The green bois always recommending the best underrated creators. Freakin’ wheezywaiter, vihart, Nathan and the list goes on. Y’all got impeccable taste, man
I came to comment that this is my favorite as well. I understand why people were disappointed with the ending, but I still really love watching it all these years later.
I think a big aspect of why laugh tracks have died out is because when the TV was first popularized, people were used to watching and experiencing comedy communally with others ,so the laugh track would immerse people more into the reality of how they experience comedy. Our younger generation ,however, are much more used to experiencing comedy ... Alone , on their phone or their couch etc, so the laugh track would just be taking them out of the immersion . Idk if I'm making sense but yea :9
2:36, omg the "hee hee hee" guy annoys me so much and I thought I was going crazy cause no one else ever mentioned it. I'm glad you brought it to light, Nathan.
I had a weird thing with laugh tracks when I was younger. You know how a lot of people learn to laugh politely on cue in casual conversation? One day, I caught myself doing this to a friggin laugh-tracked sitcom in an otherwise empty room. It made me want to examine my life and why I was so anxious or whatever to avoid offending a non-sentient concept.
This had so many valid points. That's wild. I never disliked laugh tracks, but I love seeing you dive into exactly WHY some shows need laugh tracks and others don't.
Love your work Nathan Zed, very cool. I've said it before and I'll say it again, laugh tracks haven't gone anywhere, they just sound different. A pause in music paired with a quick zoom in on a UA-cam video are no different.
exactly! that's why i never got it when people pointed at the office as an example of the quintessential show without a laugh track, because jim looking into the camera serves the exact same purpose as one!
As a non-english speaker, laugh tracks really help me understand the joke. I watched The Office once, and it's reaaly hard to find the joke, i gotta rewind everytime i miss the joke
how did you understood the joke by a laugh track,is it because there is a laugh track i am supposed to laugh now but it doesn't make you understand the joke right?
@@jaswant1559 what he means is that because of his lack of knowledge of comedy in western media it helps him differentiate with what is suposed to be a joke and what is not. but is it a good thing im 50/50 on that
@@johankoreviews5424 oh i didn't look in that perspective. Now i get it, thanks mate.But being able to differentiate whether its a joke or not doesn't mean you get the point of the joke.sure i agree with you laugh track gives you potential to understand the joke.
I'm also a non-native english speaker and I think that he was saying that when you hear a laugh track you realise that there was a joke there and it helps you to think twice about what was said and then get the joke. I hope it made sense
On one hand I agree, on another I keep thinking about how context and delivery can make or break a joke. So if the laugh track is part of the delivery, is it really masking that the jokes aren't all that funny or is it actually making thsm funnier? (Together with the context of knowing the characters, ig)
It’s like going to a stand up and y’all laugh together. Watching a stand up and not hearing the audience is kinda weird tbh the real laughter make everything so much funnier
The comment about having to know the characters to fully understand the show’s emotion was really good. **Spoilers** I recently finished the last episode of the Big Bang Theory, and seeing Sheldon finally acknowledge his friends and family’s true worth after degrading them for literal years (along with seeing their pride in being acknowledged) was actually emotional and incredibly satisfying.
One Day at a Time is so great and a modern show that really benefits from its laugh track. Rita Moreno entering a scene and being fabulous and the whole audience losing it for 20 seconds whilst she revels in it is just glorious.
as a true pbs kid myself, I appreciate you saying "where a kid can be a kid" because I know that subconsciously that came from the chuck e cheese ad that played before every pbs kids show in the early 2000s. I see you Nathan.
I actually unironically love friends. I know it's problematic and I recognize how it is and how it has aged but it still makes me laugh and is one of my fond memories watching it.
Same here. I think the vast, vast majority of people talking shit about it are young people who didn't see it when it first aired. Like Nathan perfectly explained it's not going to be funny if you just watch a random clip. And certainly not with the laugh track (*live audience*) cut out. And the audience did have a big influence. If they didn't laugh, the joke was rewritten or cut. And when Chandler/Mon slept together, the reaction was so strong that the writers changed their entire plan of what they were going to do. I don't know why so many people want to compare Friends with the Office. They are completely different shows. I love both.
so I as a Gen Z'ler binged Friends the last few months and I really liked it despite everyone hating it online. It has funny wordplay humor (which also helps me understand english wordplays better) and the characters are likeable enough even tho they are problematic in so many aspects. 100% product of its time but sill, the 90s wouldn't have been the 90s without it
also it's just kind of a fact that a group of 5-6 white ppl is not uncommon at all. even in a diverse city like NYC. besides for being able to afford that nice apartment, the show was realistic in that sense.
For me, the difference with The IT Crowd is that it's filmed in front of a live studio audience, so the laughter is far more realistic than a laugh track that was edited in. The laughter naturally ebbs and flows with the jokes on its own. When the immersion is broken by laughter, you're sitting in the audience enjoying a comedy show, not sitting in an editor's room trying to get the laugh clips to line up just right (if that makes sense.)
