Funny Stuff (Hardcover)

Ryan Lintelman

ISBN 10: 1978837968 / ISBN 13: 9781978837966

Published by Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick NJ, 2026

About this Item

Hardcover. 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. More than just gags and giggles, comedy is a powerful force, reflecting our hopes and fears, helping us understand social and political changes, and creating a shared national culture. In this book, historians from the Smithsonian Institution and National Comedy Center tell the stories of the comedians, performances, and provocations that have shaped American history. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9781978837966

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Funny Stuff (Hardcover)
• Publisher: Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick NJ
• Publication Date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1978837968
• ISBN 13: 9781978837966
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

The 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.

About the Author

LAURA LAPLACA is the founding director of the National Comedy Center’s archive in Jamestown, New York, the United States’ congressionally designated home for the preservation of comedy history. She holds a PhD from Northwestern University and has published, taught, and presented about American popular culture for over fifteen years. 

RYAN LINTELMAN is the curator of entertainment at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History and is one of the curators of the landmark exhibition Entertainment Nation. He contributed essays to Smithsonian Books’ Entertainment Nation (2022) and Smithsonian Civil War: Inside the National Collection (2013).