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Question of the Day
Question:
"Dr. Hal, you always hear about Slapstick comedy. But where did the name ‘slapstick’ come from?”Answer:
Not from the Three Stooges. As the name suggests, there was, yes, a stick used for slapping in an ancient theatrical tradition once upon a time. This stick, which came to be equated with broad farce in the 16th Century as part of the Italian Commedia del'Arte, was employed by the comic hero Harlequin to whack the buttocks of artless shemps. It was traditionally made of two pieces of wood joined together to make a slapping sound when it hit. These days, we'd just dub it in. That's Progress for you.
Askdrhal.com by
Jascha Ephraim,
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