If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, monkey laughter is easily the least in this regard.
Monkey laughter is basically forced reactive giggling — a suck-up tactic used by vaguely fearful employees or kiss-assers of any stripe…a way of flattering bosses or admired colleagues or anyone they’re looking to get in good with.
It could be argued that almost all social laughter is untrustworthy, to this or that degree. Which is why I always slightly flinch or recoil when I hear or see it. I usually mutter to myself, “There goes another phony…performance giggling…another attempt at some form of social advancement.”
Movie-theatre laughter is 100% honest. Ditto the “watching TV in the living room” kind. Ditto reading something or other.