The live audience is ruining the show
Gary
the show almost unwatchable! It sounds so fake. Is it just a laugh-
track, or do they now have applause signs going off every second?
Compare it to 5 years ago. It wasn't always this intrusive or
annoying. Please make it stop!
Gary
Crash Bandicoot
The audience is primed so much before the show that this is the result.
I attended a taping a few weeks ago, and you would think that they had
no faith whatsoever in the material they were about to present.
We were told over and over and over how important it was to laugh,
even if we weren't "sure" if a joke was funny or not.
We were reminded that Dave only pulls out his best material if the
audience laughs a lot, and that he "feeds" off of our energy.
As you enter the theater, there is loud rock music blaring, and the
pages stand at the front of the stage and clap to the beat,
encouraging the audience to clap along.
By the time the show actually begins, it's as though everyone in the
audience has drank 10 Redbulls.
garyc...@gmail.com
wrote:
That was my experience, too. They overdo the prompting and it sounds
unnatural. Of course, when you have lame material like "Fun Facts,"
you'd probably better goose things.
Gary
Actually, lately during the first few "Fun Facts", which aren't even
supposed to be funny, the audience is laughing uproarisly.
Gary
Crash Bandicoot
> That was my experience, too. They overdo the prompting and it sounds
> unnatural. Of course, when you have lame material like "Fun Facts,"
> you'd probably better goose things.
Yeah, but now back to talking about "Jeopardy!"
:(
randwill
"Gary" <garycolin...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:bf277981-0b77-4a4f...@s37g2000prg.googlegroups.com...
I mentioned in another thread that it was particularly noticeable that the
audience was laughing inappropriately during Brian Williams' recent spot.
Steve Curtis
>Actually, lately during the first few "Fun
>Facts", which aren't even supposed to be
>funny, the audience is laughing
>uproarisly.
The audience laughter shows in part that they're having fun in a shared
experience, hence the bit title appropriately named, "Fun Facts."
Gary
Well the first few facts that Dave reads are normally actual facts
that aren't really supposed to be funny. Then on around the fourth
fact they are made-up and are funny. I actually enjoy this bit. But
for me the laughter I hear from the audience is now worthless. Pity
the show feels it needs fake laughter.
Gary
Donz5
How is the laughter fake?
Steve Curtis
>Gary wrote:
>>(Steve Curtis) wrote:
>>>"Gary" wrote:
>>>>Actually, lately during the first few
>>>>"Fun Facts", which aren't even
>>>>supposed to be funny, the audience
>>>>is laughing uproarisly.
>>>The audience laughter shows in part
>>>that they're having fun in a shared
>>>experience, hence the bit title
>>>appropriately named, "Fun Facts."
>>Well the first few facts that Dave reads
>>are normally actual facts that aren't
>>really supposed to be funny. Then on
>>around the fourth fact they are made-up
>>and are funny. I actually enjoy this bit.
>>But for me the laughter I hear from the
>>audience is now worthless. Pity the
>>show feels it needs fake laughter.
>>Gary
>How is the laughter fake?
The laughter is real, the show's need for pity is fake.
Bill Kawalec
<garyc...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:a28096e7-ace8-4e4d...@d45g2000hsc.googlegroups.com...
*******************
I like the Fun Facts.
Gary
Fake is probably the wrong word. Forced, I should have said. The
laughter is too forced, and doesn't sound natural.
No, sorry, it is fake. That is the correct word. I fake laughter
sometimes. When somebody says something that's meant to be funny, I
fake laughter out of politeness.
Anyway, Dave doesn't need this.
Gary
Donz5
If you get the chance, go see the show, live, in the audience. I think
you may be surprised how quickly you'll get swept up in the mass
behavior of a large crowd.
Crash Bandicoot
> If you get the chance, go see the show, live, in the audience. I think
> you may be surprised how quickly you'll get swept up in the mass
> behavior of a large crowd.
By that logic, if the audience started booing, would that be ok, too?
Gary
I've been to the show 3 times. And I know what you mean about how
exciting it can be to see it live, and be willing to laugh. That was
almost ten years ago, but I don't remember laughing at things that
weren't meant to be funny. I know the pages have always encouraged the
audience to laugh, but it just seems to be out of control in the last
year.
Gary
Crash Bandicoot
>
> I've been to the show 3 times. And I know what you mean about how
> exciting it can be to see it live, and be willing to laugh. That was
> almost ten years ago, but I don't remember laughing at things that
> weren't meant to be funny. I know the pages have always encouraged the
> audience to laugh, but it just seems to be out of control in the last
> year.
