Smithsonian.com

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Movie parodies were always a mainstay of the Carol Burnett Show—and her 1976 Gone With the Wind takeoff is unforgettable. Between the artistry of Burnett and fashion designer Bob Mackie, it’s a comedic tour de force that always has this blogger rolling on the floor laughing. For those of you unfamiliar with the sketch, climb out from under your rock and get thee to YouTube IMMEDIATELY where you can see Part I and Part II.

For those of you who can’t bear to wait another 20 minutes, here’s the least you need to know: Miss Starlett, with her home and finances ravaged by the American Civil War, is visited by her beau and needs to doll up so she can work him for a little cash. Deciding to use her green velvet curtains to make a dress on the fly, Starlett meets her man in one of the grandest, most memorable entrances in television history. The crucial part is embedded below:

Like Miss Starlett, the Smithsonian saw that Bob Mackie dress in the window and couldn’t resist it. That’s right, folks, the curtain rod dress now honors the hallowed halls of the Smithsonian as a part of the American History Museum’s Kennedy Center Honors collection. And that’s hardly something to fiddle dee dee about. Not only is the dress representative of Mackie’s decadently innovative designs, it’s a monument to the art of parody and the golden age of American comedy. (Hear Mackie’s recollections about how he came to design the dress and living in the aftermath of this comedy sketch.) No word yet on if and when it will go on public display, but we’ll be sure to keep you posted. Because, frankly, we give a damn.