Laughing at ourselves

When I was a teenager, “America’s Funniest Home Videos” was one of the few TV shows my family could agree to watch together. Perhaps because of her training as a nurse, my mother typically viewed the program while peeking through her fingers, anticipating the next ski jump gone awry. Any time you saw a kid with something resembling a baseball bat you knew that someone or something (grandpa? the sliding glass door?) was about to get banged up. From mishaps at weddings to unfortunately-located dog poo, the show featured unrehearsed slapstick comedy in all of its glorious forms.

Tom Bergeron with donated artifacts.

Comedy as a cultural form and feature of American life is documented in the museum’s growing entertainment collections, which include artifacts ranging from costumes to sheet music. Items from “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” a pioneer in comedic reality programming and the longest-running primetime show on ABC, became the latest addition to these collections in a special donation ceremony held on April 8.

One of the artifacts, a mammoth camcorder used to film the first winning video on the show, illustrates changes in technology over the past two decades. Despite the bulky and expensive VHS recording equipment that was available in the 1980s, the show received hundreds of entries in its first season and has received over 700,000 since. Think of all the hijinks and embarrassing moments now being captured via tiny cell phone cameras and broadcast to the world via the Internet. Today, an estimated 80 million people visit YouTube every month to watch scenes that aren’t so different from AFHV’s: lots of precocious babies and even a waterskiing squirrel.

Another donated artifact, an audience voting machine, helps us to trace the show’s influence on American popular culture. The reality-show-with-voting-competition format pioneered by AFHV nearly 20 years ago is now the foundation of some of today’s most popular television shows (can you say “American Idol”?). The idea of an interactive show where the audience decides the outcome—and the performances are put on by Americans from all walks of life—now seems commonplace.

During the donation ceremony, Creator and Executive Producer Vin Di Bona confided that the show never has to rely on a laugh track. As host Tom Bergeron pointed out, I think the show’s footage of human beings and their wacky behavior underscores the universal nature of slapstick. There’s a reason that nuns catching wedding bouquets and dachshunds with live firecrackers are funny. I don’t have the foggiest idea what that reason is but I dare you watch this clip reel from “America’s Funniest Home Videos” without at least one good belly laugh.

Dana Allen-Greil is the new media project manager at the National Museum of American History.

Comments

[Dana Allen-Greil]

The Around the Mall Blog also covered the donation ceremony: http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/aroundthemall/2009/04/the-funny-things-you-do-americas-funniest-home-videos-we-love-you/

[Ben]

Very interesting, and funny. As a family we grew up watching the show as well. I also remember my fathers' first, very large video camera. Anyway, thanks for bringing back some good memories.

[Kurtis Kintzel]

I watch the Funniest Videos show more as an adult (mid 40s) than I did when I was a kid. Its great to have good natured, unpredictable fun on TV!

[Eri Ricaldo]

I also remember my grand fathers' first, very large video camera. Anyway, thanks for bringing back some good memories. Very Funny..

[Ted Dently]

I remember as a kid playing with an enormous camcorder and watch movies on the reel to reel.

If you think about how much technology has changed within the last 30 years, imagine what we will see in the next 30.

[Dr Ron Marek]

You know, there is actually NOTHING FUNNIER than AFHV. Who ever came up with that concept is a genius. Here is why, the show had VERY little production costs since its viewers sent in their little fiascos and then the show just had to broadcast them.

My son (age 15 now) has been watching the show ever since he was born. Even now he very rarely misses an episode.

AFHV ROCKS

[Scott]

AFHV is a hysterical show - much better with the current host - but one of the best things about the show is that I can watch it with my 3 kids and laugh together with them. It has truly become a family experience in our home.

Not many shows like that these days.

Best,
Scott

[Jerry]

AFHV is the best old show. It was best when Bob Sagget (aka cheezy mc cheezy) However those shows are they best now lol

[Wedding Planner]

I wish there were more shows like this one. Cheesy, yes, but good wholesome fun.

The wedding videos are my favorite. I wish they would resurrect the show.

[Thina Doukas]

Funny you say that. Funny video competition is played in Australia weekly. I can honestly say many of the videos are so staged that they are dangerous and are not funny at all. Best videos are the ones captured when you least expect it.

