I'm coming into another topic late, but just had to add my representation to the supposed handful of female Stooge fans!
I've loved the Three Stooges since I was about nine years old. And I know all the facts and figures and such as well. I tend to do that with all the stuff I get into.
But like a lot of you have said, I'm also into a lot of things that aren't considered "girly" in terms of the actors I like or the movies I watch etc. A lot of girls weren't fans of "Young Frankenstein" and Marty Feldman and Mel Brooks at the age of 7, but I was so there you go.
It's a total myth that only guys like the stooges. Sure, there are certainly more guy fans out there, but female fans certainly exist. I personally never understood WHY women didn't like them. If anything, I often feel that their whimsy and such would be more appealing to women. I see nothing awful about what they do and they're always basically trying to do the right thing. Sure there's the shorts where they will slap women back or throw pies at them, but I personally feel that's sort of ahead of its time really haha. Besides, they always make the women quite tough in their shorts, so there's usually an even playing field. They're generally very adorable with the ladies, I find.
Here again is another good point. Someone said how perhaps women aren't into them because of an appearance thing. It's true there are more "pretty boy" or "conventional" looking old time comics out there that may have a larger female following. However, I've never been into the "conventional" myself and as I mature I realize one of the reasons that I've been able to stay interested in them for all these years is becasue I find that they're quite appealing...particularly in their earlier shorts. They're cute. And as I said, they're always very cute in their scenes with the women in the shorts (particularly Larry in shorts like "Woman Haters").
But looks are not the be all end all. To me, they are not funny or enjoyable because they're attractive, rather they're attractive BECAUSE they are funny, creative, talented, etc. From 9 years old to 20 years old which I am now, their talents and such will always be the first thing that makes them appealing.
In short, I think that it's a myth that only men like them as much as it's a myth that highly intelligent people do not like them. I personally feel one has to be quite smart to truly get most comedy, or see that there's generally more to it than meets the eye. The Three Stooges, in my view, are smart comedy...sometimes cleverly disguised as stupid or simple.
Female stooge fans are out there, but I guess we're a rare breed haha.
I should also say that my little sister loves them as well. She adores shorts like "Nutty But Nice" or (the beer one) as she calls it and "Hot Scots" (the one with the big teeth guy). My mother too also thinks they're pretty funny and likes hearing about their backstories and how they were in real life...which made her like and respect them more.
Oh well, I love the Stooges.