What happened to the laugh track? We're sorry, but something went wrong while fetching your podcast feeds. Please contact us at plus@slate.com for help. This episode ...

In the 75 years since it was introduced, the laugh track has conditioned viewers to know when and how much to laugh Some audiences love it, and some audiences hate it, but the laugh track—which ...

For decades, sitcoms ruled mainstream television. Situational comedies appealed to the masses, and using laugh tracks to signal when a punchline was delivered was the norm. In the last 25 years, ...