Last night I was procrastinating going to bed. I had the television on while I read some things on the internet and the blasted laugh track on a sitcom was driving me insane. Apparently we can take the humour training wheels off for movies and certain television shows (blessed Arrested Development, Scrubs and The Office) but for the most part we still need guidance. I'm just so thankful that television producers help me understand that the poorly written line was indeed humorous. Oh, and I just laughed hysterically at that site gag thanks to that exuberant stranger (or computer) spewing from my Sanyo 20". Thanks for all the silly canned giggles to cue my senses about something so very funny. Thanks Hugh. Graham and I have discussed our disdain for the fakeness but all in vain. ABC, NBC, CBC and FOX all fall prey to this haunting sound.
I have no data to back it up, but I think weak sitcoms are directly correlated to the laugh track. One exception to my extensive research, spanning twenty odd years, would be Seinfeld. I have this fantasy about the extinction of canned laughter. In my television Utopia there would be a resurgence of well written comedies sans laugh track. My stomach would hurt and I would need TiVo to rewind the parts I missed due to laughing too hard. My doctor would ask to me to reduce my television consumption due to his concern that I might burst a blood vessel. The rock hard abs I always dreamed of would come to fruition as they would be exercised regularly.
Coming to my senses, I finally turned off the t.v. As I was drifting off to dreamland, I pondered equally obnoxious things... ah, the cheesy commercial jingle. What ranks high on your obnoxious list?
13 comments:
Glad you should ask.
1. Turn-signal deficient drivers.
2. People who CLEARLY have more than 10 items in the 10 items or less line.
3. Overenthused people for not that exciting of events or explanations. One in particular, "I SO LOVE that guy. He's the BEST! or, "She's SO awesome. I just can't get enough of her!" Rarely have people lived up to the hype. Even more rare has the event been as spectacular as people make it out to be.
There are others, but that will do for now.
oh mf, that comment was so AWESOME. i LOVED it. seriously, though, i hear you on the non-indicating drivers. look forward to more of your list.
eyun, yes, yes, i will look for haloscan. i'm just lazy... i guess i'd make #2 on your list.
so eyun, tell me more about haloscan
1. People who use the tag "literally" when something isn't literal, i.e. sports announcers who yell, "He literally took his head off!" David Cross has a bit about that on something, I'm sure.
2. People who prounounce Propagandhi or Gandhi as, GAAN-DEE. Like DAN-DEE, rather than GONE-DEE.
3. People who are close talkers and low talking mumblers. Especially when mixed with halitosis. I'm sure there was a Seinfeld about that.
4. Comedians whose only bits are either impressions or racially specific, i.e. they only do impressions of politicos, or they only make Mexican jokes.
5. When people roll their eyes when I'm reading a Young Adult novel and I say it's really good, like it's not a "real" novel.
6. Obviously, I can't say laugh track now, but people who give false or fake laughs.
7. People who say, "That's nice!" When that's obviously not what they are thinking or feeling. If you don't like something, say so.
On that note, Mikey, I really like using the 10 or less lines for, like, 15 things, but only if it's the same thing. For example, I like getting 15 packs of Reed's Ginger Ale (especially the Extra) at one time when Fred Meyer or Slaveway has a glitch and rings up a four pack as just one.
We've got several seasons of Mash at home on DVD. What's awesome is that by-and large, the most witty jokes don't have the laugh track. The obvious jokes have canned laughter, the stuff that subtle, wry or really witty...no laugh track.
mash is a spectacular show. I really like the chemistry between the surgeons. they are great. and hot lips? what was her deal going after Frank Burns? Weird. And, I didn't think she was that hot. but, what do I know. I havent been stuck in the back country of Korea doing surgery on wounded and dying soldiers with rare chances to see a female. Im sure in that context, hot lips was.
Gilbert Gottfried is the most obnoxious human being known to me
Will I be banned if I admit that in college I had friends who made a sketch comedy show on KBYU and I was in a group of people who helped record the laugh track (and clapping too). But it was used ironically, does that save me?
I agree with lots of these especially not using blinkers in cars.
Also, kitchen counters covered in crumbs from the toaster and roommates who butter their toast on the counter not on a plate, further adding to the crumbs.
ansley, you are forgiven. and i freaking HATE crumbs. thank you for reminding me of that one.
miss sarah, don't you "love" rill for real? or the double... that was a rill good dill. ewww.
it's so nice to not feel all alone about irritating things. another annoyance is people who don't cover their mouth when the sneeze and you get sprayed.
crumbs in bed. grr.
People eating with their mouth open. I had a roommate that was a loud eater; popcorn, cereal, you name it, it was loud. I finally had to stop eating with her unless we had the TV or radio on because it was like nails on a chalkboard to me.
i don't mind loud eating so much as the rhythm of some people's eating. does that make sense?
people who wear too much cologne or perume.
or people who used the preamble "trust me" to every bit of advice they give me.
guess what, i automatically don't trust you anymore.
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