Laugh tracks have been part of television comedy since the early days of filmed sitcoms, when studios added audience reactions to jokes to help viewers at home feel part of a shared performance. Over time the sound became shorthand for classic TV humour itself, instantly recognisable even outside its original shows. Online, creators lifted the effect from sitcoms and reused it in memes, edits and short videos, where it now works as an ironic or nostalgic cue that a moment is supposed to be funny.