The TV sitcom laugh track

Why do sitcom's have to have laugh tracks? Do the producers of the TV shows think that they help people get the jokes on the show? Do they think that I laugh because the laugh track laughs?

The laugh track makes me want to hurt myself. I was watching The Big Bang Theory last night, and while I love this show, the laugh track makes it come off as 80's cheesy. The show is really good in it's own right, why do they have to ruin it? I noticed it because I was in the kitchen doing dishes and I had the TV on low, just really to keep me company so I didn't notice how boring doing the dishes was. I couldn't really hear what the people on the show were saying, but I could hear that laugh track every seconds. It made me crazy. Now I understand that the humor on this particular show is intelligent and may be over some people's heads (this is just a theory people) and the laugh track may help some of the less intelligent know when something was funny, so they don't feel even more stupid. They too can watch the show and laugh like they know what the hell is going on.

But then you get the kids shows, Hannah Montana, Shake it up, Good Luck Charlie, they all have laugh tracks and they aren't "smart humour" shows. Do they think that the kids watching need to know when something is funny? Do they think that they can't tell for themselves? As a note, my kids almost never laugh when the laugh track does. Does that mean they didn't know that part was supposed to be funny? I think that my kids are smart enough to laugh when they want to, they don't need any help from the laugh track.

This brings us to my favorite show - How I Met Your Mother. I LOVE this show, Neil Patrick Harris is the funniest man on TV. This show has a laugh track too, and while I hate that, I can ignore it long enough to watch the show. It really is the best thing on TV right now - just my opinion of course, but it is funny. This might be the only show that I actually laugh out loud at.

Do any of the shows NOT have laugh tracks? Oh, I know one - CSI. I love that show too, and I find parts funny, why doesn't it have a laugh track? I know it's because it is a drama, but still, you get the point.

I'd like to give TV producers a piece of my mind, lay off the laugh track! We are intelligent enough to know when something is funny enough to laugh at!

There, now I feel better. Have a great Friday!