When it isn’t used correctly, it’s grating and distracting, like inCall Me Kator2 Broke Girls.
The question, then, is this: do we evenneedthe laugh track?
On the surface it’s a pretty easy question.
Image by Jefferson Chacon
So no, we do not.
The use of the laugh track spread quickly, and just as quickly became controversial.
The single-camera technique, on the other hand, is more like the filming of a movie.
Image via CBS
They were something different, viewed as more intellectual and critic-friendly than their low-brow, multi-camera kin.
The Science of the Laugh Track
But what if they don’t prove that?
What if the presence of a laugh track is actually a viable component of the sitcom?
Image via CBS
Without laughter, scores ranged from 1.5 to 3.75.
Point goes to laugh track.
Point goes to no laugh track.
Image via NBC
Thanks for nothing, science.
The Laugh Track: Yay, or Nay
So, do we really need the laugh track?
Here’s what it really comes down to.
But as long as the low-hanging fruit has an audience, the laugh track isn’t going away.
