Facing The Mask

Listen to "Facing The Mask" on Spreaker. Multiple times during this four decade old journey through broadcasting I've been talked to about having a fake laugh. It doesn't come across as authentic. Listeners are smart enough to know the difference between a golf clap and full applause. Through out the chapters I learned how and why the laughing takes place and how to take better control. The fake laugh is no different than telling someone, "You rock! You da man!" There's nothing better to say and or react to. The fake laugh usually comes into play when a person either feels uncomfortable in the moment due to a bad joke or behavior or they lost track of the subject in the conversation and belching up a fake laugh gives off the view of you still playing along. Radio truly taught me how to fake laugh because when you're doing a morning show or you're teamed up during a different day part, there's got to be energy and laughter is part of that process of building. For me to understand the presence of a fake laugh I had to learn to take off the mask. To stop seeing myself a disc jockey or radio talent and start allowing myself to be more real as plain ole boring me. Removing the mask from your presentation puts you in the conversation and not the always up beat always on the move really far out cool person that seems to always be in the moment of expressions. I'm not saying faking your laugh is wrong. I'm not asking anyone to change it. Being aware of it can either make you look like a leader or come across as a follower. The person you're sharing a conversation with knows exactly where to change their inflection because they know its coming... That laugh. Does it make you a buzz kill to remove the fake laugh? Actually I think it will make you a better listener. You're getting the opportunity to hear the entire conversation. If you need to get out of it. Say so! Well gotta go! Fake laughs appear in more exchanges that should've ended a long long time before you realized how much your fake laugh sounds out of tune.