Early Japanese TV's use of women's laughter

What is it about?

This paper examines how Japanese television came to rely on the live laughter of largely female audiences. I argue that this strategy of courting women's laughter was central to early TV's aim, in Japan, to create and support the image of a national family-like audience around the medium.

Featured Image

Photo by Possessed Photography on Unsplash

Photo by Possessed Photography on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The article provides a granular look at a media history outside of the familiar US-based ones: that of Japanese television. It demonstrates how the sound of laughter and gendered attributes attached to it played a vital, if often unremarked role in that history's development.