Casket (left). Leslie Nielsen (right)
Leading man turned comedy legend Leslie Nielsen was a master of the absurd in both life and death, it seems.
Recently, his niece Kyoko, known on TikTok as @kyokoandrudy, shared a story about his funeral that shows his iconic sense of humor knew no bounds.
Calling it one of her "favorite" stories about her late uncle, Kyoko said she often "hesitated to share it with the internet" because, well, it took place at a funeral. Still, given that the Naked Gun star's love for fart machines has become public knowledge, she felt more comfortable, ahem, letting this one rip.
The final prank went a little something like this: a fart machine was placed in Nielsen's coffin. The remote that controlled the speaker in Nielsen's casket sat next to the open bar. Yes, there was an open bar at his funeral, which Kyoko described as more of a "gigantic party" with wedding vibes than a somber wake. Anyway, folks grabbing a drink could press the button, triggering a fart sound from across the venue and giving mourners an unexpected surprise.
"To anyone that was standing there mourning him in that moment, if they weren't fully in the know, one might think that it had come from his body," said Kyoko. "Like, is that not so ridiculously morbid, but also hysterical?"
While it remains unclear whether the idea was truly Nielsen's or her aunt's, Kyoko felt it perfectly honored "both his sense of humor and the legacy he left behind."
As expected, fans were left gushing.
"This is the most Leslie Nielsen thing I've ever heard. He was so iconic, and I'm a huge fan of him 💙"
"He gave RIP a whole new meaning."
Nielsen was a fart-joke aficionado. His gravestone reads, "Let 'er rip."
"God, that man was such a gem. We could use more of his humor and joy these days."
Leslie Nielsen in "Naked Gun." media4.giphy.com
Many even shared their own run-ins with Nielsen and his fart machine.
"My [late] dad did lighting for some movies he was in and shared many fart machine stories."
"Saw him as a kid at a Toronto airport. I waved at him and he came over said hello and I got so nervous I cried but then 'farted' and I laughed. What a legend."
One bus driver even shared that Nielsen inspired them to "keep a fart machine on my bus to prank the kids!"
Nielsen's long-running gag apparently began with a handheld device created by his friend Duffy Martin, which he carried everywhere. He famously used it during late-night show interviews with Conan O'Brien and David Letterman.
- YouTube www.youtube.com
It looks like Nielsen successfully left behind a legacy of reminding the world not to take anything too seriously, except maybe having fun.