Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Slapstick is a type of comedy involving exaggerated physical violence and activities which exceed the boundaries of common sense. These hyperbolic depictions are often found in children's cartoons, and light film comedies aimed at younger audiences.The phrase comes from the battacchio-called the 'slap stick' in English-a club-like object composed of two wooden slats used in Commedia dell'arte. When struck, the battacchio produces a loud smacking noise, though little force is transferred from the object to the person being struck. Actors may thus hit one another repeatedly with great audible effect while causing very little actual physical damage. Along with the inflatable bladder (of which the whoopee cushion is a modern variant), it was among the earliest forms of special effects that could be carried on one's person.