Last of the Moe Haircuts

Flanagan, executive editor of Musician magazine, humorously examines the impact of the Stooges on the CIA, the Catholic Church, Watergate, literature, art, music and etiquette. He exhibits fine satirical instincts, but the premise of his parody is weakened by the fact that Moe, Larry and Curly have indeed been an influence. Beat literature, Flanagan states, is a ""rehash of the Stooges literary innovations,'' yet he is apparently unaware of Kerouac's memorable ``Supposing the Three Stooges were real?'' passage in Visions of Cody. A brief chapter on rock cites three songs with Stooge references yet ignores the popularity of Jump in the Saddle's ``Curly Shuffle'' and the dance competitions it inspired. Stooge fans will appreciate this book, but those who buy it for a legitimate study will feel cheated. (June)