The media creates Artificial Risibility

[Specforces]

Every smile and laugh that you see on tv, in the movies, or in an advertisement is false.

This is explained by probability. The odds are diminishingly small that a person with a camera will be filming another person at the exact time that they are genuinely smiling or laughing.

This demonstrates the human talent for mimicking emotions. People are very good actors and actresses.

However, the result is a situation in which no one believes that other people are showing genuine emotion. "It's all an act." Our judicial system, with its juries, is a theater in which talented performances are commonly seen.

Specforces

[Privateer]

I love when I see actors in Seinfeld give authentic laughs. I love Seinfeld.

[jazzmosis]

I agree completely. The media has tried so much to say (in an advertisement's case) that said product is so fun.. if you buy it, you'll be as happy/popular/better off than you were before.

In movies, it takes a actor of brilliant preportions to emulate an emotion so well it's nearly believeable. Otherwise, when you look at it with even a slight critical eye (as I always do) it practically ruins the scene because you know it's all fake.

For the general populus though, the trick works.

In TV, some of the emotions have gone overboard. (Ie: Laugh tracks) They've gone from where they want you to feel this way to practically shoving it down your throat. (In terms of Laugh tracks.) If something was genuinely funny, I'd laugh. But just because some director thinks it's funny and that everyone should laugh at it, doesn't mean that trying to tired act of "Laughter is contageous" will work.

Personally, I usually find comedy in very odd ways. A good example is spelling/grammatical errors, or facial expressions that weren't really intended to be funny but are..

The media wants to boil everyone down to like all the same things. And they're getting better at it.

[Specforces]

Originally Posted by Privateer

I love when I see actors in Seinfeld give authentic laughs. I love Seinfeld.

I've noticed these laughs myself, excellent taste in a show btw.

Specforces

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[perfect_fat]

I laughed at those pics from Iraq. That chick just had the craziest look on her face when she was pointing at those genitals! But I was morally offended, even though I think the pics are hillarious.

[IAMTHEEVILBEAN]

Originally Posted by Privateer

I love when I see actors in Seinfeld give authentic laughs. I love Seinfeld.

My parents are going to see Jerry Seinfeld tonight.

[Omeganitros]

What about music media?

I listen to this local radio talk show, and it's the funniest stuff ever. It's like Maddox, but on the radio.

And when you talk about the judicial system, what do you mean? Who's doing the "talented performances" you speak of?

The most effective forms of art are ones that force you to feel the emotions the artist wants you to feel. It's hardly faking emotion, it's producing emotion.

[Jam930]

ive noticed alot of laughing tracks in tv shows. i start laughing...then notice that the laughing track thing is laughing too...so i jsut stop and watch silently. i dont want to give them the silent satisfaction of me laughing with their dumb laugh track in the background. whatever.

The only show i really laugh while watching is probably '2 guys a girl and a pizza place'...which has laughing tracks...damnit.

and perfect fat, what pics are u talking about?

[Specforces]

Jamie, watch the news.

Specforces

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