>
> Gary
I've gone about eight times, including a few tapings of "Late Night" at
NBC. The audience priming really stepped up after Sept 11th,
and seems to either increase or decrease dependent on who the guests are
on that particular night. If the guest roster is not exactly "A" list,
then the pages go into triple overtime trying to pump up the audience.
No, it's not illegal, but it is a little bit forced.
Donz5
wrote:
It has nothing to do with logic or what's "ok" but rather what
typically and naturally happens in a mass-audience environment.
And yes: the audience _has_ booed in certain circumstances -- Bill
O'Reilly comes to mind.
boston...@yahoo.com
wrote:
I havent noticed a difference in the pre-show lobby speech before or
after Sept 11th. The routine has pretty much stayed the same.
My experiences have been that the audience hardly know who the guest
is before standing in line. The old Late Night audience was there to
see Dave not just for the sake of seeing a TV taping.
Crash Bandicoot
> I havent noticed a difference in the pre-show lobby speech before or
> after Sept 11th. The routine has pretty much stayed the same.
> My experiences have been that the audience hardly know who the guest
> is before standing in line. The old Late Night audience was there to
> see Dave not just for the sake of seeing a TV taping.
You're missing my point; the quality of the guests is what makes the
*staff* panic about the show not being funny enough; thus they step up
the priming accordingly. If they've got Steve Martin then they leave
well enough alone, but if they've got John Witherspoon, it's Code Red.
The other thing that is somewhat annoying are the threats;
"There's much more material in each show then Dave can possible use. If
you don't laugh, laugh, laugh then Dave wont do his best comedy bits.
He'll save them for another audience!"
Donz5
wrote:
> bostonbil...@yahoo.com wrote:
> > I havent noticed a difference in the pre-show lobby speech before or
> > after Sept 11th. The routine has pretty much stayed the same.
> > My experiences have been that the audience hardly know who the guest
> > is before standing in line. The old Late Night audience was there to
> > see Dave not just for the sake of seeing a TV taping.
>
> You're missing my point; the quality of the guests is what makes the
> *staff* panic about the show not being funny enough; thus they step up
> the priming accordingly. If they've got Steve Martin then they leave
> well enough alone, but if they've got John Witherspoon, it's Code Red.
It's an interesting theory, but I'd like to see actual data to
substantiate it somewhat.
>
> The other thing that is somewhat annoying are the threats;
> "There's much more material in each show then Dave can possible use. If
> you don't laugh, laugh, laugh then Dave wont do his best comedy bits.
> He'll save them for another audience!"
You're taking these "threats" seriously? They're meant to warm up the
crowd is all.
boston...@yahoo.com
wrote:
Im not missing your point, im disagreeing with it. I have been to the
Ed almost 20 times with both "A" and "B" list celebs. I fail to see
the difference in the pages behavior. I have seen scripts and there
is other material that doesnt make the cut but who knows if it's based
on audience reaction.
Bill
Steve Curtis
>>How is the laughter fake?
>Fake is probably the wrong word.
>Forced, I should have said. The laughter
>is too forced, and doesn't sound natural.
>No, sorry, it is fake. That is the correct
>word. I fake laughter sometimes. When
>somebody says something that's meant
>to be funny, I fake laughter out of
>politeness.
>Anyway, Dave doesn't need this.
>Gary
Dave has at times acknowledged by what is perceived as unnecessary
audience laughter during bombed monologue jokes and at other times by
offering a comment such as: "No no, that's not necessary" which gets
laughs in and of itself. It's all part of the crowd enthusiasm. It's odd
that it seems to bother you.
Gary
Yes Dave does wonder sometimes why the audience is laughing for no
reason, and I love when he does that. But my point here is that the
audience is now doing this on a regular basis: Laughing and clapping
at nothing. I'm really surprised that some of the regulars here aren't
willing to admit that this trend does exist. I still love Dave and I
love the show, but the live audience's reaction to the show is
irritating me a small bit. Clapping and laughing non-stop!
Gary
Crash Bandicoot
> Yes Dave does wonder sometimes why the audience is laughing for no
> reason, and I love when he does that. But my point here is that the
> audience is now doing this on a regular basis: Laughing and clapping
> at nothing. I'm really surprised that some of the regulars here aren't
> willing to admit that this trend does exist. I still love Dave and I
> love the show, but the live audience's reaction to the show is
> irritating me a small bit. Clapping and laughing non-stop!
>
> Gary
There are some folks here who wear blinders when it comes to
acknowledging the show has *any* faults.
Personally, I have no reason to be a kiss-ass or a brown-nose.
