I am a sucker for the “hey-look-at-that-thing-from-a-thing-I-know” model that pop culture museums thrive on. I knew of artifacts I wanted to see going into the National Comedy Center, and assumed the space would be full of costumes and props from various fandoms. Instead, I found a fully interactive experience that dives deep into entertainment, posing a question to attendees – what role does humor play in our lives?

Comedy Profile

The first thing you’ll do upon entering is create your “comedy profile” of comedians, music, television and more that you already enjoy. There is an impressive lineup, be it the historic slapstick of The Three Stooges or the modern dry humor of Bobs Burgers. As you go through the Center itself, you and your party tap bands at stations that generate custom content. For example, in a makeshift stand-up comedy club, it was determined that my husband and I both like a self-aware, upbeat set, so we learned the history and top hits of Jeff Foxworthy’s famous “You Might Be a Redneck If…” routine.

I think this is where coming early or on an off day is key. Often, our profiles would be loaded, and another group would sit and watch with us. Sometimes this worked great, like when the movie interactive discussed the famous Zootopia sloth DMV as a family with children entered. Other times, a tween was watching Frasier with us, and you can’t assume they weren’t interested, but I mean…

Artifacts and More

There were interesting efforts to engage the tweens among us, however. I witnessed a father daughter duo quite enjoying a (somewhat dated) “I-can-haz-cheezburger” style meme generator, which made me excited to see what more contemporary options the Center may install in the future. Could we see a vertical video interactive? Maybe something on meta humor and irony?

Speaking of Frasier, seeing his suit and microphone was my artifact highlight! Runner ups included the snakeskin suit from Zoolander and of course, the Mean Girls Santa dress worn by Lindsey Lohan (a movie that, in my opinion, is more a divine piece of prophecy than a teen comedy).

Now take this for what you will. I do not like dark humor. But the best part of the National Comedy Center is the “Blue Room”. This 18+ area highlights the more offensive bits, from history to the modern era, that you can’t tell a full comedy story without. If you come with children, find a way to do the theme park coaster trade off situation. I consider myself more easily offended than some, but the setup of the room and the historical angle allowed me to let my guard down. In fact, the hardest I laughed all day was entering the ominous doors to be greeted with something that reminded me of Blink-182 (I won’t spoil it!)

Plan Your Visit!

Once we reached the gift shop, my husband summed up the experience perfectly: “I forget how much meaning can be associated with comedy.” The “You Might Be a Redneck If…” bit can be a comment on class solidarity. The Zootopia sloth scene is a cross generational skit on the mundanity of adulthood. The dress from Mean Girls is many kids’ introduction to feminist thinking. And dark humor has gone as far as to make advancements in important social issues like like race and religion.

So if you decide to visit the National Comedy Center, definitely come for the Anchorman suit, but stay for the opportunity to contemplate humor in your life.