I genuinely don’t notice if a show has laugh tracks or not, unless someone points it out to me. I don’t know if my brain just registers it as normal ambient noise for shows since i grew up watching some of the shows mentioned at the beginning, but yeah i genuinely don’t notice them 90% of the time.
Same! Even when I'm made aware of a show using laugh tracks, the next time I watch it, it still doesn't register for me maybe because I'm just genuinely enjoying what I'm watching.
@@Udontkno7 I mean, we all have our tastes lol. Friends happens to be my favorite show to watch because of how funny I think it is. Mostly it's just Matthew Perry for me. 🤷🏾♀️ I was about to agree on Seinfeld, but I never gave it a legit chance and watched it because of how high a pedestal people put it on. So, I can't comment.
@Vancla living single is a black sitcom from 1993 about 6 friends living in a new york city brownstone apartment. a guy at nbc tried to buy living single but the creators said no, so he made his own in 1994 and it ended up being more successful.
@@IsaUrameshi Friends was more successful then like every show ever created except for seinfeld. living single went on for 5 seasons. it was a success, friends success doesn't undermine living single. and networks copying popular shows from other networks happens all the time. "girlfriends" was black sex and the city.
@@IsaUrameshi no it wasn't a rip off people that said that are just jealously of friends sucess and they wanna project that to the show, living single don't have ANYTHING TO DO with friends it's like saying family guy is a rip off from Simpsons
I just want to make sure everyone remembers that Fresh Prince was incredible and also did a lot for the black community. That Malcolm X bit always gets me, Uncle Phil speaks with so much power. RIP to a legend James Avery
Awesome video Nathan! I think I'm a laugh track fan; I've noticed that more so this year as those comedic commentary shows like Last Week Tonight have had to go without an audience, and whilst their jokes are still funny, the ambience and feel is noticeably more.. well... dead. And it does suffer for it. I do get the hate though for laugh tracks, as the worst feeling in the world is that of feeling left out. If a whole audience rolls in the aisles laughing their asses off at a joke and you yourself don't even muster a grin, that is annoying as hell.
This is an interesting perspective! I actually found that with Last Week Tonight in particular, I preferred the show without an audience! I felt that, although it took him a few episodes to get used to the change, once he did I enjoyed both the quicker speed of the jokes and that he was able to cover more material.
I like the point about the ambience. I personally like watching TV with people and laughing with them, and silence makes my laughter feel dumb. But also a very interesting point for feeling left out.
“Friends” is my favorite sitcom of all time. However, I have to say, it took me years to discover “Living Single” (and read up on the whole controversy there) and now I feel “Living Single” is up there for me as well :) Also, “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “The Office” (UK and US), “Extras,” “The Ricky Gervais Show” - in conclusion, i think i may like sitcoms a bit too much haha
I think certain shows need a laugh track like you said. It makes sense for Friends to have one because they had a live audience and it came from the era where a live audience was a given. It wouldn’t make sense with a show like the office (because it’s supposed to feel like we’re watching a documentary being filmed in real life) or New Girl because it had that fast paced and awkward humor where a laugh track would just ruin the delivery. Love this video!
You saw the office the first time on the episode Michael left? I feel so sad for you. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. You've been robbed of an emotional and powerful moment.
One of my favorite sitcoms ever is Miranda and it's absolutely perfect. I wouldn't change I thing! I personally don't mind laugh tracks, but like you said - it's about when and where it's used and also counting that into the delivery, performance and even writing.
Never knew the hate for laugh tracks was this deep 😂. Honestly I agree with it being used in ways as a comedic tool, and also there is a psychological function of a laugh track, for e.g. there are some things that aren't funny to do in real life in our favourite shows but laugh track can take the defacto emotion and change it to view it in a different light or something we wouldn't usually laugh at normally now seems funnier because it's there. For me though laugh tracks don't ruin the experience of a GOOD show it's like subtle background sound.
The fact you full on censored you face when you coughed, its shit like that mixed with your stellar analysis of media that makes me love your content so much
friends and cheers are both just really comforting shows to me,, i get that there's problems with them and i get that the laugh track's annoying at first to a lot of people, but once you get used to it there's just something nice about them
I really like your channel bc it provides a different perspective. A lot of commentary videos talk about how bad things are, but you come in and are like “hey. Hey hey hey. Now that wasn’t that bad. Maybe even kinda good” I appreciate the different perspectives.
A laugh track over Mufasa’s death made me feel physically ill... but love the video, if there are no good comedy movies or laugh tracks on shows at least I have your videos to make me chuckle
I love the first few seasons because I think they had a live audience for some of the tapings, and their reactions made the show all that more funny! Or at least it felt like genuine live audience laughter, maybe it wasn't live 😂 still a great show regardless
really liked what you said about how shows without laughtracks cue you to laugh in different ways! like jim looking at the camera etc. i hadn't thought about that before and i think its so true and also just like interesting to think about how shows without laughtracks try to accomplish the goal of the laughtrack.
