An actor laughing while on live television is a phenomenon in which an actor laughs at the joke which is being performed as the audience is meant to. On Saturday Night Live, this is a common but unintentional occurrence. The phrase “breaking” is used to describe this, it is a reference to the actor breaking character to laugh at what is being performed. This type of laughter is described in Julian Hanich’s article as “Laughter-laughter”. Although he is referring to live laughter in a cinema specifically, his rationale applies equally well to the sensation of reacting to character breaking on live television.
On SNL, when a character “breaks” it results in a response of laughter from the audience no matter the reception of the sketch as a whole. This has positive and negative implications. The positive one is laughter which comes from the audience member who is witnessing something which is unintentional. Hanich writes the viewers “feel entitled to respond to the amusing laughter – or cannot help but react to it – laughing themselves.” (203) As the show’s main objective is to foster this amusing laughter, breaking can be seen as a good thing. In the show’s recurring bit of “Stefon,” John Mulaney, writer of the sketch, claims to have added jokes between the dress rehearsal and the live taping of the show in order to make Bill Hader laugh. If Laughter-laughter was averse to the goal of the show, Mulaney would not have done this. In the sketch, Hader would cover his mouth with his hands in a specific way to hide his laughter and remain in character. This reaction became one of the defining characteristics of Stefon.
https://youtu.be/_C14eXiZQWo?si=dKSYblfnz0TnnslX
In 30 Rock, a show written by former SNL head writer Tina Fey, this phenomenon is made fun of, emphasizing the negative undertone. Tracy Jordan learns about “breaking” and is set on doing it in the show. This is seen as a negative by Fey’s character, Liz Lemon, because it takes away from the integrity of the show and disregards the importance of the writing. In this instance, Jordan’s breaking is intentional and makes the audience laugh, much to Lemon and Tracy’s co-star Jenna Maroney’s chagrin. This depiction of breaking displays the unprofessional underbelly of the seemingly harmless phenomenon.
https://youtu.be/k4PSr_NUICo?si=oRMWIbsThqCmpRts (6:13-7:17)
No matter where those involved in the show fall on the spectrum of appreciating “breaking,” it is an almost undeniably way of making the audience laugh.
I think this is exactly why blooper reels get so many views on YouTube, or why we rejoice in watching news-anchors mess up on national television. I love that scene from 30 Rock, because it challenges our conceptions of laughter as intentional, or intended.
This is a really interesting look on laughter-laughter responses! I personally think that breaking adds to the comedy of a sketch, especially when within a larger group, because it becomes what is already funny is echoed by the audience and the actors, and then an additional aspect of comedy comes from watching the actors trying to keep it together and not break on stage.
This reminds me of a scene from Nathan for You when Nathan Fielder (whose character is intended to be straight-faced at all times) completely breaks because of something very strange someone said that he was not expecting (a man said he drinks his grandson’s pee). Even though it wasn’t planned, it’s one of my favorite moments because it’s so genuinely shocking and if Nathan hadn’t laughed I may have been too dumbstruck to laugh — it’s the actor breaking character that makes it funny.
This is so interesting; one the one hand breaking makes me laugh because it is just nice to see people having a fun time and of course laughter is contagious, but on the other hand it can also be painful to watch when actors break over something I don’t find funny. It’s great when it happens over a good joke and can be a testimony to good writing, but it feels alienating to an audience if it happens at the wrong moment.
This is so interesting! Laughter-laughter and breaking can so easily be weaponized to save a bad sketch (like Bill Hader and Fred Armisen’s doormen, who absolutely collapse when the sketch starts bombing), but at the same time it’s easy to tell when an actor is trying to force a laugh/break to salvage a sketch. I find it really interesting how SNL is one of very few screen comedy examples that can use breaking to save a bad bit, so I’m glad this got a mention!