Are there times you understand the audience's lasughter(This is difffernet from agreeing with them. You can understand without agreeing)

In The Houseguest, Florida finds out that Ernie tried to steal her salt shakers for gambling money. She says, 'Why? A successful businessman like yourself?" The audience bursts into laughter. i understand why they laughed. They and us(the viewing audience at home), just found out that Ernie is far from successful because he basically gambled away his business. But Florida wouldn't know that he was no longer successful because she was sleeping when James got Ernie to confess to his gambling problem). This is one of the few times where the audience knows something before one of the character does.