The example you used about how laugh tracks help emotional moments hit home harder is the main reason why I love How I Met Your Mother as my favorite sitcom in that regard. I didn’t like the way it dragged and ended but when it came to the emotional moments and episodes, they probably did it best. Almost every season had one and the way they did it: the timing, attention to detail and the silence or choice of music in some cases made the moments last longer in your memory.
That 70's Show, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, How I Met Your Mother, Malcolm in the Middle, The King of Queens? These are all top tier shows with laugh tracks. Sure plenty of shows use them horribly, and most shows have a few cases where the laughs miss, but to say all laugh track shows are bad? That's too much.
I am glad that i found your channel, u are so naturally funny and u don't force is at all. anyways, i feel as if laugh tracks act is an art. sometimes u watch these shows and the jokes fall flat and could be awkward and the laugh tracks make them actually funny. shows without laugh tracks are more abstract and imitate life. non-laugh track shows are usually of a satirical show such as Arrested Development, parks and rec and my personal favourite The Office
The Middle is my #1 favorite sitcom. I've seen every episode multiple times. Each season is currently streaming on Hulu I believe. It doesn't have a laugh track and it doesn't need one. It's super funny and relatable without it.
You completely disrupt the UA-cam commentary scene and I love it !! The “watch this bad movie w/ me” videos are getting beyond old. Ty for saving us from the same old same old
Friends is my favorite sitcom of all time, and I completely agree about how you need to know the characters to get the jokes. Watching a clip of Chandler or Ross without knowing who they are will be incredibly jarring for someone who hasn’t seen the show.
When you were talking about people not being able to appreciate out of context clips of your favorite shows I FELT that. There was a point in time where I was showing everyone the clip of Tina driving her car into Jimmy's car in an otherwise empty parking lot (from Bob's Burgers) and while I would literally be rolling on the floor every time I saw it, all of my friends were unimpressed.
I liked laugh tracks back in their "day" cause it did make me feel -like you expressed so perfectly- like i was joining a laughing group of relaxed friends. i think they can feel "off" if u dont know the show ? like it's forcing the vibe on you
The issue with laugh tracks is that they blatabtly point out every joke so they work best with direct and in your face comedy. Shows like Arrested Development or Community with so much subtle comedy that can easily go over your head gives the viewer (for lack of a better term) "reward" for realising the joke, making them feel clever and good about themselves for catching it which makes them find the joke funnier. This can't really exist with laugh tracks because if you didn't realise the joke the laughter will point it out to you making the humour seem not as clever since you don't feel as special for noticing the joke. That's just my personal theory, I hope it makes sense and even though I prefer shows without laugh tracks, HIMYM is one of my all-time faves and that has a well used laugh track imo. Favourite sitcom of all time though is Brooklyn 99
Thanks for this!! Personally I love laught tracks most of the times. They makes me feel like I'm watching a show with friends and we are having good time together. Idk maybe that's lame but feeling this comforting company in usually really nice feeling.
Another amazing video, I'm so glad you mentioned that some of these sitcoms were actually filmed in front of an audience, no one ever mentions that when they're bashing on laugh tracks.
Laugh tracks work when the comedy is loose and self aware. Sometimes it even makes it feel like the characters are aware they're in a show, it becomes sort of like a self aware play. that's when it works best. Also how dare you remind me of Dog with a Blog
Man. You were always a great youtuber, but you are getting even better. After Nigahiga stopped making videos, you're straight up #1. + smart and insightful
Honestly, loads of laugh track shows are on my comfort list. They're easy to watch without effort, and that's not bad! Someone tells you when to laugh, and if you don't then you still feel positive because you're literally hearing other people (real or track) express happiness. I don't hate it:)
OH MY GOD IT IS NATEEEEE!! I'm happy to be back here. Also I agree with you on this. It's always been my stance, let the laugh tracks be (where applicable).
I’m 2 minutes into this video and you’ve already brought up my exact point in favour of laugh tracks, I was obsessed with friends as a kid and the laugh tracks taught me where I was supposed to be laughing & gave me that basic understanding of comedy & comedic timing that allows me to enjoy shows that don’t have laugh tracks like the office now I’m older
The way that you still say what you think no matter how popular the opposite opinion is has inspired me to do commentary videos where I can feel free to speak my mind and not feel like I need to follow what other people think. Thanks man.
Thank you! I never though laugh tracks were that bad. Sometimes a show isn't TRYING to be the smartest and newest and chicest thing on TV. Sometimes it's just trying to make you laugh a few times and have a pleasant half-hour. And that is ok!
thank you for defending golden girls
Golden Girls is a bop
It’s important work.
