[NativeNewYorker]

I’ve attended many many tapings of talk shows. It’s likely the crowd was told very clearly to “show how much you love Dave” by applauding and cheering at every pause. It even sounded as if the APPLAUSE sign was lit a couple of times during his schtick. For a show that’s been on forever, the whole episode stinks of amateurism.

[GOP Poet]

I was thinking this as well as I watched the clips. I can just visualize the signs to applaud as well as the coaching prior where they often tell the audience to make as much laughing and cheering noise as possible to, as you said, "show how much you love Dave."

Sometimes one is so busy making noise they aren't fully comprehending the content.

[elpadre]

I have often wondered how “funny” these TV comedians would be if there were no canned laughter, no applause signs, no cheerleaders to chum laughter.