It seems to me that a certain sort of violence by women against men was a common trope some decades ago—perhaps other people can tell me whether it’s still popular.
He says something obnoxious. She hits him, and not with a slap—with a solid punch coming up from the ground. Big laugh from the audience. Rather implausibly, he isn’t injured and he doesn’t retaliate.
Though on second examination, that to be looks more about the sight gag than the violence dynamic. Armor-Piercing Slap (warning: TV Tropes) can include violence, but all it requires is humiliation, contra NancyLebovitz’s description.
Sometimes violence by men against men is portrayed as funny, too.
Violence by men against women portrayed as funny isn’t as common but there are still some classic examples.
Violence by women against women is another trope entirely.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail: 1975
Airplane: 1980
It seems to me that a certain sort of violence by women against men was a common trope some decades ago—perhaps other people can tell me whether it’s still popular.
He says something obnoxious. She hits him, and not with a slap—with a solid punch coming up from the ground. Big laugh from the audience. Rather implausibly, he isn’t injured and he doesn’t retaliate.
Monty Python was the example of men vs men. The examples of women against men were Airplane (1980) and Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008).
Those were examples of men against women being funny.
Oops...but now I don’t know why Nancy was giving dates.
Maybe to show that things have changed somewhat? Repo the Genetic Opera is something of an unusual movie, but it’s more recent than Airplane! is.
As you might expect, there’s a trope for this. (caution: TVTropes link)
Judging from the examples, the answer is “yes”, although I don’t know comedy well enough to say whether these are truly representative.
This trope might be closer.
I knew there was something I was forgetting.
Though on second examination, that to be looks more about the sight gag than the violence dynamic. Armor-Piercing Slap (warning: TV Tropes) can include violence, but all it requires is humiliation, contra NancyLebovitz’s description.