Golden girls deez nuts
I’m sorry
@@baconduggan1146 You are not forgiven
Omg I swear the “he he he” guy is in EVERY show
Yeah from icarly to big bang theory
Plot twist: Michael Jackson was actually there seeing the filming of all those episodes.
Fun fact that laugh track is actually from over a hundred years ago.
@@kevinclarke7170 wait what, we need more information
So many flash backs when he was showing all the clips
" You don't have to hate something, just because other people like it" - Nathan Zed saving the Internet week by week
Yes ! And the opposite too." You don't have to hate something because other people Hates it"
Me to people who say they hate Beyonce
does this mean y’all are gonna stop all those hateful tiktok jokes and gatekeeping music when it gets popular???😱
@@LonelyHeartsHarley no fuck TikTok
@@btonyh5878 just because someone likes it
at this point Nathan is just on a one-man mission to get everyone to appreciate everything and it's beautiful man
fr that's why I love watching him so much, learnin to appreciate much more
Just brilliant. Nathan makes video after video of the best media commentary on YT.
shut up nerd go do some math or something xD
Big agree John and or Hank or..Jank?
I started watching Nathan because John recommended one of his videos, so glad I did.
o shit waddup!
The green bois always recommending the best underrated creators. Freakin’ wheezywaiter, vihart, Nathan and the list goes on. Y’all got impeccable taste, man
"We get it, you're not like other girls" caught me so off guard lol
Literally, LOL
I seriously can’t with that annoying saying 😅
@@CarlyneDTQTonPod I’m assuming you aren’t like the other girls then
How I Met Your Mother, my favorite sitcom of all time, has the most unintrusive laugh track. I can't imagine the show without it.
My fav show too. I watch it twice a year tbh
It’s the best and I’ve never been bothered or taken out of the show because of the laugh track.
I don't want to admit this but the "hee hee hee" was actually endearing enough seasons in lol
i was actually just about to mention this. one of my favorite shows of all times
I came to comment that this is my favorite as well. I understand why people were disappointed with the ending, but I still really love watching it all these years later.
I think a big aspect of why laugh tracks have died out is because when the TV was first popularized, people were used to watching and experiencing comedy communally with others ,so the laugh track would immerse people more into the reality of how they experience comedy. Our younger generation ,however, are much more used to experiencing comedy ... Alone , on their phone or their couch etc, so the laugh track would just be taking them out of the immersion . Idk if I'm making sense but yea :9
100%
2:36, omg the "hee hee hee" guy annoys me so much and I thought I was going crazy cause no one else ever mentioned it. I'm glad you brought it to light, Nathan.
ikr
I hate that I knew who he was talking about before playing the track
either he or someone similar is on friends and it's the whole reason i've moved away from laugh tracks
literally my favourite show ever, i can't believe Nathan did this to me :'(
eric andre does it the best with that one guy that goes yeeeEEEAAHHH
you're wrong for that lion king laugh track clip
Yooo. I love your vids. You actually care about people with little budget who just wants to play a pc game.
“What I’m not gonna do is math”
* Five minutes later *
“IF YOU DIVIDE A HOUSE BY TWO IT CANT STAND ON ITS OWN”
Well he's good, that atrocity of a statement can't be considered math
Queue the laugh track
@@john2k22 Dude you're killing me hahahahaha
Nathan quoted the Bible and only 1% of people will deep it 😂😂
My man got caught slippin
I had a weird thing with laugh tracks when I was younger. You know how a lot of people learn to laugh politely on cue in casual conversation? One day, I caught myself doing this to a friggin laugh-tracked sitcom in an otherwise empty room. It made me want to examine my life and why I was so anxious or whatever to avoid offending a non-sentient concept.
Instinct… you’re just too polite.
It ain't that deep bro
Of course Drew bought the hoodie, he's GOODENough
Fricken brilliant
Ayyyyyyy
nice
You. I like you.
This had so many valid points. That's wild. I never disliked laugh tracks, but I love seeing you dive into exactly WHY some shows need laugh tracks and others don't.
Terrible video, I couldn't stop looking at my nose
Haha
*Insert’s a laugh track*
God, same, 0/10 cancel the man
didn't work with me because i just noticed the frame of my glasses
this comment would work better with a laugh track tbh
HIMYM is far from the only sitcom using the "HEE HEE HEE" clip. I remember noticing that as a kid watching Drake and Josh and iCarly.
Nathan’s content has legit had the biggest glow up of the past decade
Nah man he's always been good he just somehow keeps getting better!!
@@ChristopherBletzinger oh yeah man no denying that but going from who he was to who he is now, it’s a madness!
He’s always been good and as you said, it’s been a whole decade - practice makes perfect!
@@RichardBatemanMusic 4 sho 🤙
He was already so good in 2015 and he's gotten even better. All hits
That 70’s Show hits the nail on the head when it comes to well used laugh tracks
this dude still going on a good video streak.
