Plagiarism & Laugh Tracks

I found the homework passages quite interesting. Plagiarism is a term and concept that is commonly taught and highly stressed upon. It is something I have been familiar with for awhile now. Although this is something I am familiar with, this however does NOT mean that I am 100% completely aware of all cases of plagiarism and all of the ways to avoid such problems. For that reason, I found the plagiarism articles helpful and meaningful to me. However, the article I choose to talk about now is the "Ha ha," he said. "Ha ha." article.

This article was an intriguing article for me because as a fan of any form of comical show on television, laugh tracks have never crossed my mind before. I had never thought about the meaning or thought behind them. I believe that in most cases, laugh tracks are useless and in fact may even make the show less funny. Shows such as "Friends" or "Seinfeld" were never shows that I found humorous. This may be in fact that the jokes were not my type of humor but it may also have been from the cheesy laugh tracks. I am sure that shows such as "Seinfeld" would most likely have been more funny because the humor in it are experiences that we face on a regular day basis. Which in return, creates a more humorous feeling for the viewer because they can relate. Since the jokes are so easily relatable, it is not necessary for laugh tracks. Although, one of my favorite shows ever happens to have a laugh track, ironically. "Everybody Loves Raymond" is a show that I find myself laughing at constantly. As it being a show that I can easily relate to (family issues that are often brought up in the story), I think the reason I ignore the laugh tracks is because the jokes are so strong. I think that if the humor behind the laugh track is strong enough, people will just automatically tune out that cheesy audio.

I also agree with Klosterman about the fact that we laugh all the time. Now, I may be biased because naturally, I find everything funny. By everything, I really mean it. You will constantly find me laughing, whether it is actually funny, slightly funny, or not even funny at all. Another way I can relate is because I find myself not only physically laughing, but also via text messages. I often find myself filling in awkward texting with things like "lol" or "haha" where it is almost never needed. Also, if i find myself smiling or happy about a text, I often place "lol" where most people may place a smiley face or even nothing. Maybe I am just a naturally happy person and find humor in everything, but I could relate to the article. I think for the most part, comedies do not need laugh tracks because if the humor is strong enough, it is not needed. Needless to say, if "Everybody Loves Raymond" would suddenly remove the laugh tracks, I would most likely not even notice and continue to laugh hysterically.

*Included are two videos of some of my favorite comedies. Even though I included a video that has no laugh track, I hope that you still find the jokes humorous and the laugh track easy to ignore.

Everybody Loves Raymond - Sitcom with laugh track (but humor strong and laugh track unnecessary)

East Bound and Down - Sitcom without laugh track (hilarious and DEFINITELY no laugh track needed)

- Natalie

Topic Details

As a future art educator, the topic I chose to expand on is a huge influence on me. The fact that art programs are being excluded more and more everyday is a serious situation that is easily overlooked. To most people, the word "art" means fancy, abstract Picasso paintings or a clunky, weird-looking sculpture outside of a museum. What most people do not realize is that the word "art" applies to all artistic elements such as chorus, band, and of course art classes. When you think about music, it is an art. When you praise your favorite bands or artists, it is not for a random reason. It is because they use notes, rhythms, and lyrics to lure you into their song. They speak to you and help you relate their songs to your personal life. Without music, I am sure we would all have bad days more frequently. Paintings, drawings, and other forms of art have the same effect. The fact that we have so many great artistic options out there to seek, it does not cross our minds that if we cut a simple one or two programs from a school, it will affect our futures. Do you think any artist, music related or craft related became so successful without any form of learning, practice, or class? No. If so, there are very few. Young children and young adults need to always be exposed to this form of self healing we call art. Without these easily removed classes, our world would drastically change.

Possible Questions:

• What makes any other subject more important than art?
• Who makes the decision to cut these programs?
• When parents are already paying to rent instruments, is there really a significant cost of keeping such a class?
• Don't you think it is healthy to give students a chance to use their minds and imaginations to release the everyday tensions of a school day/life?
• By cutting these programs, are we sending out the message to children that artistic occupations are frowned upon or worthless?

I hope to get people to start thinking seriously about these questions. If there is any form of input you would like to add, feel free! :)

-Natalie

Annotated Bibliography

Game, Amanda, and Elizabeth Goring. "Pursuing Innovative Craft On the Value of Learning Through Doing." Metalsmith. 10-11. Print.

The article my professor recommended to read was published in Metalsmith magazine titled "Pursuing Innovative Craft On the Value of Learning Through Doing". This article was written by two Scottish authors that feel that art is getting lost in society now-a-days. It explains how we love to critique art, but we shun the actual process of making it. Such points brought up by this passage makes it clear to people how important art really is. The article talks vaguely about losing the value of craft and art. It would help support facts such as losing art in schools. Some schools cut out art classes to help fund other classes. Although it may be easy to overlook now, it will severely affect us in the future.