They started using laugh tracks back in the 50s, but they became the standard in the 80s due to the attack on Fran Drescher. At that time, sitcoms were still commonly recorded in front of a live studio audience.
In 1985, she and her husband were brutally attacked in their home by two men who had stalked her from a live taping. In response, the studio went to a closed set for security and added a laugh track. Other sitcoms followed suit when studios saw the ratings and cost benefits to a laugh track over taping in front of a live studio audience.
mvirts@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Because people watching TV alone are more likely to laugh, and are more likely to rate the show better.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laugh_track
nix@midwest.social 4 months ago
We’re social creatures. The laugh track makes us feel like we’re in a social situation. I think different shows use this more or less cynically.
CleoTheWizard@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Not sure if my brain just works differently but I’ve always felt isolated by the laugh track. It’s always made me very uncomfortable to watch a show that isn’t funny and hear people that aren’t me laughing and clapping constantly. Makes me feel like I’m being manipulated by aliens into feeling fake joy or something, I hate it.
Hikermick@lemmy.world 4 months ago
It’s weird, I grew up watching shows with laugh tracks but now they make me cringe. I can watch reruns of those old shows no problem but if I see a new show and it has a laugh track I’m immediately put off.
pyre@lemmy.world 4 months ago
old shows were more likely to have an actual audience, like friends or seinfeld