Physical comedy, also known as slapstick is a comedic performance relying mostly on the use of the body to convey humour.
Physical comedy, whether conveyed by a pratfall (landing on the buttocks), a silly face, or the action of walking into walls, is a common and rarely subtle form of comedy. It is a clownish exploitation of movement, the most primordial human medium of expression, which predates language and the introduction of cerebral elements to humour such as cultural tradition, erudition and word puns.
Buster Keaton, The Three Stooges, Laurel and Hardy, Lucille Ball, Sandra Bullock, Martin Short, Don Knotts, Jerry Lewis, Ken Berry, Dick van Dyke's character "Rob Petrie" on the The Dick Van Dyke Show, John Ritter's character "Jack Tripper" on Three's Company, Jim Carrey's character "Ace Ventura", Michael Richards's character on "Cosmo Kramer" on Seinfeld, Dustin Diamond's character "Samuel 'Screech' Powers" on Saved by the Bell, Chris Farley, Rowan Atkinson's "Mr. Bean", Johnny Lever, Jaleel White's character "Steve Urkel" on Family Matters, and Benny Hill are all examples of comedians who employ physical comedy as a medium for their characters. Charlie Chaplin started his film career as a physical comedian; although he developed additional means of comic expression, Chaplin's mature works continued to contain elements of slapstick.
See also
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