples, because they have to

[Wills2]

[redacted]

[bstb3]

I'd always assumed it was to help the slow of thinking know when to laugh (or as pointed out above to compensate for the lack of genuine humour coming from the 'comedy' being broadcast). It's a form of televised anaesthesia - get the masses watching dull unoriginal syndicated pap, lace it with laugh tracks so people just assume it must be funny and go along with it rather than expecting something actually decent.

To be honest though I don't find it as annoying as when the performers themselves continually laugh at their / their co stars own jokes as if they are the funniest thing ever when they are most likely anything but. That's just insulting and invariably turned off in very short order (if I can get anywhere near the remote) .

Of course that might just be me becoming a miserable old git.

[rehab71]

[redacted]

[rehab71]

Lest we forget The Flinstones had a laughter track

[Armchair Expert]

[redacted]

[Johnnytheboy]

Try the Big Bang Theory without a laughter track, it is horrifying...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jKS3MGriZcs

[jtremlett]

Johnnytheboy said:

Try the Big Bang Theory without a laughter track, it is horrifying...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jKS3MGriZcs

Fixed that for you.

The reason many shows sound like they have canned laughter is because they aren't shot in one take. By the time the audience are seeing the same scene shot for the third time they aren't finding it quite so amusing but they're still required to laugh. They're also required to laugh even when whatever they're watching isn't that amusing in the first place. Add in those who want to laugh loudly enough that they can say "that was me" when it is broadcast and you often end up with something that doesn't sound real.

[Gary29]

[redacted]

[bristolracer]

Could be worse
A lockdown audience where we see all their faces on a zoom feed

See also crowd noise at a lock down football game

[popeyewhite]

Johnnytheboy said:

Try the Big Bang Theory without a laughter track, it is horrifying...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jKS3MGriZcs

Because it's not actually funny, but canned laughter has been shown to make people laugh even at terrible jokes.

[Johnnytheboy]

popeyewhite said:

Johnnytheboy said:

Try the Big Bang Theory without a laughter track, it is horrifying...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jKS3MGriZcs

Because it's not actually funny, but canned laughter has been shown to make people laugh even at terrible jokes.

I only picked TBBT as I knew this clip existed. The first four series are achingly funny, then the quality nosedives.

It's an interesting example though as the same creative team made Young Sheldon without canned laughter.

The point being that a different kind of joke delivery either suits canned laughter or doesn't. Canned laughter needs the build up--> gag --> pause rhythm to work. The imposition of a laughter track actually affects the way the humour is delivered.

Other examples being the Simpsons (too quickfire) or the Office (too slow in build up), which would be bizarre with a laughter track.

There's a great YT clip somewhere of a guy dissecting a particular Simpsons sequence and saying "where would you put the laughter? It's lots of small jokes at very high speed".

[Clifford Chambers]

I've been watching black books, canned laughter spoils it.

Interesting seeing young unestablished comedians on the early guest list. Later episodes had more established guests, I'm guessing it became a show people wanted to be seen on. Like the muppets.

[CeramicMX5ND2]

Classic "Real Laughter"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilmOHfnIpFI