Funny Stuff

How Comedy Shaped American History

By: Mel Brooks (Foreword by), Laura LaPlaca (Contribution by), Ryan Lintelman (Contribution by), Jon Grinspan (Contribution by), Theodore S. Gonzalves (Contribution by)

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Hardcover | 12 May 2026

At a Glance

Hardcover
358 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
22.5 x 43.4 x 2.8

Hardcover

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A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard SelectionThe National Comedy Center and Smithsonian Institution hold unparalleled collections of artifacts that illustrate the vitality and importance of comedy in American life, from vaudeville, silent films, and TV sitcoms to stand-up, sketch, and cartoons. Now, for the first time, these collections are brought together in vibrant photographs and illuminating essays that tell the story of how comedy shaped American history. Written by historians responsible for safeguarding these cultural treasures, the book takes readers behind the scenes to uncover the stories behind American heirlooms like Groucho Marx's tailcoat, George Carlin's joke files, Carol Burnett's "Went with the Wind" dress, Johnny Carson's monologues, and the very first Saturday Night Live script, alongside materials from cultural touchstones like The Simpsons, The Muppet Show, In Living Color, All In the Family, and I Love Lucy. With a foreword by comedy legend Mel Brooks, this dynamic work offers pop culture aficionados, history lovers, and comedy nerds alike a new perspective on America's past and who we are as a nation through our comedy.

Industry Reviews

"A one-of-a-kind trip through the archives of the National Comedy Center and Smithsonian Institution that shines a new light on America's funniest moments." - Carol Burnett "Funny Stuff is filled with everything you have always wanted to know about comedy, the people who make it, and how it has shaped our world. Plus pictures!" - Amy Poehler "The National Comedy Center and Smithsonian approach comedy's history with the same rigor and reverence we bring to it as artists." - Lily Tomlin

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