In response to my remark about the Three Stooges not being funny, a

reader — may his hair and teeth fall out! — has reminded me of the Crazy

Gang. If you didn’t grow up in Britain in the 1960s, you don’t know about

the Crazy Gang — and believe me, you should give heartfelt thanks for that.

Their act was so un-funny, watching it left you glum for a week. They were

practitioners of anti-humor (like anti-matter), and I think only survived at

all because the Queen Mother, who had *very* eccentric tastes, liked them.

By comparison with the Crazy Gang, the Three Stooges *were* funny. But

then, by comparison with the Crazy Gang, the Black Death was pretty funny.