Is that laughter real? asked Noi just now from the kitchen where she was preparing dinner, in relation to a Malay comedy programme that I wasn't really watching. I knew immediately what she meant. There was something very artificial about the reactions of the non-existent studio audience. Yes, canned laughter, and done very badly. Which is particularly odd since, as far as I can remember, Malay variety shows of this ilk don't make use of it, at least, not nowadays.
In fact, part of the enjoyment of this kind of show is the very distinct quality of the audience response - often raucous, and over-the-top in a likably extreme sort of way. The sound of people having a genuinely uncomplicatedly good time. The performances call for it being profoundly unsubtle, something akin to the healthily daft traditions of English Music Hall of the old days or panto as it is now, and ever was.
The actual show, entitled J.K.K., I think, looked quite well done, but the falsity of the laughter made it close to unwatchable, at least for me, when I finally gave it a bit of attention. Must say, I was puzzled as to why an actual studio audience wasn't involved. I suppose they saved some money somehow, but at quite a cost, or so it seemed to me.
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