OT: Sens Lounge LXXVIII | The Big Bang Theory Is Objectively Terrible Edition
- Thread starter YouGotAStuGoing
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I don't usually post in the lounge, but I had to stick up for the 100% completely correct opinion that The Big Bang Theory is unmitigated garbage.
ChocolateLeclaire
Registered User
Seconded. Frankly, anything that has the words "Chuck Lorre" attached to it is hot, hot garbage.
Sadly, it panders to the lowest denominator and America eats it up.
YouGotAStuGoing
Registered User
It's a dumb show about smart people. The humor derives from "Oh my god, Sheldon has no concept of how to act and it's hilarious! And then the hot chick says something about not understanding!"
And the laugh track. The worst invention in comedy, the laugh track. Audiences don't need to be told when to laugh. Let us decide that for ourselves.
And the laugh track. The worst invention in comedy, the laugh track. Audiences don't need to be told when to laugh. Let us decide that for ourselves.
DrakeAndJosh
Intangibles
I love when people tell me the reason I don't like it is because I "don't get the science jokes."
Do Make Say Think
& Yet & Yet
- Jun 26, 2007
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DrunkUncleDenis
Condra Fan
- Mar 27, 2012
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When you break it down, artificial laugh tracks really are quite bizarre. Some guy in an editing studio is adding laughter from some random source, having to subjectively choose the exact amount of laughter gauged necessary for the magnitude of the joke.
Acting on a sitcom in front of a live audience, though, must be like acting in a live play but you're allowed to screw up. I think sometimes it really enhances a silly or hilarious scene. It definitely has its merits IMO.
Nac Mac Feegle
wee & free
- Jun 10, 2011
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Night Court was great for that. Legend has it that Reinhold Weege's father was in the audience for every taping. He has a very unique (and loud) laugh that you can spot on a few of the 1980s NBC sitcoms.
DrakeAndJosh
Intangibles
Laugh tracks just completely take me out of the moment. Every time I hear one I think "oh right, I'm watching a tv show." It also leads to really unnatural acting and timing and the type of jokes are always set ups and punch lines, it just never feels like authentic conversation.
Caeldan
Whippet Whisperer
- Jun 21, 2008
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I think that BBT actually doesn't use a laugh track, but the audience is prompted.
Occasionally I found they had a decent episode, but I'll admit to liking Charlie Sheen in 2 1/2 Men as well - was perfect to watch for cooking as you got the punchline to a joke before every commercial break. It was like three mini episodes per show that had a linked plot.
Anger Management is amusing as well to watch random episodes.
Occasionally I found they had a decent episode, but I'll admit to liking Charlie Sheen in 2 1/2 Men as well - was perfect to watch for cooking as you got the punchline to a joke before every commercial break. It was like three mini episodes per show that had a linked plot.
Anger Management is amusing as well to watch random episodes.
Personally can't and won't watch anything with a laugh track/live audience laughing anymore (only thing wrong with Seinfeld imo)....like you said worst thing ever to happen to Comedy shows. I wonder why they still use them especailly since some of the very popular extremely funny shows nowadays steer very clear of them.
Then you hear that these laugh tracks were recorded many decades ago and most of the laughers are dead....why does the laugh track exist in 2014????
YouGotAStuGoing
Registered User
Not quite, but you're on the right track. The show's recorded in front of a live audience, but the laughs are often enhanced or manipulated. That's because when they're recording, the fifth take may be the best one from a film perspective but the audience reaction is likely much less enthralled than the first take — you can only laugh at the same thing so many times before it gets old.
So, you'd think they'd capture the laughter from the first take and call it a day, but the big networks like sweetening the impact of the laugh tracks by adding in artificial laughs, emphasizing strange and/or high-pitched laughs, and just generally manipulating it to make it more TV-friendly.
Reagrdless, it's irritating. I stand by my comment — I don't need to be told when to laugh. Shows like Community, Arrested Development or Archer do it the right way. Be funny without bludgeoning me with "THIS IS FUNNY AND YOU SHOULD BE LAUGHING RIGHT NOW."
BonkTastic
ಠ_ಠ
I try to pretend that those kind of people get sucked into the event horizon of the black hole that they were just trying to tell me I don't understand. And then become forever captured in a 2D hologram on it's surface.
BonkTastic
ಠ_ಠ
Dear god, it's somehow even worse without the laugh track.
... I didn't think the show could actually get worse, but here we are.
Jim Parsons was on George Strombo a while ago and he said it perfectly (but I'm paraphrasing): Big Bang Theory is more than just typical sitcom trash, but it is also wonderfully exactly that.
MainDotC
Depth Defenceman
I think Golden Girls is actually quite tasteful. It's not my type of humour, but I dated some chick from Afrika and GG cracked her up all the time.
Micklebot
Moderator
- Apr 27, 2010
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Found this gem of someone trying to prove that 30 rock is better than $#@! my dad says
http://splitsider.com/2010/11/proving-scientifically-tha-30-rock-is-better-than-my-dad-says/
Looking forward to Bonk doing something similar with BBT and something else.
http://splitsider.com/2010/11/proving-scientifically-tha-30-rock-is-better-than-my-dad-says/
Looking forward to Bonk doing something similar with BBT and something else.
Do Make Say Think
& Yet & Yet
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DrunkUncleDenis
Condra Fan
- Mar 27, 2012
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Good grief, it's actually terrible without the laughter.
I actually enjoyed BBT for a while. It was a decent show, but now it's... well it isn't.
Comedies without laugh tracks: I'm on my second go-round of watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine on Netflix. That show absolutely KILLS me. Once you get your head around Andy Samberg's sometime over the top schtick, it's amazing.
YouGotAStuGoing
Registered User
+1. Awesome show. Even with Terry Crews playing... well, Terry Crews... it's so well done. Not just your typical buddy cop show.
MainDotC
Depth Defenceman
I never found appeal with 30 Rock. Grats to Tina Fey for her success but I just thought it was stupid.
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