Dad at Comedy Barn
Dad at Comedy Barn is an internet video starring Doug Collins. Collins, a school bus driver from Memphis, Tennessee, USA, joined two other members from the audience onstage at the Comedy Barn one night in 2007 -- and internet history was made. The routine in which the three people onstage were invited to participate soon broke down and could not proceed on account of Mr Collins' laugh. His laugh is not loud (more like a giggle), but it is strange, persistent, very funny and, that night, proved to be quite infectious for everyone on stage and within earshot. The host of the show, professional comedian Eric Lambert, was unable to carry on and asked for a microphone to be brought to the stage so that the whole audience could share in on Collin's infectious laughter.
Finally, after many false starts, and with everyone present unable to stop laughing, the host managed to somehow get through the routine and finish it. Mr Collins' laughter is heard in the background throughout all this.
Collins' son, Tim, taped the incident and uploaded the video on the internet -- where it became a phenomenon, scoring upwards of 4 million hits in one week.
His laugh has two forms. One of which sounds like "Eh, eh HEE HEE HEE" and the other which sounds like "Eh, eh Yolf YOLF YOLF" His laugh is known for putting Youtube viewers in contusions of laughter, and has even spawned the reaction clip "Laughing Girl" featuring a young girl watching the Comedy Barn video who has a unique laugh of her own.
Eric Lambert remembers
Talking AbOUT the routine, host Eric Lambert said “It’s basically an improvisational piece. I get a few people on stage, ask them some questions, and kind of bop them on the head to music to make it look like they are singing."
“When Doug started with that laugh, the whole routine kind of went out the window, however. About ten seconds after he began that amazing laughing, I really kind of lost it and abandoned the routine. I knew that nothing could compete with that laugh, so I just got a microphone and let him go so we could record it. It was probably the funniest laugh that has ever been recorded. We noticed Doug had strange, quirky laugh years ago when he first came to The Comedy Barn. Now every time he’s back in town we encourage him to get up on stage so everyone can hear him laugh.”