title: Eye trauma in Laurel and Hardy movies - another nice mess.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  One of the characteristics in Laurel and Hardy films is a lot of physical violence. The present study examines the occurrence of eye trauma in Laurel and Hardy movies and discusses the impact they could have been had if the films were set in reality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 92 movies starring Laurel and Hardy as a pair in leading roles were watched together by the authors and were scored for any eye trauma. Eighty-eight eye traumas happened, of which 48% were directed at Hardy. The eye poke was the most frequently occurring eye trauma and the traumatic corneal abrasion was very likely the most frequently occurring injury. Among the most serious causes of eye trauma were the pin of a door handle, a stick, a champagne cork, a tree branch and tacks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Without a doubt, if their films had been reality, especially Hardy but also Laurel and several other people, would have suffered from serious eye injuries caused by the 88 eye traumas. The findings of the present study might reflect the personality, character and intellectual capacity of both Laurel and Hardy as 'Two Minds Without a Single Thought'.
authors.affiliation: Student, Second Class of Secondary School, Gerrit Rietveld College Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Lara DA
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Zegers
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmologist, Department of Ophthalmology, Diakonessenhuis Utrecht/Zeist, The Netherlands r.h.zegers@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Richard Hc
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Zegers
mesh_terms: D003617:Dangerous Behavior; D005131:Eye Injuries / Q000209:etiology; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009040:Motion Pictures; D014754:Violence; D014925:Wit and Humor as Topic
keywords: Oliver Hardy; Stan Laurel; eye poke; ophthalmology