# The Marx Brothers vs. The Three Stooges **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 15, 2006, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-marx-brothers-vs-the-three-stooges/340021 "2006-01-15T01:25:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-marx-brothers-vs-the-three-stooges/340021/1 "2006-01-15T01:25:20Z")
Which group made you laugh harder? For me it was the Three Stooges. Curly was the greatest, but even when he left, Shemp stepped in and did a good job. I liked Groucho on “You Bet Your Life” (or whatever it was named), but I never really got the Marx Brothers movies. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-marx-brothers-vs-the-three-stooges/340021/2 "2006-01-15T01:33:54Z")
Definitely the Stooges. ---
**Author:** ![lonesome\_loser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@lonesome\_loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lonesome_loser)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-marx-brothers-vs-the-three-stooges/340021/3 "2006-01-15T01:36:39Z")
Stooges. But Shemp came before Curly. Long before. [http://www.stoogeworld.com/\_Biographies/history.htm](http://www.stoogeworld.com/_Biographies/history.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-marx-brothers-vs-the-three-stooges/340021/4 "2006-01-15T02:41:01Z")
What is with you people anyway? The Marx Bros., no contest. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-marx-brothers-vs-the-three-stooges/340021/5 "2006-01-15T02:46:38Z")
The Marx Brothers, no contest. I definitely prefer verbal comedy, and even Harpo’s physical shtick is miles above the Stooges’ for me. I don’t dislike the Stooges, I just find them only OK. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-marx-brothers-vs-the-three-stooges/340021/6 "2006-01-15T02:49:45Z")
I’ll “third” that - **the Marx Brothers** ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-marx-brothers-vs-the-three-stooges/340021/7 "2006-01-15T02:52:54Z")
The Marx Brothers, if they’re prepa – waitaminnit (_reads all of the OP_). Belay my last. Just The Marx Brothers. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-marx-brothers-vs-the-three-stooges/340021/8 "2006-01-15T02:55:55Z")
The Marx Brothers. It’s not even a contest; the Three Stooges didn’t even amuse me when I was an eight-year-old. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-marx-brothers-vs-the-three-stooges/340021/9 "2006-01-15T03:04:33Z")
The Marx Brothers by light years. Comparing the Marx Brothers to the Stooges is like comparing The Rolling Stones to the Archies. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-marx-brothers-vs-the-three-stooges/340021/10 "2006-01-15T03:07:54Z")
Marx Brothers. The Stooges at their best can be fun, but are way below the Marxes even at their worst. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-marx-brothers-vs-the-three-stooges/340021/11 "2006-01-15T05:10:33Z")
Holy Humping Harpos! Do you even expect me to lower myself to post in a thread where some people prefer the Stooges to the Marxes? How, people, how can you live with yourselves? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![lonesome\_loser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@lonesome\_loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lonesome_loser)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-marx-brothers-vs-the-three-stooges/340021/12 "2006-01-15T05:23:29Z")
Easy. I prefer physical humor to words. You can laugh at the Stooges with the TV sound down and the stereo blaring. Can you do that with the Marx Brothers? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-marx-brothers-vs-the-three-stooges/340021/13 "2006-01-15T05:54:01Z")
> [@lonesome loser](#): > > Easy. > > I prefer physical humor to words. You can laugh at the Stooges with the TV sound down and the stereo blaring. > > Can you do that with the Marx Brothers? Yes, especially Harpo’s stuff. I hearty vote for the Marx Brothers. Great word play and great physical comedy. Stooges, Stooges aren’t as funny or intelligent as Tom and Jerry never mind the Marx Brothers. Lonesome: Rewatch the Marx Brothers, you might have missed something the first time. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-marx-brothers-vs-the-three-stooges/340021/14 "2006-01-15T06:07:45Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > The Marx Brothers. It’s not even a contest; the Three Stooges didn’t even amuse me when I was an eight-year-old. Likewise. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-marx-brothers-vs-the-three-stooges/340021/15 "2006-01-15T06:10:31Z")
Hmm. The Marx Brothers leaving me blinking in unamused bewilderment, but the Three Stooges leave me feeling ill and anxious. So I’ll go with the Marx Brothers. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-marx-brothers-vs-the-three-stooges/340021/16 "2006-01-15T07:15:20Z")
I’m a big-time Marx Brothers nut. The Stooges have just never done it for me. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-marx-brothers-vs-the-three-stooges/340021/17 "2006-01-15T07:28:26Z")
I like them both, but given the choice of only watching one for the rest of my life, the Bros all the way. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-marx-brothers-vs-the-three-stooges/340021/18 "2006-01-15T13:19:36Z")
Even as a kid, I never found the Three Stooges funny. The Marx Brothers I have always found hilarious, especially Groucho. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-marx-brothers-vs-the-three-stooges/340021/19 "2006-01-15T13:27:56Z")
Marks Brothers by a long chalk. It’s like comparing Monty Python to Benny Hill, which is something I never get either. Sophisticated, witty absurdity, versus dumb childish slapstick. Plus the Stooges creeped me out when I was a kid. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-marx-brothers-vs-the-three-stooges/340021/20 "2006-01-15T13:40:33Z")
The Marx Brothers made me laugh harder, but also embarassed me. I was watching a film (can’t recall which) when Groucho made a joke about, _\_, “darkies”. There was an African-American gentleman in the room with me. :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-marx-brothers-vs-the-three-stooges/340021.md?page=2)