Leslie Nielsen has passed away at the age of 84. Like anyone else who has had an influence on me, this news makes me sad, but also gives me pause to remember the good times that we shared together. Here’s one of my favorite memories.
When I was growing up I lived a very sheltered life, pop culturally speaking. My family didn’t own a VCR or get cable TV until I was in high school, and really we were only allowed to watch PBS. Kids at school would come in on Monday mornings talking about movies they had all seen, and would just listen in wonder. I wasn’t really jealous per say, but I was always interested in this entertainment world that was not a part of my life.
This story begins at Steve’s birthday party. I was probably in 5th grade. The most risque thing I had ever seen in my life thus far was ALF. Steve was having a sleepover, and we were going to watch movies, which I was very excited about. Steve’s mom, who was the coolest mom anyone ever had, was watching them with us, and we started with The Naked Gun.
From the opening sequence, my life was changed forever. For one thing, there were boobs. I don’t think I even knew enough about life to be scandalized by this. For all I knew, every movie had scenes of police cars driving through women’s showers. But I knew that I liked it, and the Smurfs were never going to be enough for me. Steve’s mom was very helpful as well. Still young enough not to feel embarrassed by my own inexperience, I asked a ton of questions. When Priscilla Presley starts coming down from the attic and Leslie Nielsen gazed up her skirt and says “Nice Beaver!” (to which she replies, “Thanks, I just had it stuffed,” and reveals an actual stuffed beaver) I asked why everyone was laughing, and I learned that “beaver” had another meaning. I learned a lot that day.
We followed up that movie with “Airplane” as well as “Airplane 2” (which contains all the same jokes as Airplane 1, only in space!) and Leslie Nielsen became my hero. I still quote those movies more than any others, and I am not overstating things when I say that the trajectory of my life was changed. I watched many more movies at Steve’s house, and I learned a lot of things, but I will always remember that first day with great fondness, and I will always have a deep love for all of Mr. Nielsen’s movies, even the terrible ones.
My personal sadness when one of my favorite performers dies, is that I will never have the chance to meet them and tell them how much they touched my life in person. Sure, that was probably not going to happen anyway, but now the chance is gone. His time in history has passed. Goodbye old friend, but know that every time I see a stuffed beaver or a giant human sized condom, I’ll be thinking of you.
What I remember best is Jerry rewinding that boobs scene over and over and over again. And the scene where OJ gets pushed down the stairs while in a wheelchair. And Chris trying to send everyone home even though it wasn’t his party.
Also, my favorite Leslie Nielsen scene was the moment of zen on the Daily Show last night.