Don’t jinx it bro 😭
HE DONT MISS
We got like 7 years worth of videos now
i done jinxed it. 😔
Love your work Nathan Zed, very cool. I've said it before and I'll say it again, laugh tracks haven't gone anywhere, they just sound different. A pause in music paired with a quick zoom in on a UA-cam video are no different.
exactly! that's why i never got it when people pointed at the office as an example of the quintessential show without a laugh track, because jim looking into the camera serves the exact same purpose as one!
@@kitchensinkchronicles3272 but the zoom in is less annoying to me
@@zoehuwi4586 🙂 it's alright for you to feel that , i guess
this guy is like the opposite of a typical commentary channel, as in he tends to defend things that are almost unanimously disliked
i like it 👍
Same I like that he's a devil's advocate of sorts
I'm not like other channels 👉🏻👈🏻
And 9/10 times convinces me to agree with him 😂
i can easily binge his videos for hours
@@letsparchmentitupyo7566 same, already have
As a non-english speaker, laugh tracks really help me understand the joke. I watched The Office once, and it's reaaly hard to find the joke, i gotta rewind everytime i miss the joke
how did you understood the joke by a laugh track,is it because there is a laugh track i am supposed to laugh now but it doesn't make you understand the joke right?
Tf kind of logic is that?
@@jaswant1559 what he means is that because of his lack of knowledge of comedy in western media it helps him differentiate with what is suposed to be a joke and what is not. but is it a good thing im 50/50 on that
@@johankoreviews5424 oh i didn't look in that perspective. Now i get it, thanks mate.But being able to differentiate whether its a joke or not doesn't mean you get the point of the joke.sure i agree with you laugh track gives you potential to understand the joke.
I'm also a non-native english speaker and I think that he was saying that when you hear a laugh track you realise that there was a joke there and it helps you to think twice about what was said and then get the joke. I hope it made sense
Yeah laugh tracks aren’t inherently bad. It’s just when the show uses a laugh track to disguise the fact that the jokes really aren’t all that funny.
It’s a simple as that.
On one hand I agree, on another I keep thinking about how context and delivery can make or break a joke. So if the laugh track is part of the delivery, is it really masking that the jokes aren't all that funny or is it actually making thsm funnier? (Together with the context of knowing the characters, ig)
@@essennagerry some jokes depend on audience reaction for pacing, so laugh tracks can help with that pacing.
I like Friends and i'm sick and tired of hiding it, thank you Nathan for inspiring the future generations
Why do you have to hide liking the MOST popular tv show of all time??
@@adeshkantha7034 I don’t lol
It’s like going to a stand up and y’all laugh together. Watching a stand up and not hearing the audience is kinda weird tbh the real laughter make everything so much funnier
The comment about having to know the characters to fully understand the show’s emotion was really good. **Spoilers** I recently finished the last episode of the Big Bang Theory, and seeing Sheldon finally acknowledge his friends and family’s true worth after degrading them for literal years (along with seeing their pride in being acknowledged) was actually emotional and incredibly satisfying.
Yes same! It was cathartic.
One Day at a Time is so great and a modern show that really benefits from its laugh track. Rita Moreno entering a scene and being fabulous and the whole audience losing it for 20 seconds whilst she revels in it is just glorious.
as a true pbs kid myself, I appreciate you saying "where a kid can be a kid" because I know that subconsciously that came from the chuck e cheese ad that played before every pbs kids show in the early 2000s. I see you Nathan.
Arthur!! 🔥🔥 No laugh track needed. 💯
the goat, love you man
Arthur punching D.W. is still the peak of comedy.
Arthur is the best show ever created
TRUE
@Caleb Mayfield ok and
I actually unironically love friends. I know it's problematic and I recognize how it is and how it has aged but it still makes me laugh and is one of my fond memories watching it.
Same here. I think the vast, vast majority of people talking shit about it are young people who didn't see it when it first aired. Like Nathan perfectly explained it's not going to be funny if you just watch a random clip. And certainly not with the laugh track (*live audience*) cut out. And the audience did have a big influence. If they didn't laugh, the joke was rewritten or cut. And when Chandler/Mon slept together, the reaction was so strong that the writers changed their entire plan of what they were going to do. I don't know why so many people want to compare Friends with the Office. They are completely different shows. I love both.
so I as a Gen Z'ler binged Friends the last few months and I really liked it despite everyone hating it online. It has funny wordplay humor (which also helps me understand english wordplays better) and the characters are likeable enough even tho they are problematic in so many aspects. 100% product of its time but sill, the 90s wouldn't have been the 90s without it
also it's just kind of a fact that a group of 5-6 white ppl is not uncommon at all. even in a diverse city like NYC. besides for being able to afford that nice apartment, the show was realistic in that sense.
Why's it problematic?
Okay I don't like Friends but I never found it problematic. What are you talking about?
