The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos Make 'Em Laugh
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Nov 15, 2019 Jeff Hancock, a professor specializing in online emotional contagion, teams up with Dr. Laurie Santos to explore the power of laughter. They discuss how laugh tracks in TV shape our emotional responses and enhance joy. The conversation shifts to the dynamics of digital communication, revealing how emotions can spread through online interactions. They also highlight the impact of social media on our well-being and advocate for mindful engagement to foster positivity, both online and in everyday life.
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Jack Benny's Robot Gag
- The Jack Benny Show gag about Benny being a robot made audiences laugh for over 30 years.
- Even President John F. Kennedy watched it religiously.
Sweetened Laughter
- The laughter in The Jack Benny Show was often "sweetened" with pre-recorded laughs.
- This "sweetening" is a media industry trick known as canned laughter or a laugh track.
Origins of Laugh Tracks
- Ben Glenn, a TV historian, researched the origins of laugh tracks.
- He discovered that engineer Charles Douglas created the technique and device in 1950.