It is interesting to think about how sound has grown to play an indispensable role in comedy - especially since, as Rachel pointed out, comedic films used to have no sound at all. Although humor and wit have always been present in conversation, the beginnings of onscreen comedy had to rely on exaggerated physical movement and facial expressions to evoke laughter from an audience. Another factor that silent films relied on was the accompanying music, which created a certain mood. Music continues to play an important role in television and film, as well as the way shots are cut and edited. Take this video which portrays the presidential debates between Trump and Clinton as flirtatious banter (why). Although this is obviously not a convincing narrative, it demonstrates how sound and editing can take any situation and convey it in a radically different way.
The use of fake laughter in sitcoms has quickly become frowned upon, and the mockumentary format (The Office, Parks and Rec) has become widely appreciated for its reliance on quality writing to induce laughter from viewers. This clip of The Big Bang Theory without the laugh track shows how awkward sitcom-style shows can be without relying on these auditory aids. Saturday Night Live is an entirely different animal, as it is very similar to stand-up comedy when it comes to audience reactions. A sketch can either be a huge hit or bomb completely, and since there is a different audience for the dress rehearsal than the live show, there is no way to know if a sketch will be perceived as funny by that particular group of people. For example, the legendary "Cowbell" sketch did not get significant laughs at dress rehearsal, but during the live show it got a completely different reaction. These reactions can influence the viewers at home, because if we hear people laughing and know that it is authentic, we are likely to laugh too. This very well could be a result of the social permission theory - even if we are watching a show alone on our couch, hearing other people react positively tends to influence how we react ourselves.
When considering the impact that laughter has on our own incentive to laugh at a piece of comedy, I think it really comes down to format. There are certain styles and mediums, such as mockumentary style shows and clips on YouTube, which we do not expect to hear laughter from others. But in instances such as sitcoms and shows with a live audience, the reactions of others can certainly play a role in our incentive to laugh at a joke or situation.
I didn't know that about the Cowbell sketch! I can see why so much of the effect about it comes from the audience's reaction.
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