I still laughed at the clip of Ross and the trainer lmaoooo
I honestly think no laugh track makes that clip sooo much funnier lol
Malcom in the middle and Everybody hates chris are examples where the jokes are more efficient without having a laugh track.
I like that you included the IT crowd, one of the only British sitcoms past 2000 that had a laugh track and is still really funny.
Shame the guy who made it is a TERF.
Miranda is still funny and it had a laugh track
@@GaiashKetoji yeah it really depressed me, still love the show, just another one where I have to separate the creator from the content 😞
For me, the difference with The IT Crowd is that it's filmed in front of a live studio audience, so the laughter is far more realistic than a laugh track that was edited in. The laughter naturally ebbs and flows with the jokes on its own. When the immersion is broken by laughter, you're sitting in the audience enjoying a comedy show, not sitting in an editor's room trying to get the laugh clips to line up just right (if that makes sense.)
@@JustKenzaaa very true! Forgot about Miranda! A close second.
oh my god yes the "hee hee hee" guy in how i met your mother's laugh track is always so funny to me. nice to see someone else talking about it
I genuinely don’t notice if a show has laugh tracks or not, unless someone points it out to me. I don’t know if my brain just registers it as normal ambient noise for shows since i grew up watching some of the shows mentioned at the beginning, but yeah i genuinely don’t notice them 90% of the time.
Same! Even when I'm made aware of a show using laugh tracks, the next time I watch it, it still doesn't register for me maybe because I'm just genuinely enjoying what I'm watching.
@@Udontkno7 I mean, we all have our tastes lol. Friends happens to be my favorite show to watch because of how funny I think it is. Mostly it's just Matthew Perry for me. 🤷🏾♀️
I was about to agree on Seinfeld, but I never gave it a legit chance and watched it because of how high a pedestal people put it on. So, I can't comment.
omgggg samee!
same! i usually never notice it
Usually I'll be annoyed by it for 3 episodes, then it'll suddenly disappear, like a tiny splotch on a pair of glasses in a dim room.
I hate how it’s a trend to hate friends nowadays just because it’s huge
i dislike friends just because it ripped off living single
@Vancla living single is a black sitcom from 1993 about 6 friends living in a new york city brownstone apartment. a guy at nbc tried to buy living single but the creators said no, so he made his own in 1994 and it ended up being more successful.
I've always disliked Friends because I don't like most of the characters
@@IsaUrameshi Friends was more successful then like every show ever created except for seinfeld. living single went on for 5 seasons. it was a success, friends success doesn't undermine living single. and networks copying popular shows from other networks happens all the time. "girlfriends" was black sex and the city.
@@IsaUrameshi no it wasn't a rip off people that said that are just jealously of friends sucess and they wanna project that to the show, living single don't have ANYTHING TO DO with friends it's like saying family guy is a rip off from Simpsons
Never disrespect Betty White 🔪
The IT Crowd is one of my favorite shows of all-time and I thank you for doing it justice
I agree, it's so good
Nathan that degree paid off. I heard your thesis, arguments and counter arguments... I see your point
I just want to make sure everyone remembers that Fresh Prince was incredible and also did a lot for the black community. That Malcolm X bit always gets me, Uncle Phil speaks with so much power. RIP to a legend James Avery
Awesome video Nathan! I think I'm a laugh track fan; I've noticed that more so this year as those comedic commentary shows like Last Week Tonight have had to go without an audience, and whilst their jokes are still funny, the ambience and feel is noticeably more.. well... dead. And it does suffer for it.
I do get the hate though for laugh tracks, as the worst feeling in the world is that of feeling left out. If a whole audience rolls in the aisles laughing their asses off at a joke and you yourself don't even muster a grin, that is annoying as hell.
This is an interesting perspective! I actually found that with Last Week Tonight in particular, I preferred the show without an audience! I felt that, although it took him a few episodes to get used to the change, once he did I enjoyed both the quicker speed of the jokes and that he was able to cover more material.
I like the point about the ambience. I personally like watching TV with people and laughing with them, and silence makes my laughter feel dumb. But also a very interesting point for feeling left out.
Stuart Little would have been better with a laugh track
“Friends” is my favorite sitcom of all time. However, I have to say, it took me years to discover “Living Single” (and read up on the whole controversy there) and now I feel “Living Single” is up there for me as well :) Also, “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “The Office” (UK and US), “Extras,” “The Ricky Gervais Show” - in conclusion, i think i may like sitcoms a bit too much haha
i appreciate how laugh tracks can help neurodivergent ppl to understand when a joke is happening
yesss a joke will go over my head but once i realize it's usually the funniest shit ever
I think certain shows need a laugh track like you said. It makes sense for Friends to have one because they had a live audience and it came from the era where a live audience was a given. It wouldn’t make sense with a show like the office (because it’s supposed to feel like we’re watching a documentary being filmed in real life) or New Girl because it had that fast paced and awkward humor where a laugh track would just ruin the delivery. Love this video!
