In Chuckle, Chortle, Cackle: A Phenomology of Cinematic Laughter, Julian Hanich identifies several types of cinematic laughter. One, “conversion laughter”, involves laughing at something that’s meant to be taken seriously, but is interpreted by viewers as ridiculous and laughable (perhaps for trying too hard). It’s a way of laughing at the people who made the work, but also at the people who are watching it and taking it seriously, as if to signal that the laughers are in some way above their fellow viewers intellectually for finding it funny rather than sad, dramatic, or shocking. Hanich states, “For those high-minded viewers who considered the film worthy of ridicule, a contemplative or emotional response must have been inadequate and quite literally ridiculous. Hence ridiculing the film and its makers by way of laughing could simultaneously imply a degradation of other immersed viewers” (198). He says that the viewers who take on this attitude may ask themselves, “do I want to feel dominated by the film or do I try to dominate it?” (199).
Another type of laughter is known as “comprehension laughter”, and it’s done to signal to others that they are “in on” a joke or a plot device. Essentially, Hanich says, it’s a way of saying, “Wow, look how clever I am!” (200), signaling to unknowing others that there is something to be understood and laughed at, and celebrating with others who have figured out the joke just as they have.
Riverdale is a TV show which started as a somewhat overdramatic, pretty low-quality but not especially unusual teen drama, whose only real gimmick was that it was “based” (in the loosest possible sense of the word) on the Archie comic franchise. It gained a devoted following, mostly of young teenage girls, following its first season; then, the writers made a few too many dumb choices, and suddenly it was considered by many one of the worst shows on television, with its dramatic storylines and the young fans who engaged with them regarded as ridiculous and dumb. It gained popularity as something to be “hatewatched”; essentially, it became the subject of conversion laughter by everyone but its core, devoted audience.
As the seasons went on, the storylines got more absurd as the writers began to lean into the camp; real plots include traveling to an alternate universe, characters returning from the dead, characters gaining superpowers, an organ harvesting cult based inside a high school, multiple serial killers, a high-school age character going back in time and fighting in what appears to be World War I, several incest plotlines, and so much more. It’s almost as if they saw that people weren’t taking their show seriously as they intended, so they decided to make it seem like they’d been “in on” the joke all along (even though the first season was to-the-letter a typical teen drama). The writers and producers of the show were, in a way, engaging in comprehension laughter without actually laughing, but signaling to everyone else that they should be laughing – because that’s what they were doing anyway.
As the plotlines began to escalate in absurdity, the cast was simultaneously signaling their disapproval with the poor quality of the show in interviews where they sarcastically rehashed the plot points and emphasized that they had “no idea what’s going on” — essentially, trying to distance themselves from the conversion laughter. By signaling that they understand how absurd it is and think it’s just as bad as everyone else, they’re “laughing along” with viewers (comprehension laughter or even mimicry laughter) to avoid being the butt of the joke.
Hanich, Julian. 2017. “CHAPTER 7 Chuckle, Chortle, Cackle: A Phenomenology of Cinematic Laughter.” Edinburgh University Press EBooks, November, 187–216. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781474414968-010.
A scene from when it was still trying to be taken seriously (keyword: trying):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aQcN74to6A
A scene from after they’d fully leaned into the absurdity:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fLU6n385ew
I couldn’t find a compilation without really annoying edits, sorry:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=4wgRY3xsXg8&t=40s
I really like the analysis of Riverdale in highlighting the fact that the writers/producers tried to react to the conversion laughter with comprehension or mimicry laughter! That’s such a helpful illustration of the types outlined in the reading.
I think Riverdale is a brilliant example of conversion laughter!! There has been a real sense in recent years (basically ever since season 2) that the show is a source of ridicule and absurdity which you illustrate aligns very well with Hanich’s conversion laughter. I also really like how you highlight the actors engaging in comprehension laughter in interviews as they attempt to acknowledge the absurdity and distance themselves from the ridicule- this was a great point!