The show is a favorite of mine, warts and all.
This is a *discussion* group, yet some people will shoot down the most
obvious of criticisms and then argue that watching the wax dry on the
stage of the Ed Sullivan is a laugh riot.
Let's keep it real...the show has faults and the audience
being way "over-primed" is one of them. It's one step short of a laugh
track.
Traci
This "trend" as you are calling it has been going on since LS moved to
CBS. It's nothing new. And while I rather enjoyed the stony silence
often present in the LN audiences, mostly because it inspired Dave to
say and do some hilarious shit, LS is an entirely different animal with
a different kind of fan base.
Does it aggravate me as a long time viewer? Hell yes. But it aggravates
me on ALL the live shows. And after having been to dozens of tapings of
TDS, Comedy Central Presents, LS, and a few game shows, I can tell you
that every audience gets the same prep speech...'laugh even if you're
not sure it's funny.'
Traci
Alan Page
"Traci" wrote...
> Does it aggravate me as a long time viewer? Hell yes. But it aggravates
> me on ALL the live shows. And after having been to dozens of tapings of
> TDS, Comedy Central Presents, LS, and a few game shows, I can tell you
> that every audience gets the same prep speech...'laugh even if you're
> not sure it's funny.'
I thought tonight's live game was quite a show.
I'm laughing.
--
Alan (Ducking...but then...I've been ducking for the past 2 weeks)
~WWWWW~
What a Wonderful Web We Weave
DTSmith
In that case, Craig Ferguson's show must just drive you nuts.
Donz5
wrote:
I've gotten pretty tired of this old canard. You offer an argument,
and others, just as knowledgeable as you, happen to disagree. Don't
insult everyone's intelligence by reverting to the old tried-and-true
"blinders" and "brown-nose" bs.
And save the strawman crap for another newsgroup; no one here has
"argue[d] that watching the wax dry on the stage of the Ed Sullivan is
a laugh riot." You forfeit any claim of civility by stooping to this
nonsense.
As Traci wrote, prepping the audience is as new as 1993. And as
bostonbill wrote, the prepping, in his experience, has been no
different, whether the guests are A- or D-list.
So let's keep it real indeed, and stop getting so goddamn defensive
when your claims go challenged.
Crash Bandicoot
\
>
> I've gotten pretty tired of this old canard. You offer an argument,
> and others, just as knowledgeable as you, happen to disagree. Don't
> insult everyone's intelligence by reverting to the old tried-and-true
> "blinders" and "brown-nose" bs.
>
> And save the strawman crap for another newsgroup; no one here has
> "argue[d] that watching the wax dry on the stage of the Ed Sullivan is
> a laugh riot." You forfeit any claim of civility by stooping to this
> nonsense.
>
> As Traci wrote, prepping the audience is as new as 1993. And as
> bostonbill wrote, the prepping, in his experience, has been no
> different, whether the guests are A- or D-list.
>
> So let's keep it real indeed, and stop getting so goddamn defensive
> when your claims go challenged.
Seems to me that *you're* the most defensive person in this newsgroup.
With you it's either praise Dave or be gone... I've seen it so often
from your camp.
If you love the facetious and over-the-top audience response (regardless
of whether the joke is funny or not), then I suppose we both happen to
enjoy the same show while having incredibly different taste about why it
sucks sometimes.
I guess you like the canned laughter on "M*A*S*H", too?
Donz5
wrote:
> Donz5 wrote:
>
> \
>
>
>
>
>
> > I've gotten pretty tired of this old canard. You offer an argument,
> > and others, just as knowledgeable as you, happen to disagree. Don't
> > insult everyone's intelligence by reverting to the old tried-and-true
> > "blinders" and "brown-nose" bs.
>
> > And save the strawman crap for another newsgroup; no one here has
> > "argue[d] that watching the wax dry on the stage of the Ed Sullivan is
> > a laugh riot." You forfeit any claim of civility by stooping to this
> > nonsense.
>
> > As Traci wrote, prepping the audience is as new as 1993. And as
> > bostonbill wrote, the prepping, in his experience, has been no
> > different, whether the guests are A- or D-list.
>
> > So let's keep it real indeed, and stop getting so goddamn defensive
> > when your claims go challenged.
>
> Seems to me that *you're* the most defensive person in this newsgroup.
> With you it's either praise Dave or be gone... I've seen it so often
> from your camp.
More strawman -- nowhere have I even hinted at such an attitude.
>
> If you love the facetious and over-the-top audience response (regardless
> of whether the joke is funny or not), then I suppose we both happen to
> enjoy the same show while having incredibly different taste about why it
> sucks sometimes.
