Let’s not forget the Stooges satisfied the times. WW1 had just ended and society may have been ripe for knucklehead violence to replace real bloodshed. But their careers really took off during the midst of the Great Depression. Society may have looked to them as a source of stress relief. The Stooges comedy was also greatly dependent upon creating tomfoolery for the rich establishment, the boss, and the authorities. Remember that society also had a great fondness for real life gangster back then as well.
Our current society is not so different. We are quick to idolize the villains in contemporary books and movies. And the heroes are often portrayed in a vigilante villainous manner. The general public is also consumed with the most trivial of TV entertainment. We have also regressed back to cartoons for humor, with no less violence than the stooges portrayed, but with a great deal more cheap shot fart jokes, as well as a new level of vulgarity.