Rant #21 – Laugh Tracks

I actually work with someone who said they won’t watch The Office, not because they didn’t like the show, but because it didn’t have a laugh track. Are people that mindless that they won’t laugh at a joke unless they hear laughing? If that’s the case are they even listening to the show or just waiting to hear laughter so they can chuckle and not feel left out? I’m assuming there are a lot of people who are like this so I get having some sort of a laugh track in a show to appease the dummies, but some shows think they are a lot funnier than they are and abuse the shit out of the laugh track button. According to whoever is in control of this on the show The Big Bang Theory, every line by every character for the entire duration of the show is hilarious.

Here’s a perfect example of how every line gets a laugh:

That 70’s Show was the previous title holder in abuse of the laugh track. I challenge you to find one line in any episode that is said by Fez that doesn’t get a laugh track.

Anyway, if you want an example of a funny show that doesn’t need the laugh track watch Arrested Development. For those of you who aren’t used to watching a show without a laugh track, here’s a hint, when they say something funny you can laugh afterwards.