Laugh tracks, like or hate them?

[Alessandro17]

I absolutely hate them.

 

This is what I wrote as a comment in a blog:

 

 

I was born in a different culture, I am Italian. You are supposed to laugh spontaneously when something is really funny, not to be told when to laugh with a pitiful trick. Can't people decide for themselves?

I love much of the Anglo-Saxon culture, but definitely not laugh tracks. And as it has been said by so many people, you get laugh tracks even when something is not remotely funny.

[3.14r2]

I hate shows which use them... Usually such shows are stupid enough not to be funny at all, hence some help is needed to make these at least pretend to be funny.

IMO good show should be funny on its own - without any artificial add-ons.

[Alessandro17]

Exactly.

[Mr.D.]

I love them personally. They tell me exactly when to laugh. I'm not so quick on the uptake, so when I am at home with the little lady and watching a fantastic episode of The Big Bang Theory, I may not get a mad lib joke about physics, and if it were not for the laugh track, I would have no idea that it was funny, thereby looking seemingly foolish in front of the previously mentioned little lady.

 

case in point:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmLQaTcViOA

 

I also love sarcasm.

 

Now LAUGH!!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W--zY5ZzJCA

[Huckleberry Pie]

I hate shows which use them... Usually such shows are stupid enough not to be funny at all, hence some help is needed to make these at least pretend to be funny.

IMO good show should be funny on its own - without any artificial add-ons.

 

My thoughts on that, too.