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The Big [Censored] Theory

(pudding.cool)
1444 points feross | 1 comments | 29 Aug 22 17:34 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
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ascar ◴[29 Aug 22 19:24 UTC] No.32642380[source]▶
Side note: the article mentions canned laughter in TBBT rather early. TBBT actually doesn't use canned laughter but uses laughter from the live audience for its laugh track.

I pity that I didn't have the chance to visit the studios and be part of that laugh track :(

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xdennis ◴[29 Aug 22 21:18 UTC] No.32643692[source]▶
> TBBT actually doesn't use canned laughter

I don't believe that one bit. Just because they have an audience, doesn't mean they don't edit the laugh track. And just because the laugh happened in real time, it doesn't mean it's authentic.

Even for live TV shows, they prod the audience into laughing. This is made clear when they laugh at awkward times, when nothing funny is being said.

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1. ascar ◴[29 Aug 22 21:32 UTC] No.32643847[source]▶
If you've ever experienced a group of tv/movie enthusiasts watching something you would believe that laughs happening at awkward times are not just possible, but I would rather see them as a supporting argument for real laughter than a rebuttal.

One of my favorite moments was watching Kick Ass in a sneak preview. No one knew which movie would be shown and Kick Ass starts with a shock moment of a guy shooting a little girl with a revolver. One guy in the back started laughing so hard and it was so inappropriate that the whole theater burst into laughter.

Doing a bit of post production on the real laughter doesn't make it canned laughter.