The STORM museum’s exhibition “It Was Another Time,” running until August 30, 2026, on Frederiksberg Runddel, fails to offer fresh perspectives on humor’s portrayal of gender roles in Danish performing arts. The reviewer finds the selection of revue “classics” tired and the presentation uninspired, questioning whether the material was ever truly funny.

The exhibition showcases a range of material, including audio clips, costumes, posters, and clippings, spanning from Dagmar Hansen and Liva Weel to Søs and Kirsten, Anne Marie Helger, and Emma Sehested Høeg. However, the reviewer argues that the exhibition treads familiar ground, presenting a pre-chewed subject matter without offering any unexpected or eye-opening angles.

The exhibition begins with Sofie Linde’s monologue from Zulu Comedy Galla in 2020, then progresses through various female artists and revue acts. The reviewer expresses curiosity about the motivations and experiences of female artists like Maggi Baaring and Anni Lippert, who created degrading and stereotypical depictions of women. The reviewer believes that the museum misses an opportunity to explore the anxieties and societal context that may have fueled such humor.

The reviewer emphasizes that humor is often time-sensitive and loses its relevance over time. What was once considered daring or funny, like Dirch Passer’s “Babs and Nutte” sketch, may appear stupid and unfunny today. The reviewer criticizes the exhibition for not approaching the material with a fresher and bolder perspective and compares the exhibit to something designed by ChatGPT.

Ultimately, the reviewer struggles to recommend the exhibition, finding the selected texts to be of poor quality and the overall presentation lacking in originality and insight.