How would you explain this sentence?
Smith Sonian is the name of the museum, a brick castle containing the stuffed, dead skins of every species but our own. Why not a few humans too? Father laughed at that one, like a man in some kind of a show, with an audience. His mood has shifted. Now he seems to take his son as a joke, rather than a serious offense.

How would you explain this sentence: like a man in some kind of a show?
Thanks!

Question

How would you explain this sentence?
Smith Sonian is the name of the museum, a brick castle containing the stuffed, dead skins of every species but our own. Why not a few humans too? Father laughed at that one, like a man in some kind of a show, with an audience. His mood has shifted. Now he seems to take his son as a joke, rather than a serious offense.

How would you explain this sentence: like a man in some kind of a show?
Thanks!

Answer

I don't think it's clear - a little more context before this paragraph might help. 
It could also be describing the way the father is laughing - he is laughing in an exaggerated way (as if he is entertaining an audience) perhaps to emphasise how ridiculous he finds his son's suggestion (about including humans).

Answer

Hello!
"Like a man in some kind of show" is probably a reference to freak shows, which were commonplace not too long ago. For more context, I would research the topic- in this case he is referring to the idea that a man could be gawked at like an animal in a zoo.

Does this help at all?