The comparison to stand up comedy was needed, and i aint even know friends was actually filmed live
You saw the office the first time on the episode Michael left? I feel so sad for you. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. You've been robbed of an emotional and powerful moment.
Modern Family! A documentary style sitcom that wouldn’t make sense with a laugh track
True
Coz half the jokes are awkward eye contact and body language 😂😂😂
@@CWZimba yep! 😂
One of my favorite sitcoms ever is Miranda and it's absolutely perfect. I wouldn't change I thing! I personally don't mind laugh tracks, but like you said - it's about when and where it's used and also counting that into the delivery, performance and even writing.
Fraiser gets no love but I loved that show. It had a laugh track, it was shot in front of a live audience, it worked.
Nathan is like the Frank Ocean of UA-cam. Disappears and then boom, quality content that we’ll enjoy for ages.
Never knew the hate for laugh tracks was this deep 😂. Honestly I agree with it being used in ways as a comedic tool, and also there is a psychological function of a laugh track, for e.g. there are some things that aren't funny to do in real life in our favourite shows but laugh track can take the defacto emotion and change it to view it in a different light or something we wouldn't usually laugh at normally now seems funnier because it's there. For me though laugh tracks don't ruin the experience of a GOOD show it's like subtle background sound.
The hate doesnt run so deep. The internet just amplifies it so it seems that way
The fact you full on censored you face when you coughed, its shit like that mixed with your stellar analysis of media that makes me love your content so much
"Drew Danny Kurtis or whatever his name is" 😂😂😂
friends and cheers are both just really comforting shows to me,, i get that there's problems with them and i get that the laugh track's annoying at first to a lot of people, but once you get used to it there's just something nice about them
I think everything has its place. Laugh tracks have their place
I really like your channel bc it provides a different perspective. A lot of commentary videos talk about how bad things are, but you come in and are like “hey. Hey hey hey. Now that wasn’t that bad. Maybe even kinda good” I appreciate the different perspectives.
(Also I like Big Bang theory)
The pop culture GOAT strikes once again
dude I was scrolling through the comments and accidentally clicked on your channel
I don't regret it
@@SkylarStJohn-mo4yi bruh THANK YOU the amount of joy this comment brought me is off the CHARTS 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
@@HamzaSayedAli lmaoo of course !! 😂
A laugh track over Mufasa’s death made me feel physically ill... but love the video, if there are no good comedy movies or laugh tracks on shows at least I have your videos to make me chuckle
that 70s show is one of the best shows with a laugh track
pure quality that show
That show is legendary
@@Iffmeister it truly is
I love the first few seasons because I think they had a live audience for some of the tapings, and their reactions made the show all that more funny! Or at least it felt like genuine live audience laughter, maybe it wasn't live 😂 still a great show regardless
really liked what you said about how shows without laughtracks cue you to laugh in different ways! like jim looking at the camera etc. i hadn't thought about that before and i think its so true and also just like interesting to think about how shows without laughtracks try to accomplish the goal of the laughtrack.
nathan: "what's your fav sitcom and does it have a laugh track?"
my mind: *forgets every sitcom I've watch in existence*
The example you used about how laugh tracks help emotional moments hit home harder is the main reason why I love How I Met Your Mother as my favorite sitcom in that regard. I didn’t like the way it dragged and ended but when it came to the emotional moments and episodes, they probably did it best. Almost every season had one and the way they did it: the timing, attention to detail and the silence or choice of music in some cases made the moments last longer in your memory.
Damnit Nathan. Coming in, just being reasonable and non reactionary and shit. Big Bang Theory is still not great though lol
Bruh I despise that show
Pretty much the argument
i personally love laugh tracks and i think the awkwardness between lines when the laugh tracks are removed is very funny
That 70's Show, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, How I Met Your Mother, Malcolm in the Middle, The King of Queens? These are all top tier shows with laugh tracks. Sure plenty of shows use them horribly, and most shows have a few cases where the laughs miss, but to say all laugh track shows are bad? That's too much.
I am glad that i found your channel, u are so naturally funny and u don't force is at all. anyways, i feel as if laugh tracks act is an art. sometimes u watch these shows and the jokes fall flat and could be awkward and the laugh tracks make them actually funny.
shows without laugh tracks are more abstract and imitate life. non-laugh track shows are usually of a satirical show such as Arrested Development, parks and rec and my personal favourite The Office
When I read the title I was like "Nathan you're wrong about this one" then half way through the video I'm like "ok you've convinced me"
The Office and Friends are both my favorite sitcoms and I just don't understand why the laugh track as a single factor bothers people so much.
"if you do it right it can be done well" favorite line nathan, keep it up
Big bang theory is the worst way you can use a laugh track because they would use it all the time for everything
Finally, the Drake and Josh representation I need in my life
The Middle is my #1 favorite sitcom. I've seen every episode multiple times. Each season is currently streaming on Hulu I believe. It doesn't have a laugh track and it doesn't need one. It's super funny and relatable without it.
