OT: Why must the Japanese TV always have a little box in the corner showing the reactions of random people (presumably random famous people)?
Would your average Japanese person not realize that parallel parking a car at 30mph is amazing, without seeing someone else's shocked face? Is this the logical extension of the laugh-track?
I think it's fair to say it's works for the same reason the laugh-track works. Clearly we enjoy performances more when we're in the company of others visibly/audibly enjoying them.
My sometimes negative reaction to synthetic or real crowd approval combines two judgments: the material is awful, and the crowd is despicable in their approval of it (people sometimes viscerally hate laugh tracks). If I like the performance, I won't be disgusted by the laugh track.
Comments
OT: Why must the Japanese TV always have a little box in the corner showing the reactions of random people (presumably random famous people)?
Would your average Japanese person not realize that parallel parking a car at 30mph is amazing, without seeing someone else's shocked face? Is this the logical extension of the laugh-track?
Something I've been wondering for a while...
I think it's fair to say it's works for the same reason the laugh-track works. Clearly we enjoy performances more when we're in the company of others visibly/audibly enjoying them.
My sometimes negative reaction to synthetic or real crowd approval combines two judgments: the material is awful, and the crowd is despicable in their approval of it (people sometimes viscerally hate laugh tracks). If I like the performance, I won't be disgusted by the laugh track.