And yet more strawman -- nowhere have I ever suggested that I "love
the facetious and over-the-top audience response."
>
> I guess you like the canned laughter on "M*A*S*H", too?
You seem to be making a lot of wrong and presumptuous guesses in this
thread.
Crash Bandicoot
Do you like the audience on steroids or do you not?
Stop pussyfooting around the issue, cowering in fear that you may offend
someone from the staff who frequents this love-fest.
Donz5
Your bombastic approach to argument is effective only in your mind,
Crash. Tone it down a notch, and then perhaps we can have a more
civilized discussion.
boston...@yahoo.com
wrote:
Thats right lets keep it real, If you post something dont expect
everyone to agree with it. If you've read other's trip reports over
the years the audience prep does annoy people. I hate when someone
brings up a reasonable counter-point and it gets shot down as a suck-
up attempt.
Sorry if YOU cant handle an opposing opinion from someone who has been
to the show numerous times.
Bill
Tony Linguini
On 29-Mar-2008, Traci <hoosie...@nospamyahoo.com> wrote:
> Does it aggravate me as a long time viewer? Hell yes. But it aggravates
> me on ALL the live shows. And after having been to dozens of tapings of
> TDS, Comedy Central Presents, LS, and a few game shows, I can tell you
> that every audience gets the same prep speech...'laugh even if you're
> not sure it's funny.'
The quote at the end brought to mind the episode where Michael Richards
apologized via satellite for his racist rant, and Jerry Seinfeld said "Stop
laughing, it's not funny." I wasn't sure if the audience actually thought
Richards was kidding, or if they were just laughing like they were told to
do.
Donz5
I doubt there were many people in the audience who were up-to-date on
the Richards controversy. Remember that many were on vacation, not
paying all that much attention to the news. So they didn't realize
that Richards' apology wasn't part of a comedy bit.
Traci
That was a weird segment. Richards trying to be contrite, Seinfeld
scolding the audience like a Jr. high school school principal, the
audience clueless and Dave looking more and more uncomfortable.
And I DO think the audience prep led to the scattered laughter during
that segment.
Traci
Gary
I know I've spent this tread giving out about the audience on the show
lately, but I found the laugher during the Richards segment to be
kinda understandable because, as Donz said, most of the audience
wouldn't have been up to date with the news, plus Kramer was always a
funny looking guy that could often provoke laughter without saying
anything. That night I think some people just laughed when they saw
him.
All I'm trying to say is, after I was watched an old show from 10
years ago, there just wasn't the same level of audience noise as there
is now. I understand perfectly there was a big difference after the
move from NBC to CBS. But it just seems to me that they've ramped it
up another few notches in the last year or two.
Gary
Tom W
>
> All I'm trying to say is, after I was watched an old show from 10
> years ago, there just wasn't the same level of audience noise as there
> is now. I understand perfectly there was a big difference after the
> move from NBC to CBS. But it just seems to me that they've ramped it
> up another few notches in the last year or two.
But there's no mechanism to ramp it up. Maybe there's a change in the pacing and
the audience senses punch lines even if they aren't there. Any given audience
isn't going to come in the theater with the knowledge of how an audience behaved
10 years ago and knowingly behave differently.
Tom W
Crash Bandicoot
> But there's no mechanism to ramp it up. Maybe there's a change in the
> pacing and the audience senses punch lines even if they aren't there.
> Any given audience isn't going to come in the theater with the knowledge
> of how an audience behaved 10 years ago and knowingly behave differently.
>
> Tom W
They are only following orders, and the pressure to laugh comes from the
pages. It's laid on thick; with not-so-subtle warnings that they'll be
"punished" if they don't laugh because Dave will pull the best comedy
bits and use them for another, more appreciative audience.
Donz5
wrote:
And, again, you take these "warnings" seriously?
Kath
wrote:
I think when there is a zinger and it's particularly hard joke on
someone, the audience responds honestly with sounds of disagreement
etc. I don't think the audience response is as programmed as you see
it.
Kath
Westerner99
my $0.02...it is not the laughter at things that don't seem funny
because, as Donz pointed out, the group think/pressure "thing" comes
into play. How often do you laugh out loud when watching something by
yourself? But when others are in the room, laughter ensues.
The distracting thing for me during tapings (LS, TDS, etc) is the
incessant clapping that occurs after jokes. It is almost done to fill
the silence either when laughter is absent or as the laughter
subsides. The clapping is sometimes prompted...but kind of takes me
out of the rhythm of the jokes.
