Amy Poehler and Tina Fey were hilarious last night hosting the Golden Globe Awards again. One technique some comedians use to engender laughter is to maintain a partially suppressed smile. One common colloquial term for this nonverbal facial expression is a "smirk". Audience members seeing a suppressed smile will tend to mirror this same behavior - and thus be more predisposed to breaking into laughter. We tend to smile when other people smile, we also are more likely to cry when others cry, etc. Of course every comedian wants to be truly funny and of course they don't all use this method. And often the comedian who maintains this near laughter state will break into laughter themselves - and then they'll need a real suppressed smile to avoid from outright laughing. So this is a delicate balance. Enough smile to make others laugh - but not too much to evoke laughing themselves.
See also:
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2652: Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon on Saturday Night Live - Trying to Suppress the Laughter
Negotiation Body Language Secret # 501: Bonding and Rapport Facilitators - The Laughing Lean, Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey
Negotiation Body Language Secret # 361: Another Bonding Adjunct During Laughter - Herman Cain and Mitt Romney
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2448: Sabine Lisicki Post Match Interview After Defeating Serena Williams Top Teeth Biting Lower Lip & Sincere Smiles
Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2170: The San Francisco Giants, Surprise, Bird Poop and Body Language
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2678: French President François Hollande, Valerie Trierweiler and Julie Gayet - Of Affairs, Affection and Body Language Tells
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2669: Sara Bareilles and the Body Language of the Rationalization Rapport Empathy Expression
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