The Diddy Laugh

Spotted in Coma Girl

2011-09-11T01:55:00.000-07:00

After a bit of a dry spell for Diddy Laugh spotting, we get two in one month!

This was in Coma Girl, which recently showed as part of Channel 4's comedy showcase.

You guessed it, it's a dream-like sequence with a sinister sounding child!

Red Rover TV commercial

2011-09-06T10:32:00.000-07:00

Just spotted on UK Kids TV. An abbreviated Diddy Laugh. You'll have to fast-forward one minute into this video, to get past the uploader's ridiculously self-indulgent "intro".

Two laughs spotted in My Name Is Earl

2011-04-20T11:13:00.001-07:00

Thanks for the comment, Jim. You put me on the trail of a real winner. Two laughs in one episode.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3inz4SPXb2s

Ah. It seems that this video was deleted because the bell-ends at Fox complained at my using one minute of their programme, even though it clearly falls under the Fair Use clause of US copyright law and is classed as "comment" or "review". Do they really think I'm trying to take the food from their piggy mouths? Is anyone less likely to buy a My Name Is Earl box set because I showed one minute on the internet? Maybe they're just embarrassed at using stock sound effects? Well, screw them.

Another movie trailer, this time Southland Tales

2011-04-18T14:20:00.001-07:00

Can you smell what the Rock is cooking? A rubbish film and a creepy sounding kid.

In opening titles of Taken

2011-04-18T14:01:00.000-07:00

The Diddy Laugh plays almost right at the start of the film, as Liam Neeson is remembering his girl's birthday party.

Spotted in an advert for Postman Pat

2011-04-13T12:13:00.001-07:00

On an old kids DVD, this pops up. Big and bold!

In Sherlock

2010-08-13T16:01:00.000-07:00

The laugh appears while the photograph is displayed, in this clip from the exciting new BBC drama series. (43 seconds in)

Spotted in a BBC Kids' show

2010-07-26T07:24:00.000-07:00

About 8 seconds into the opening titles for Trapped (51 seconds into this video)

In a trailer for a cheap horror movie

2010-07-12T06:32:00.000-07:00

Spotted by the guy at Nintendorks. Thanks!

In an advert for Charcoal?

2010-07-12T06:29:00.000-07:00

Spotted by the guy at Nintendorks. Thanks!

Nathan Barley

2010-07-11T16:41:00.001-07:00

The laughing child appears as a ringtone...

Disney's Mulan

2010-07-11T16:03:00.001-07:00

The laugh appears here at 1' 43"

Midsomer Murders

2010-07-11T16:01:00.001-07:00

The kid sounds creepy in this one:

Barker and Stonehouse

2010-07-11T15:59:00.001-07:00

Another old one

Nanny McPhee trailer

2010-07-11T15:53:00.000-07:00

Just transferring some of these from the old web page I used to run.

Voltarol PainEze advert

2010-07-11T15:41:00.001-07:00

Spotted in a TV advert for a painkiller (right at the start).

Welcome

2010-07-11T15:35:00.000-07:00

Some Background

A few years back I worked in recording studios, and one of the things I had to do was find sound effects. We had a large library of CDs, containing recordings of things such as typewriters, cars, elevators etc. In some areas, this library was remarkably comprehensive. There would, for example, be a variety of different 1970's telephones including push-button, dials, bells and the more contemporary "trim phone". The sleeve notes would often go into remarkable detail about the exact circumstances of the recording, such as:

Track 12:
Underground train station. St Pancras. June 15th. 9:13am. Train arrives. Doors open. Cadbury's Wispa wrapper blows past.

However, in other areas the library was sorely lacking. Really useful effects like explosions, or lions, or people being hit over the head with banjos, were mysteriously absent. Sometimes, we found ourselves using the same effects time and time again, because there was little to choose from.

One category which was always pretty thin was that of child effects. Whether the job called for laughing, crying or sicking up milk, we often found ourselves desperate for decent sounds. I remember one effect that was frequently used. It was the sound of a giggling child (or possibly two children), aged about 8 or 9. I remember it because it cropped up in a video game I used to play called Diddy Kong Racing on the Nintendo 64. After that, I noticed it appearing in lots of TV shows, adverts and a few Hollywood films. I realised that my problems were not unique, and that sound engineers around the world seem to have the same trouble finding original effects.

Then I read about the Wilhelm Scream, which is an old effect that has become famous for its ubiquity in movies. I thought it was about time I started cataloguing the times I hear MY favourite effect (which I now call the Diddy Laugh) wherever it may be. Over the years my obsession has faded, but I may still add one now and again, when it next catches my attention.

First of all, acquaint yourself with the sound: Click here to listen to the full Diddy Laugh.

The laugh is sometimes fleeting. It appears in adverts and then disappears before it can be captured. When possible, I'll post links to it, especially if the source is available on Youtube. If you have any sightings, please send me a message.