The reflection of week 3’s reading and class discussion
Reading: Sounding Live: An Institutional History of the Television Laugh Track
In nowadays, there are various comedies Tv shows for people to choose and watch. These sitcoms can be divided into two types depends on if they use laugh track or not. The laugh track is popular in old fashion sitcoms, such as The Big Bang Theory. However, the expiration date of it may get closed. ( Giotta, p344) Modern sitcoms like Modern Family do not use the laugh track. It is a symbol to show it is a quality show and they respect the audience. (see, e.g., Rosenberg, 2001; Richmond, 2007). This reflection will analyze the development of laugh track and analyze the advantage and disadvantage of it.
The first area related the development of laugh track. The live laugh track originated from radio rather than TV. Comedy of early radio is almost the most genre that required the strong connection between comics and audiences. Thus, studio audience has shown up. ( Giotta, p334) After that, Cantor thinks that an unquiet studio can make his performance funnier and stronger. A while after, laughter has been used for studio performance. ( Giotta, p334) At that time, most of the audience enjoy more the performance by hearing the laughter and applause. ( Giotta, p335) However, he concluded the studio audience became less meaningful. ( Giotta, p336)
The second significant area that relates to laugh track concern advantage. First of all, laugh track can be valuable and positive for both the performer and the home audience. ( Giotta, p337) It decreases the risk of failure of a performance and brings the sociability to the viewer. Because audible responses of the audience are hard to predict. Thus, laughter track can avoid these capricious human elements. ( Giotta, p332) Besides, laughter reinforces the connection between the broadcaster and the viewer by strengthening the sense of participation of the viewer. ( Giotta, p343)
The third area of concern is the disadvantage of the laugh track. The unexpected laughter may confuse the audience. ( Giotta, p335) The most significant point is that laughter track deprives the right of people to laugh naturally. They laugh like a machine. ( Giotta, p344)
In conclusion, laugh track did have its own golden age. It solves some problems that performers may face. However, the end day has been closed to it. In modern times, it is not popular anymore. The substitute goods have appealed with the same logic, called compromised fourth wall. ( Giotta, p344) For me, I prefer the show without the laugh track. I can enjoy every sense quietly, I can feel, analyze and laugh when I want to laugh. The laugh track only makes me feel annoying. It breaks down the process I watch a performance.