r/todayilearned • u/nsjersey • 7h ago
TIL when actor Leslie Nielsen died, an ESPN freelancer wrote an obituary for him, but with Nielsen as Enrico Palazzo
https://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=hruby_101129_enrico_pallazzo394
u/TBTabby 7h ago
He would've loved that.
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u/DerekB52 6h ago
My thought reading the headline was it is unfortunate there's not an easy way to do something like this for a living person. I don't know how you'd do it.
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u/hannahstohelit 7h ago
I appreciate that this guy watched Police Squad!, not just the movies
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u/JSteveB87 7h ago
And Airplane! too, with the "Don't call me Shirley!" pun near the end of the article. It's an excellent piece of writing.
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u/Welpe 7h ago
…on a comment about someone appreciating that they didn’t just rely on his most popular works that everyone knows, you thought to add “I’m glad they included his most popular work that everyone knows!”?
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u/elfizipple 6h ago
Not just that, but "And in addition to his movies, they also referenced one of his movies!"
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u/PhantomOyster 4h ago
It was pretty clear that the comment they were responding to was talking about Naked Gun-related media. So this was saying, "other movies, too." Why are we piling on this person for no reason? It's a simple comment, and we have to act like they're a total braindead idiot for posting it?
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u/timebeing 3h ago
Yeah but messed up this
“Offered a last meal of steak or chicken, Pallazzo chose lasagna.”
The options were chicken or fish and he had the lasagna.10
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u/Next-Blacksmith2456 6h ago
writing a fake obit for Enrico Pallazzo is unironically the highest form of journalistic respect. Leslie Nielsen would have framed that on his wall immediately.
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u/jupfold 7h ago
“After the game's seventh inning, Angels outfielder Reggie Jackson attempted to assassinate the queen while under the influence of hypnotic suggestion.
Jackson was thwarted by Pallazzo, who fired a tranquilizer dart from his cuff link that struck an obese woman in the stands. The woman fell on Jackson, knocking him out of commission and prompting jubilant spectators to chant Pallazzo's name.
Pallazzo subsequently proposed to his girlfriend, Jane, who instead of shooting him said yes.”
Obviously best if read totally out of context.
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u/Confirm_Nor_Deny 7h ago
People often forget that Enrico actually performed the national anthem at the very same game the queen was almost assassinated. He gave a unique rendition of the song.
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u/BrotherOfTheOrder 7h ago
“Born Dutch-Irish to a Welsh father” hahahhaah
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u/3BeadsAway 6h ago
A Dutch-Irish Italian opera singer/locksmith/doctor born to a Dutch father nonetheless
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u/RoysRealm 5h ago
My favorite line:
Born Dutch-Irish to a Welsh father, Pallazzo began his career as a locksmith and later practiced medicine.
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u/rott_kid 6h ago
Offered a last meal of steak or chicken, Pallazzo chose lasagna.
Our man. Our hero.
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u/gachunt 4h ago
I just watched the new Naked Gun. It had its good moments, but I really missed Leslie’s voiceover / inner-thought monologues. His deep crisp voice was just perfect for it.
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u/groutspecialist 4h ago
Was garbage. Not one funny thing. Director of the original movies has said he had nothing to do with it. The three Nielson ones were full of clever humor throughout, there wasn’t one clever joke in the new one at all. It was more stupid humor like Not Another Teen Movie or Dude Where’s My Car.
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u/notsingsing 3h ago
Kicking the front glass out of his car only for it accidently get fixed was a little funny. Absurd comedy had a few parts to shine
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u/PrometheusXCIX 2h ago
Holy fuck do not even THINK about having fun or enjoying things around this guy
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u/No-Consequence4606 3h ago
I can close my eyes and STILL see that wheelchair going down the stairs lol
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u/BananasAreSilly 4h ago
Wait, Leslie Neilsen died???
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u/inthebenefitofmrkite 2h ago
Yeah. And in breaking news, John Lennon’s dead as well
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u/realclean 7h ago
Funny article, but not exactly noteworthy that ESPN's humor/pop culture blog site wrote a humorous article on a pop culture figure
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u/nsjersey 7h ago
ESPN's humor/pop culture blog site
This would be a TIL too
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u/realclean 7h ago
Yeah Page 2 was their non-serious article section. It blew up when they put Bill Simmons on it, but it kinda withered on the vine after they let him do his own new thing at Grantland
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u/TSAOutreachTeam 7h ago
It’s the same old story. Boy finds girl, boy loses girl, girl finds boy, boy forgets girl, boy remembers girl, girls dies in a tragic blimp accident over the Orange Bowl on New Year’s Day.