Why Do Guys Think Nutshots Are Funny?

I left work and wuz picked up by my spouse yesterday evening in the midst of the Taste of Chicago mayhem across the street. Behold a group of teens (prolly students at my university) wuz trying to raise cash to go to Taste. One wuz wearing a huge blue animal head (Sonic the Hedgehog?) to attract attention.

For those of you who don't know, The Taste of Chicago is the world's largest food festival, held annually the 10 days leading up to the 4th (this year June 25th-July 4th). More than 50 restaurants attract literally millions to the Grant Park to enjoy a variety of food from popular restaurants serving ethnic and Chicago-style specialties. Events include live music by well-known artists on multiple stages, nightly film performances, and fireworks. The festival culminates in 4th of July fireworks at three locations along the City's 26-mile lakefront. All performances are free, but food tickets sold at the entrance are not.

So this group of kids wuz tryin to raise money for food tickets: $2.00 for a nutshot! :=P Needless to say, the car in front us of stopped (traffic wuz already standing still), and the young driver got out, paid his money, and gave it a shot. OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! Needless to say, age notwithstanding, spouse thought it hilarious.

This led me to ponder the popularity of nutshots, and WHY they seem funny, mainly to men... as a form of entertainment, or as a means of raising money? All I can say is that, going by this, it seems there are plenty of entertaining things at Taste BESIDES the acts. However, I wouldn't laugh if a girl got hit between her legs. I would feel bad for her. You would think that guys would feel another guy's pain, especially if the kick or the hit was hard enough to cause damage to the goods. Why do guys laugh?

I guess it's like slapstick really... comedy involving exaggerated violence and activities which exceed the boundaries of common sense. Some part of a guy's brain harkens back to the days when he used to watch cartoons as a kid. It's the humor of when somebody steps on a rake and gets slapped in the face by the pole, often found in children's cartoons and light film comedies aimed at younger audiences, I think it makes men laugh the most. It's more of a guy thing. A lot of girls will say the Three Stooges are the stupidest thing they've ever seen.

On the other hand, I'm sure that not all guys react to a nutshot with laughter. Some guys will grab their nuts, exclaim "OOOH~" and proceed to shudder uncontrollably. Personality probably has a lot to do with it. Or the circumstances of the nutshot itself.

Speaking of slapstick, some argue that this form of humor goes back to Church liturgical dramas in the Middle Ages, of all things, and some argue it was present in Greek and Roman theater as well. Beating the devil off stage was a stock comedic device in otherwise serious religious plays. But of course you couldn't kill him, whatever you did to him, LOL .

If I obtain added info on nutshots, I'll let you know :=P