Dick Gregory (photo: Emerson College)

According to Emerson College, comedy is an underrepresented field of study. And so the school is now host to the 'American Comedy Archives.' This collection of recorded interviews with some of the biggest names in the history of humor is dedicated to illuminating comedy as a social, cultural and political phenomenon. And it's the first of its kind.

Comedienne Phyllis Diller. See more photos

But, there's something kind of funny about taking humor this seriously. Well, maybe not 'funny ha ha' but funny 'ironic.' After all, humor by its very nature asks not to be taken seriously. But to the performers, writers, producers and directors who've shaped comedy, laughter is as important as politics and medicine.

Now their thoughts on the subject are preserved on digital videotape at Emerson College along with scripts and personal papers. So far the collection holds 39 interviews. Most are with veteran comics from the 'golden age' of television.

To learn more about the American Comedy of Archives at Emerson College, go to their website.

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