I adore The Middle!!! It’s funny and has a lot of heart ❤️
The Middle is amazing!
Yes! I think so too!
"If you do it right, it can be done well." -Nathan Zed, 2020
You completely disrupt the UA-cam commentary scene and I love it !! The “watch this bad movie w/ me” videos are getting beyond old. Ty for saving us from the same old same old
Nathan talking about IT Crowd makes me so happy, such a good show. Very underrated!
Yeah I loved the show
Friends is my favorite sitcom of all time, and I completely agree about how you need to know the characters to get the jokes. Watching a clip of Chandler or Ross without knowing who they are will be incredibly jarring for someone who hasn’t seen the show.
Nathan Zed going against the grain, we love to see it!
When you were talking about people not being able to appreciate out of context clips of your favorite shows I FELT that. There was a point in time where I was showing everyone the clip of Tina driving her car into Jimmy's car in an otherwise empty parking lot (from Bob's Burgers) and while I would literally be rolling on the floor every time I saw it, all of my friends were unimpressed.
i like how u talk about the stuff ppl bully others about on twitter
I liked laugh tracks back in their "day" cause it did make me feel -like you expressed so perfectly- like i was joining a laughing group of relaxed friends. i think they can feel "off" if u dont know the show ? like it's forcing the vibe on you
The issue with laugh tracks is that they blatabtly point out every joke so they work best with direct and in your face comedy. Shows like Arrested Development or Community with so much subtle comedy that can easily go over your head gives the viewer (for lack of a better term) "reward" for realising the joke, making them feel clever and good about themselves for catching it which makes them find the joke funnier. This can't really exist with laugh tracks because if you didn't realise the joke the laughter will point it out to you making the humour seem not as clever since you don't feel as special for noticing the joke.
That's just my personal theory, I hope it makes sense and even though I prefer shows without laugh tracks, HIMYM is one of my all-time faves and that has a well used laugh track imo. Favourite sitcom of all time though is Brooklyn 99
Thanks for this!! Personally I love laught tracks most of the times. They makes me feel like I'm watching a show with friends and we are having good time together. Idk maybe that's lame but feeling this comforting company in usually really nice feeling.
I saw you drop a tweet about editing and the next thing I did was switch to UA-cam and see you upload this 13 seconds ago
for sure one of my fav videos of yours DESERVES MORE LIKES
This is a pretty good analysis
Also the IT Crowd is such an underrated show 😭
Another amazing video, I'm so glad you mentioned that some of these sitcoms were actually filmed in front of an audience, no one ever mentions that when they're bashing on laugh tracks.
excellent pairing of "you need a high IQ to understand the office" and the tragic chili clip that hurts too much to watch
YES!! THANK YOU, THIS IS WHAT I'VE WANTED. New favorite channel
Laugh tracks work when the comedy is loose and self aware. Sometimes it even makes it feel like the characters are aware they're in a show, it becomes sort of like a self aware play. that's when it works best. Also how dare you remind me of Dog with a Blog
Man. You were always a great youtuber, but you are getting even better. After Nigahiga stopped making videos, you're straight up #1.
+ smart and insightful
Honestly, loads of laugh track shows are on my comfort list. They're easy to watch without effort, and that's not bad! Someone tells you when to laugh, and if you don't then you still feel positive because you're literally hearing other people (real or track) express happiness. I don't hate it:)
OH MY GOD IT IS NATEEEEE!! I'm happy to be back here.
Also I agree with you on this. It's always been my stance, let the laugh tracks be (where applicable).
The Office is one of my favourite shows. I didn’t even notice it doesn’t have a laugh track 💀
I’m 2 minutes into this video and you’ve already brought up my exact point in favour of laugh tracks, I was obsessed with friends as a kid and the laugh tracks taught me where I was supposed to be laughing & gave me that basic understanding of comedy & comedic timing that allows me to enjoy shows that don’t have laugh tracks like the office now I’m older
Also, fuck it listening to other people laughing makes me more likely to laugh! It’s infectious
2:43 THANK YOUUUU FOR MENTIONING THIS. ITS ON SO MANY SHOWS
The way that you still say what you think no matter how popular the opposite opinion is has inspired me to do commentary videos where I can feel free to speak my mind and not feel like I need to follow what other people think. Thanks man.
“The nanny” and “Family matters” are definitely two of my favorite comfort shows
Thank you! I never though laugh tracks were that bad. Sometimes a show isn't TRYING to be the smartest and newest and chicest thing on TV. Sometimes it's just trying to make you laugh a few times and have a pleasant half-hour. And that is ok!
That 70s show, one of my favorite show.
Also the office, another favorite show.
I discovered you an hour ago and have been watching your videos for an hour now