Laughter. You can prompt applause with a sign. My friend, SNL writer Seth Meyers, coined the term clapter, which is when you do a political joke and people go, "Woo-hoo." It means they sort of approve but didn't really like it that much. You hear a lot of that on [whispers] The Daily Show.

Stop the presses!!! A queen of comedy (as anointed by no less an authority on all matters comedic than Vanity Fair) hath spoken....