]]Slapstick is a type of comedy involving exaggerated physical violence or activities (e.g., a character being hit in the face with a frying pan or running full speed into a wall). The style is common to those genres of entertainment in which the audience is supposed to understand the very hyperbolic nature of such violence to exceed the boundaries of common sense and thus license non-cruel laughter. Its greatest modern representations therefore lie in cartoons and the simple, amplified film comedies aimed at younger audiences. It's also used in such popular shows as The Muppet Show quite a bit. Though the term is often used pejoratively, the performance of slapstick comedy--based on exquisite timing and unerring calculation of execution, character reaction, and audience laughter--is considered among the more difficult tasks facing a live performer. Origins The phrase comes from the battacchio--called the 'slap stick' in English--a c

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