Excuse me (0+ / 0-)
I never said anyone was lying. I suggested that the diarist's memories may be inaccurate and he may not have had a complete picture of what was going on around him. This happens to even the best-trained observers (and I have no reason to believe that the diarist is such).
No doubt, if you were listening for it, you might have heard groans, boos, sarcastic laughter, moments of silence -- and that might impress you as the most salient features of the soundscape.
But that doesn't mean they actually were.
Personal impressions, particularly when skewed by a strong emotional bias, are not a match for good old data.
Now, it seems to me quite possible and even likely that they mixed the sound so as to mute any boos or catcalls, and enhance any applause. That's credible and to some extent even defensible, from a commercial point of view -- I'm sure Leno doesn't want to add fuel to the impression that he and his show are deeply unpopular.
But the diarist is claiming that they went beyond that -- that they ripped out all the audience tracks and replaced them with canned laughter. And while that's certainly not unprecedented, or technologically unfeasible, it's a rather serious charge and I would want more evidence from it than a series of impressions. Did anybody ask the studio? Interview the sound technicians? Get any kind of statement at all?
In the absence of an effort to verify these impressions, such claims could backfire, if it turns out that the aired audio is in fact based on the studio tapes.
P.S.: As I've said before, I am in no way or sense "pro-Sarah". You need to take care of that knee-jerk reflex before you injure yourself with it.
Yes, the studio has been asked (1+ / 0-)
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- tommyfocus2003
Washington Post interviewed us both, plus more experts on audio. Watch for the story!
You bring up reasonable points, but I echo what Symbolman said - I was there - and I distinctly remember wondering why the Palin supporters weren't laughing at her jokes at certain places. She was uncomfortable, and I think the audience picked up on that and was nervous and uncomfortable, too.