Definition: Slapstick comedy is a primarily physical kind of comedy based around pratfalls and mild comic violence -- smacks in the head, pokes in the eyes, people falling down, etc. Though it's a tradition that goes back all the way to the theater of Ancient Greece, it is probably most widely recognized in the comedy of The Three Stooges, the Keystone Cops and, for a more contemporary example, MTV's Jackass.

Also Known As: Physical comedy

Examples: With comedy based almost entirely around hitting one another and falling down, The Three Stooges are considered the masters of slapstick.