[Deb C]

I love AFV and Tom, seeing as he is from my home town of Haverhill, Massachusetts! We actually have a section in our newspaper called the Bergeron Report I especially love the wedding bloopers as my business is in wedding photography.

[McKenna James]

America's Funniest Home Videos has always been one of my favorite TV shows. I remember our whole family sitting around the television and laughing and laughing!
It's too bad there are not more shows like that. It seems like most of the younger people now would rather watch TV shows that are full of violence.

[Mark Sutherland]

Thanks for a blast from the past! My family also grew up watching the show and I have very fond memories of laughing with my brothers. It would be one of the only times when we sat together and laughed. I also remember our first video camera and it was very large and cumbersome! Thanks for bringing back fond and happy memories!

[Emmie W]

User generated funny stories are still king on the modern web. Maybe not so much on TV shows anymore but you see it on websites where users submit their funny or weird content to be voted on and displayed. This model will last even if it isn't in the form of tv.

[Local]

I remember this as a family activity. and "you've been framed!", the uk version of america's funniest home videos was amazing and its still amazing today although the internet phenomenom has cattapulted people to stardom and somewhat closed the door on the home video tv shows.

[Mercen S]

I watch the AFHV show more in my 30's than ever..Its simple humor and frankly it's a cheap laugh.. I love the show..and I love digging through You Tube to find ones I miss..

[psikolog]

To laugh at sorrow or anger, but a way of emptying it is not known exactly why this is. We all doubt ourselves feel better after you're laughing. As tensions rose in the body, loss of muscular control is reduced to the point where we can fall from the chair, or in many cases we can not keep.

To laugh in social relationships may seem to share the happiness of expression, but it is not always bliss. Our boss made us a joke (very funny if not) tend to laugh. Against that power will always see the smiling faces.

Against dangers that may come too nervous to laugh out loud may be a reaction. In a fight between two people in a game when the powerful oppress the weak to laugh. So laugh, it could be an indication of power and aggression. When people laugh at the facial expression was happy, but everybody understands the emotions behind his facial expression and the relationship between psychologists and even still they can not fully explain.

[Steve]

A funny video clip montage?... For some reason I can't resist clicking the play button, no matter what I have to do. Ha.

I liked the kid who said he never wanted to grow up. ;)

Also, it is nuts how far technology has come... I just bought a terabyte backup drive for my computer and its about as big as my wallet. Goodness.

[Gio]

The healing power of laughter is something that should never be underestimated and is something that we should all strive to achieve at least once a day.

It is contagious as if someone walks past and smiles, it brightens up our day also, and, it is said to keep people feeling younger.

Good article and also some good points :)

[Video Lucu]

Hi
wow, I miss with this program, for me this is a pioneer, a great host, a variety of videos. i really miss that. :)

[Weird News]

Thank you for a refreshing trip to the past. I think laughter should play center stage on all media. Every newspaper or news channel is filled all bad reports, there really should be a law against the display of such depressing things on TV and news. In one way I feel the web has helped open doors to other nations and bridge gaps by sharing laughter and smiles. The old saying "laughter is the best medicine" it really is.

I see from the work we do on newsweird that laughter and sharing funny stories brings together people from all over the world. Then tactfully convey funny with subtle eye openers that causes the readers to return again and again.

Having contact to the outside and seeing we are not all as bad as some dictators lead them to believe has a much stronger affect than any propaganda could ever have.

[Gary Stenzel]

I still watch reruns of AFHV, some I remember but I've seen so many episodes that it's like watching for the first time.
My grandma had one of those huge video cameras. We never got anything funny enough to send in.

[Richard]

Isn't it funny how this particular show, “America’s Funniest Home Videos” actually never gets old. Even though usually we are watching very low quality shots, shaky camera movement and terrible sound,... it still gets you laughing.
I still love that show and every time I catch it, it's always something new.

[Michael]

Yeah, why did they have to spoil it with animals?

Here in the U.K. we also had a similar show called "You've Been Framed" hosted by a very funny British show host called Jeremy Beadle. The show also ran through the eighties and still has re-runs today. Although Jeremy is no longer with us the show will remain in British cult show status. The format was very similar with weddings particularly featuring very prominently. Check it out or search on Google.