Tangential fun fact:
Snake oil is a real thing, that actually helps with the some very specific problems. But it has to be made a specific way from a specific snake. We associate the term with scams because of the large number of scammers that advertised fake snake oils, or advertised it being useful for tons if things it wasn't.
My point is, many of the most effective scams rely on something that has a kernel of truth.
We're social creatures. The laugh track makes us feel like we're in a social situation. I think different shows use this more or less cynically.