At the Bar With Leslie (true story)

While in Tulsa in the late 80's I was at a hotel for a weekend on a tour. I popped into the elevator to check out the restaurant when in walked Leslie Nielsen. He was carrying a whoopee cushion. As the elevator went from floor to floor a lady would enter. After the door closed he pressed the cushion turned looked the lady right in the eye unabashed and said "excuse me" then faced straight ahead. I wasn't laughing. I was in shock. When we got to the ground floor he asked me if I wanted to go to the bar to see what kind of trouble we could get into. I said why not. It was amazing to me no one seemed to recognize him and not one of the ladies he did that to thought it was funny in any way. He told so great jokes and then some folks he knew arrived. After that I went to eat. He never cracked a smile then when he knew no one was looking then his eyes lit up. He was having fun

I was so upset when he died I managed to get myself banned from a forum by slinging vitriol at trolltastic haterz.
 
The note from the mods was something like, "We feel ya but maybe you should take 24 hour break".
 
They were right but don't dis the Leslie. He is one of my comedy idols... especially whut wiff all the fart joke business in meatspace. Unlike many other comedians (who tend to be sullen whackjobs IRL) he just like screwing around and making people (especially himself) laugh.
 
There was something very genuine about him.
 
I should see if I can find the interview where he plays his fart machine gag on live TV... and everyone thinks it's real.
 
Priceless.

The thing I remember is he was so friendly and really nice guy

Holy crap. I think I just solved the mystery of why "some" Canadians say "eh"? Sadly I think it may play into the whole "polite" thing (which of course is a silly stereotype considering the plethora of raging arseholes that I've met here in my travels).
 
I think it's actually an ingrained form of deferrence to another's opinion on a statement. Not because we necessarily think the other person's opinion might negate what was just stated (or that they even would) but to give the other party a chance to speak on it.
 
It's almost Japanese-ish in a way. Kind of like a polite bow... except it's a monosyllabic grunt.
 

When I was a kid I remember him in this movie
   
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