"Something from the meat case, Linda?"
dsi...@yahoo.com
> I know I'm late to this particular party (thread), but wanted to add
> my $0.02...it is not the laughter at things that don't seem funny
> because, as Donz pointed out, the group think/pressure "thing" comes
> into play. How often do you laugh out loud when watching something by
> yourself? But when others are in the room, laughter ensues.
The wife and I went to a taping a few years ago and she deliberately
made with her phony laugh throughout the show, arguing "if they want
laughter, I'll give 'em laughter."
Personally, I want to know when appleause became a substitute for
laughter.
--Dave Sikula
Wiseguy
b865-547...@i7g2000prf.googlegroups.com:
At first glance, I thought you wrote "applesauce."
--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com
R H Draney
>
>On Mar 30, 8:08=A0pm, Westerner99 <westerne...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>> I know I'm late to this particular party (thread), but wanted to add
>> my $0.02...it is not the laughter at things that don't seem funny
>> because, as Donz pointed out, the group think/pressure "thing" comes
>> yourself? =A0But when others are in the room, laughter ensues.
>
>The wife and I went to a taping a few years ago and she deliberately
>made with her phony laugh throughout the show, arguing "if they want
>laughter, I'll give 'em laughter."
>
>Personally, I want to know when appleause became a substitute for
>laughter.
I'm trying to remember which movie it was where Jerry Lewis, somehow blundering
onto the set of a TV show, discovers that the audience will applaud whenever he
mentions the name of a town or city....r
--
What good is being an executive if you never get to execute anyone?
boston...@yahoo.com
The pages do nothing during the course of the actual show. I just dont
buy your theory. As an audience member Im sitting there thinking what
a page told me 20 minutes ago that I had better laugh.
Bill
boston...@yahoo.com
>
> - Show quoted text -
Oops my bad. It should have been Im not thinking about what the page
says.
Traci
> Personally, I want to know when appleause became a substitute for
> laughter.
Thank you!
Goddamn I get so fucking annoyed at comedy shows when people clap after
a joke. STOP IT! You don't have to clap at every goddamn thing you
recognize or agree with! It's annoying and throws a lot of comics,
especially those less experienced, off rhythm. Laugh, but stop with the
incessant clapping. Sheesh....
Traci
Gary
> dsik...@yahoo.com says...
Yes, I think its the clapping, more than the laughing, that is doing
my head in!
Gary
Sally
I think George W is also doing our heads in, clapping
notwithstanding. I also must opine that Craig Ferguson's canned
laughter sound is amazingly distracting and unnecessary, unless the
audience is given tranquilizers before the show. He's funny enough so
that he doesn't need the phony laff track. At least, I hope it's a
phony laff track. If it's the real thing, maybe my ears have become
jaded.
S.
DTSmith
I also must opine that Craig Ferguson's canned
> laughter sound is amazingly distracting and unnecessary, unless the
> audience is given tranquilizers before the show. He's funny enough so
> that he doesn't need the phony laff track. At least, I hope it's a
> phony laff track. If it's the real thing, maybe my ears have become
> jaded.
>
Crash Bandicoot
So to sum up, the audience over-laughs,
but it's all okay because they're caught up
in a group mentality.
In fact, most evenings as the audience disperses out onto 53rd St,
they usually break into mass riots, turning cars over and burning down
the "Hello Deli".
The End.
Steve Curtis
>So to sum up, the audience over-laughs,
>but it's all okay because they're caught
>up in a group mentality.
>In fact, most evenings as the audience
>disperses out onto 53rd St, they usually
>break into mass riots, turning cars over
>and burning down the "Hello Deli".
>The End.
"In fact"? When has that ever happened? How many times has Rupert Jee
had to rebuild the Hello Deli?
R H Draney
Twice...oddly enough, in the same week....
Okay, actually he just had to replace the plate-glass window....r
Sally
They could and would very easily. Those cut-away shots to the audience
are brief, and they could show an audience laughing and still use
canned laughter. COLUMBO always had stories on about how tapes can be
edited, spliced and manipulated. I'm saying it SOUNDS like canned
laughter. And yes, again, they could do both. Look how Dave makes
President Bush seem to be faltering all the time. I'm
kidding...kidding. He is faltering all the time.
Still, tapes can be rigged. I love Peter LaSally, producer of Craig's
show, but the audience laughter sounds oddly unnatural to me. Btw,
Craig is obsessed with sex, in case nobody else notices how often he
says, "We can always cut that part out," when he says something a bit
hairy.
S.
Wiseguy
news:5da504e0-047d-4818...@y24g2000hsd.googlegroups.com:
I thought you were being sarcastic.