Canned audience laughter became a staple of American television in the 1950s, when sound engineer Charley Douglass created the Laff Box to sweeten sitcoms recorded without a live studio audience. Producers used short bursts like this one to cue viewers at home when to laugh and to smooth edits between takes. The technique spread through decades of comedy shows, variety programs, and later radio and podcasts. Online, creators revived the 2-second laugh as a meme editing tool, using its instant recognition to mark jokes, irony, and cringe moments.