Excessive Stooges

Wednesday was the first time I've watched the Three Stooges in a number of years. Many, many years, I mean. Like, a whole lot. Naturally, they weren't quite as funny as I remember them being, however, I still thoroughly enjoyed them. But as we were watching, I noticed the strangest thing. Instead of the jokes becoming duller, more expected, repetitive, I found that everything became that much funnier. Towards the end of the second segment I found myself laughing harder than at any other point during the half hour.

This seems very strange to me. When things happen over and over again, when actions are oft-repeated and terribly similar to the ones before it, the punch-line usually loses its luster. But not here. Not for me. The absurdity became that much greater, and as a result, the comedy became that much funnier. I guess I hit the point where I was thinking to myself, "This is actually happening. This is still happening. And it's going to happen again in just a few seconds."

So I was wondering if anyone else found that this happened to them as well. It seems so illogical and unordered that I won't be surprised at all if I'm the only one. But in thinking about it today, it called back to Eddie Izzard's "yes" - "no" segment about the death of Mr. Humperdink (or whatever his spectacular name was). The more he nodded and shook his head, the longer he did it, the more the class (and audience) seemed to laugh. So, was this the same effect used in the Stooges?