The argument is that being funny wasnt the end of the sitcom. That it was meant to be :comfy:. That the laugh track was a form of interpassivity. It's not that people laughed because the laugh track. People heard laughter and got a tiny mental recharge. It is my opinion that the one of the reasons podcasts blew up is because it has that same interpassvity. Where listeners get that tiny relief from their alienation.
Some of my favorite comedies never had laugh tracks. Trailer Park Boys comes to mind. :I-was-saying:
The argument is that being funny wasnt the end of the sitcom. That it was meant to be :comfy:. That the laugh track was a form of interpassivity. It's not that people laughed because the laugh track. People heard laughter and got a tiny mental recharge. It is my opinion that the one of the reasons podcasts blew up is because it has that same interpassvity. Where listeners get that tiny relief from their alienation.
I suppose that's true for other people, but for me it's not comfortable; it's grating to me. I got a tiny mental drain instead of a recharge.
I guess it checks out for me that I hate podcasts and find them unbearable to listen to.