The world is divided into two camps: those who think the Three Stooges are funny, and those who don't. Which for you?--Al

-- Al Schroeder (al.schroeder@nashville.com), April 25, 2000

Answers

I've had this discussion with several people. Many seem to feel that The Three Stooges was a "guy thing." If so, then it's not surprising that I never could stand them. I've never been big on physical comedy, or any sort of comedy that made fun of someone or got laughs by inflicting pain on someone else, even if it was all supposedly in good fun. For the same reason, I could never get into Jerry Lewis either. With all the work he's done for children with physical handicaps, he's made his career making fun of their characteristics and I just couldn't stomach that.

My idea of good humor is Jerry Seinfeld, who uses no foul language and makes fun of no one.

Call me square.

-- Bev Sykes (basykes@dcn.davis.ca.us), April 25, 2000.

I'm a guy, Three Stooges - - - - yaay- -yaay - - - yaay Also Abbott and Costello - - - The Marx Brothers et al. So maybe it is a guy thing, I don't know. I am sure that ancient people laughed at the pratt falls, head bumping and the stumbling, bumbling oafs. Some of these things at my age I see as humorous now, not like I did as an uproariously laughing younger person. Cartoons, caricatures are real life stretched into something funny so are the buffoons of slapstick. I feel that there is a place for them in the palace of fun.

-- Denver, doug (ionoi@webtv.net), April 25, 2000.

I do not like the Three stoges, just not my kind of "comedy". I actually consider that kind of "humor" stupid (sorry), but hey I guess stupid all the way to the bank...

-- Glenna B. Yarnot (Glenna@Yarnot.cncfamily.com), April 25, 2000.

I sure liked the Three Stooges when I was little. It was funny to me to see adults acting so silly. It doesn't seem quite so funny now.

So I'd have to split my answer!

-- Joan Lansberry (gallae@casagrande.com), April 25, 2000.

Interesting question, Al. I never stopped to think about why the three stooges were so famous, given how decidedly unfunny they are. I've never found the three stooges even remotely amusing, but others must have.

I guess it's like Andy Kaufman. You either loved him, or you hated him. Same goes for the stooges, and I hated them. (But loved Andy.)

-- Dave Van (davevan01@hotmail.com), April 26, 2000.

I must admit to being a lifelong Stooge fan. I'm now a semi- responsible adult with a professional career, a wife, two kids, a beagle, and a threesome of those plaster statues with the big heads (you guessed it, Moe, Larry and Curly)on the mantle in the family room. Like Bev (above), I also could never get into Jerry Lewis and for the same reasons she cites- I have seen mental disablility and it's many things (tragic, heroic, inspiring) but not amusing. Yet, I wouldn't put the Stooges in the same category at all. They weren't rocket scientists, but you never thought of them as impaired. And, as for Jerry Seinfeld, I'm a big fan but I couldn't say he never makes fun of anyone. Someone once said that there is an element of cruelty in all humor. The beauty of a Seinfeld is that his wit is usually aimed at himself (and his close friends) rather than at others.

Why do I find the Stooges funny? Ummmm, slapstick makes me laugh. Yes it's silly and can be interpreted as hurtful but let's face it, if the Stooges were waitering at a fancy party, you just couldn't wait to see all the stuffshirts with faces full of pie. And, if they were digging a ditch, you know that Curly was going to end up getting his head bonked by the shovel a time or two and that Larry would lose a few fistfuls of hair, but nobody ever got really hurt. The pie could be washed off, Curly's head was hard enough to stand up to a whole phalanx of shovels, and Larry had hair to spare (at least on the sides).

-- john arthur (zanne1504@aol.com), May 01, 2000.

I think that slapstick comedy used to be much more in vogue than it is now. It grew out of Vaudeville, which was dependant upon excess ... physical, exaggerated, simple. To audiences in the 30s and 40s, the film version was just what they'd been seeing on stage all along. It's dated now, because it's so deeply rooted in theater, but it was fresh then. And yea, I think they were funny.

-- Michael Hardy (mhardy63@earthlink.net), May 07, 2000.

I am a girl.It is not a "guy thing." Hey I love the Stooges!!! And I'm proud of it! My mom "dislikes" them.My dad loves them as much as I do. Hey I watch N.Y.U.K. all the time. So there Stooge "dislikers."

-- Lacey M. (llalla28@aol.com), July 28, 2001.

not funny. slapstick and physical comedy just bores me.

-- anderwillow (anderwillow@aol.com), May 04, 2002.

Well, I would agree at some point that the stooges do not have a good sense of humor, but when I return from work, tired and by watching at them give me a kind of relaxation.

I'm trying to purchase a complete volume on VCD on the Three Stooges, can you help me here.

-- Khairudin Idris (dinidris@yahoo.com), May 06, 2002.

I am a fan they alot funnier than stupid little Martin Short and a lot funnier than any of you idiots if you don't like what i write lump it stupids

-- Bob Jones Jr. (Mariners1102@AOL.com), May 29, 2002.