24-12-2002 02:47									#1
	The Sycophantism Of Comedy Audiences Increase Your PM Length

Was listening to the radio this morning, and it was only from the laughter that I could work it was meant to be comedy. That was nothing funny about what was being said...at all.

Ditto an advert I've seen for some kind of Billy Connolly video or something. He is going on about Big Brother, and how people are "sitting in their houses watching people sitting in their houses". Cue an hysterical audience. Er..and this comment is funny in what way at all?

Apolyton has a few sycophants as well when some of the sacred cows get their comedial wit into action.

Why?

	24-12-2002 02:53									#3
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Who could those sacred cows be?

You obviously couldn't be one of them since everything you say is funny.

ACK!

	24-12-2002 02:58									#4
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The word you are looking for Stew is 'sycophancy'

Yeah, Friends is the best example. If it wasn't for the canned laughter I'd have no way of figuring out it's a 'comedy'

	24-12-2002 03:08									#5
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troll

And to think, so close to Christmas.

	24-12-2002 03:12									#6
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one post above him, actually.

	24-12-2002 03:13									#7
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quote: Originally posted by Thrawn05 troll And to think, so close to Christmas.

Yeah, he only posted 2 before me

	24-12-2002 03:14									#8
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Scary X-post type scenario

	24-12-2002 03:24									#9
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Friends..well, any American show is bad for it. But canned laughter is slightly different from people laughing at stand-up comedy shows, for example, when the "comedian" is only living on some somehow-formed reputation.

	24-12-2002 03:28									#10
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All the Billy Connely stuff I have seen is very funny, I can't vouch for his more recent stuff...I'd have had to have heard it...

	24-12-2002 03:29									#11
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quote: Originally posted by Thrawn05 troll And to think, so close to Christmas.

Are you calling me a troll?

Never been called on before.

ACK!

	24-12-2002 13:11									#12
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Well, I for one can proudly say I have never watched a single episode of "Friends." *Cue wild applause...*

Although Rosanne had an audience who like mindless sheep laughed, hooted and hollered when told to do so, it's humor was actually funny. Even the actors had unscripted chuckles once in a while. Gotta' admire that...

	24-12-2002 13:14									#13
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quote: Originally posted by Boddington's Friends..well, any American show is bad for it. But canned laughter is slightly different from people laughing at stand-up comedy shows, for example, when the "comedian" is only living on some somehow-formed reputation.

So Hilarious! Boddington Rules!

	24-12-2002 13:14									#14
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The best comedies don't have a laugh track.

"Andy Richter Controls the Universe" being the foremost one right now...

	24-12-2002 13:20									#15
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I want to use this space to show my appreciation for the word sycophant. It just sounds cool.

	24-12-2002 13:22									#16
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Damn straight - and if they do have a laughter track (hey, some do), it comes from a live recording, where the audience may be prompted, but still has a goddamn sense of humour. I'm thinking Red Dwarf and numerous other british SitComs here.

The laughter does not necessarily mean the comedy is bad - even canned laughter can sometimes be used on good material (e.g. latest series of Alan Partridge).

	24-12-2002 14:38									#17
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I have been to many live comedy shows. A comedy show is so much funnier when you are sitting there in the middle of a laughing audience. The laughter is more infectious than some sort of self-conscious sycophancy.

	24-12-2002 14:47									#18
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quote: Originally posted by Graag Damn straight - and if they do have a laughter track (hey, some do), it comes from a live recording, where the audience may be prompted, but still has a goddamn sense of humour.

If they have a sense of humour why are they laughing at such complete pap.

Laughing at pratically anything does not mean having a good sense of humour.

	24-12-2002 16:35									#19
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How about David Letterman, that show is so unfunny he should quit already!

We even made it into the audience and they try and get you to laugh at some utter drivel

Jay Leno pisses all over him every way imaginable, and he's hit and miss as well...

	24-12-2002 18:32									#20
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Most television shows either use canned laughter, or they tell the audience to laugh. It's a big part of a comedy routine to let your audience know when there is supposed to be a joke, and that's often enough - if they hear other people laughing, they'll just assume it's funny and laugh along. Of course, it's really lowbrow comedy if it has to rely solely on that. (as most comedy is)


Edited to add that if it's not canned laughter or an applause sign, a comedian will often queue the jokes with a certain kind of presentation, or a tone of voice, ect..

Last edited by General Ludd on 24-12-2002 at 18:39

	24-12-2002 19:07									#21
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Monty Python's Flying Circus

	24-12-2002 20:33									#22
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quote: Originally posted by Dissident I want to use this space to show my appreciation for the word sycophant. It just sounds cool.

It almost sounds like a homicidal elephant

	24-12-2002 21:52									#23
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quote: Originally posted by MOBIUS How about David Letterman, that show is so unfunny he should quit already! We even made it into the audience and they try and get you to laugh at some utter drivel Jay Leno pisses all over him every way imaginable, and he's hit and miss as well...

I think Letterman's WAY better than Leno in every way imaginable.

That's what you get for being British and having that pisspoor sense of humor.

	24-12-2002 21:57									#24
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I prefer natural, situational comedy.

	24-12-2002 22:38									#25
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Well you do live in wales...

	24-12-2002 23:02									#26
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quote: Originally posted by Boddington's I prefer natural, situational comedy.

Most of us have seen precious little evidence of you possessing a sense of humour...

	25-12-2002 00:00									#27
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Letterman is not funny!!!!!!!!!

His show is more entertainment. He does sequences that aren't funny but entertaining. Well to the average american- I don't find them entertaining.

But he is the better interviewer. He has the ability to draw stuff out of celebrities that Jay Leno could never hope to do.

But Jay Leno has a better monologue (well until recently- last night was horrible). And he has Headlines. Granted they don't write headlines, but they are hilarious nonetheless.

	25-12-2002 00:02									#28
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Also a study was done on laughter (it was on TLC or something). Just the sound of laughter can make people laugh. They played prerecorded laughter on a tape player to people on the street and it did indeed cause people to laugh.

But I hate laugh tracks. I prefer shows taped in front of a live studio audience. You get more unexpected reactions that way even though they use the applause/laughter sign. Sometimes you get really loud laughter, sometimes not that much.

	25-12-2002 01:19									#29
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quote: I prefer shows taped in front of a live studio audience.

that's right.

i feel awkward when there's a good comedy without any audience laughter. obviously canned is bad. very bad. however it's just funny that when you begin to smirk, you suddenly feel all... lonely.

	25-12-2002 01:44									#30
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So watch it with friends, Siro.

Laughtracks and audience laughter annoy me more than adds to the show, mostly because they always find things funny I think isn't funny. And to have people constantly laughing at bad jokes bothers me.