{"product_id":"funny-stuff-how-comedy-shaped-american-history-9781978837966","title":"Funny Stuff: How Comedy Shaped American History","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eA Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWritten 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 \u003ci\u003eSaturday Night Live \u003c\/i\u003escript, alongside materials from cultural touchstones like \u003ci\u003eThe Simpsons, The Muppet Show, In Living Color, All In the Family, \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eI Love Lucy.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Laura Laplaca\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Rutgers University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 05\/12\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 358\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 3.57lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 11.27h x 8.83w x 0.95d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781978837966\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLAURA LAPLACA\u003c\/b\u003e 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. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eRYAN LINTELMAN\u003c\/b\u003e is the curator of entertainment at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History and is one of the curators of the landmark exhibition \u003ci\u003eEntertainment Nation\u003c\/i\u003e. He contributed essays to Smithsonian Books' \u003ci\u003eEntertainment Nation\u003c\/i\u003e (2022) and \u003ci\u003eSmithsonian Civil War: Inside the National Collection\u003c\/i\u003e (2013).\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"booksdeli.com","offers":[{"title":"Laura Laplaca \/ Hardcover \/ English","offer_id":48311278665885,"sku":"9781978837966","price":47.94,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0619\/5648\/9373\/files\/img_21039e25-e28a-45aa-b7a1-9a8d831dbd46.jpg?v=1779260281","url":"https:\/\/booksdeli.com\/products\/funny-stuff-how-comedy-shaped-american-history-9781978837966","provider":"booksdeli.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}