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0 pointsdylan6047y ago0 comments

If it has a "studio audience" laugh track, I'm out.* If the joke is funny, I don't need a laugh track to tell me about it. If it's not funny, it's not funny, and a laugh track doesn't make it funny. If it's so esoteric of a joke that I missed, then I missed it. Silicon Valley has a lot of these. "Is it Apple Maps bad?" There was one about Theranos that if you had no idea what Theranos is/was, then you'd never have a chance to understand the insult.

*with the occasional rule breaking exception

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pcthrowaway7y ago

Seinfeld had a laugh track also, and still managed to be one of the funniest and most original shows on television, breaking major ground for its time. Don't blame Big Bag Theory's gaping inadequacies on the laugh track; the writers, actors, and producers are largely at fault.

coldtea7y ago

>Seinfeld had a laugh track also, and still managed to be one of the funniest and most original shows on television, breaking major ground for its time.

People keep saying that, but what it really that funny and original? I'll take e.g. MASH any day.

tobylane7y ago

I haven't seen Seinfeld yet but I intend to.

"Whoever is first to do something isn't likely to be the best at it, simply because everyone that comes after is building on their predecessors' work. Named after the sitcom Seinfeld, which many people won't watch any more because everything about it has been copied." https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SeinfeldIsUnfunn...

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awakeasleep7y ago

Has anyone published seinfeld without the laugh track? Im really curious about that now.

enneff7y ago

Most of it was shot in front of a live audience so there is no version without the laugh track.

KyeRussell7y ago

Laugh tracks are of their time. It's unfair to pick TBBT out as a bad show because it has a laugh track. TBBT is a bad show because it's a bad show. There are plenty of good "laugh track" shows - old ones.

dylan604OP7y ago

While my reply was to a comment about BBT, I never mentioned it. I don't care what it is, but if a laugh track is used like that, then I'm not a fan of it. It's the final part of the equation of pandering to the lowest common denominator. I understand why they choose to do it. Without it, they'd have a fraction of the fan base. With it, they have/had the highest watched show. So clearly, the numbers don't lie; it's a good show. <ducks>

coldtea7y ago

>Laugh tracks are of their time. It's unfair to pick TBBT out as a bad show because it has a laugh track.

No, it's a bad show because it's badly written, cliche, and lowest common denominator humor, just with nerds as subjects instead of some regular families as per usual.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

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pcthrowaway7y ago

coldtea7y ago

>Seinfeld had a laugh track also, and still managed to be one of the funniest and most original shows on television, breaking major ground for its time.

People keep saying that, but what it really that funny and original? I'll take e.g. MASH any day.

tobylane7y ago

I haven't seen Seinfeld yet but I intend to.

1 more reply

awakeasleep7y ago

Has anyone published seinfeld without the laugh track? Im really curious about that now.

enneff7y ago

Most of it was shot in front of a live audience so there is no version without the laugh track.

KyeRussell7y ago

dylan604OP7y ago

coldtea7y ago

>Laugh tracks are of their time. It's unfair to pick TBBT out as a bad show because it has a laugh track.

No, it's a bad show because it's badly written, cliche, and lowest common denominator humor, just with nerds as subjects instead of some regular families as per usual.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse