Audience laughter has been a staple of radio and television comedy for decades, where recorded or live studio crowds signalled to listeners at home that a joke had landed. As short-form video and meme editing grew, creators began lifting the same kind of crowd reaction out of its broadcast context and using it as a standalone effect. Today it appears in reaction videos, parody sketches and gaming clips whenever a creator wants an instant, recognisable cue that something is supposed to be funny, without needing any dialogue or explanation.