Appealing to the Masses
A theory surrounding The Three Stooges is that while men whole-heartedly enjoy the trio’s wild antics, the vast majority of women don’t. It’s believed that women don’t enjoy slap-stick comedy and “respond to seeing someone they dislike suffering pain with empathy” while men find amusement in their rival’s misfortune. Other opinions on the theory suggest women find the Stooges to “represent[s] almost everything [they] find[s] repulsive in a man” and believe the physical gags were to violent to be considered funny.