"He had already picked on me several times for laughing too loud, too readily (that wasn't even a joke, he chastised me at one point). I was trying hard to suppress my laughter to hold it in, to hold it back, to not fully express the joy I was feeling. I was being somewhat successful. And then I wasn't. Everyone in the audience was laughing but I was laughing too much."
"Comedians are always singling me out. Barely a show goes by when they don't make a comment on the person with the biggest laugh. It's worse in a small tent, where they can see every face in the audience and know exactly who that woman is who is laughing so deeply, so loudly. Who laughs at all of the jokes everyone else is laughing at but who also finds every other small thing so funny she laughs at those as well."
Comedians sometimes single out audience members for loud laughter, asking them to tone down so others can enjoy the show. Audience members who laugh loudly often feel embarrassed, shrinking in their seats and trying to suppress genuine responses. Loud, uninhibited laughter can be both a source of shame and a treasured part of identity, representing unselfconscious joy. Small venues intensify visibility and draw performers' attention to individual reactions. Performers occasionally namecheck such audience members during their sets, creating awkward moments that nevertheless can be hard to resist laughing at. Friends often recognize and appreciate the distinctive, wholehearted laugh from across a room.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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