--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the best traditions of American…" description: "\"In the best traditions of American comedy, from its beginnings through the crash-bang comedies of the 1990s and 2000s, Leslie Nielsen skewered the othe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/037/tom-shales-12468_american_in-the-best-traditions-of-american-comed_1629170.png" --- # In the best traditions of American comedy, from its… ![“In the best traditions of American comedy, from its beginnings through the crash-bang comedies of the 1990s and 2000s, Leslie Nielsen skewered the otherwise proper, did it with mischievous delight and convulsed audiences mercilessly.” quote by Tom Shales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/037/tom-shales-12468_american_in-the-best-traditions-of-american-comed_1629170.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/037/tom-shales-12468_american_in-the-best-traditions-of-american-comed_1629170.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/037/tom-shales-12468_american_in-the-best-traditions-of-american-comed_1629170.png) > “In the best traditions of American comedy, from its beginnings through the crash-bang comedies of the 1990s and 2000s, Leslie Nielsen skewered the otherwise proper, did it with mischievous delight and convulsed audiences mercilessly.” [Tom Shales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shales/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leslie Nielsen used exaggerated, mischievous performances to mock propriety, delivering relentless, chaotic humor that delighted audiences. **In simple terms:** Nielsen’s wild comedy mocked seriousness for laughs. Key Takeaway Use playful exaggeration to challenge norms. Themes comedy subversion entertainment Mood playful energetic Type critical humorous When to use this quote - film - stand‑up - TV shows - live performance Key Concepts satire physical comedy Questions to Reflect On - What balance of chaos and wit works best? - How does satire shape cultural norms? A Different Perspective Excessive chaos can alienate some viewers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Audiences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audiences/) [Beginnings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beginnings/) [Comedies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedies/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Delight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delight/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Traditions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/traditions/) ## Related quotes > [In Canadian comedy, you'll almost never see guns. If you bring a gun into a scene, it's like, 'Whoa! 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Firmly in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-reid/w-kamau-bell-is-in-the-vanguard-of-a-new-era-of-american-comedy-for/) [Vernon Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-reid/) > [When I first started watching stand-up, I fell in love with American comedy before British comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romesh-ranganathan/when-i-first-started-watching-stand-up-i-fell-in-love-with-american/) [Romesh Ranganathan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romesh-ranganathan/) > [I used to love comic books, and I love American comedy, and neither are afraid to tackle big themes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hewlett/i-used-to-love-comic-books-and-i-love-american-comedy-and-neither-are/) [Jamie Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hewlett/) > [British comedy - which has been a big inspiration to me for many years - is very different to Australian comedy and different again…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-gann/british-comedy-which-has-been-a-big-inspiration-to-me-for-many-years/) [Jason Gann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-gann/) > [There is certainly a higher percentage of wit in British comedy than in American comedy. What always tickles me is the way in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-lloyd/there-is-certainly-a-higher-percentage-of-wit-in-british-comedy-than/) [Christopher Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-lloyd/) > [My friend and I founded the New York Arab-American Comedy Festival to counter the negative images of Arabs in media. And we always made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maysoon-zayid/my-friend-and-i-founded-the-new-york-arab-american-comedy-festival-to/) [Maysoon Zayid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maysoon-zayid/) > [Well, being a Canadian, I love SCTV, and I think it's the basis for all good North American comedy, so I compare everything to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-auf-der-maur/well-being-a-canadian-i-love-sctv-and-i-think-it-s-the-basis-for-all/) [Melissa Auf der Maur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-auf-der-maur/) > [I feel American comedy is a little too light. World cinema, and Latin cinema, is much more comfortable with darker emotions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-leguizamo/i-feel-american-comedy-is-a-little-too-light-world-cinema-and-latin/) [John Leguizamo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-leguizamo/) > [There is... an artificial aristocracy founded on wealth and birth, without either virtue or talents... The artificial aristocracy is a mischievous ingredient in government,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/there-is-an-artificial-aristocracy-founded-on-wealth-and-birth/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Operation Bluestar was a mischievous blunder, and it should not have been done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subramanian-swamy/operation-bluestar-was-a-mischievous-blunder-and-it-should-not-have/) [Subramanian Swamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subramanian-swamy/) ## More by Tom Shales > [Maybe it's the hair. Maybe it's the teeth. Maybe it's the intellect. No, it's the hair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shales/maybe-it-s-the-hair-maybe-it-s-the-teeth-maybe-it-s-the-intellect-no/) [Tom Shales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shales/) > [Jimmy Kimmel still comes across like a guy who crashed a party and got caught at it, yet adamantly refuses to leave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shales/jimmy-kimmel-still-comes-across-like-a-guy-who-crashed-a-party-and/) [Tom Shales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shales/) > [In city after city, newspaper after newspaper has diminished its staff of critics, sometimes to zero. Film and T.V. critics have been dropped and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shales/in-city-after-city-newspaper-after-newspaper-has-diminished-its-staff/) [Tom Shales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shales/) > ['Kukla, Fran and Ollie' occurred in real time and was a benign and bewitching example of pure television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shales/kukla-fran-and-ollie-occurred-in-real-time-and-was-a-benign-and/) [Tom Shales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shales/) > [Maybe Larry Kings cannot thrive or even survive in a world where the norms for discourse are rage, vehemence and character assassination. 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Program…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shales/the-once-inviolate-frame-within-which-programs-or-commercials-were/) [Tom Shales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shales/) > ['Leave It to Beaver,' which ran from 1957 until 1963, was one of the strangest, sweetest, most distinctive domestic sitcoms of television's celebrated Golden Age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shales/leave-it-to-beaver-which-ran-from-1957-until-1963-was-one-of-the/) [Tom Shales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shales/) > [The original and very basic 'Law & Order' series has always seemed to me to be 100-percent exposition, with no filler, no pesky nuances…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shales/the-original-and-very-basic-law-order-series-has-always-seemed-to-me/) [Tom Shales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shales/) > [Gimmicks come and go; the cop show seems one genre that will never leave - not as long as people like to sit at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shales/gimmicks-come-and-go-the-cop-show-seems-one-genre-that-will-never/) [Tom Shales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shales/) > [If the networks can get audiences to tolerate pop-up promos by the dozens, maybe they'll start selling pop-up commercials, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shales/if-the-networks-can-get-audiences-to-tolerate-pop-up-promos-by-the/) [Tom Shales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shales/) > [Jerry Seinfeld is amazing in many ways, not the least of them his ability to find humor, and convincing us to find it, too,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shales/jerry-seinfeld-is-amazing-in-many-ways-not-the-least-of-them-his/) [Tom Shales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shales/) [Explore all 54 Tom Shales quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shales/) ## More American quotes > [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [William Maxwell's my favorite North American writer, I think. 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W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in a tremendous investment to support millions of workers without a paycheck and behind on bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-auchincloss/congress-passed-the-american-rescue-plan-act-in-a-tremendous/) [Jake Auchincloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-auchincloss/) > [Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy and employ almost half of the working population. Yet because of their size, they rarely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-lipinski/small-businesses-are-the-backbone-of-the-american-economy-and-employ/) [Dan Lipinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-lipinski/) > [Although I write in English, and despite the fact that I'm from America, I consider myself an Armenian writer. The words I use are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/although-i-write-in-english-and-despite-the-fact-that-i-m-from/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [When we first sold the Wallace and Gromit shorts to America, people suggested we get rid of the strange British accents and put clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-park/when-we-first-sold-the-wallace-and-gromit-shorts-to-america-people/) [Nick Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-park/) > [Firefighters and rescue workers are American superheroes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-kennedy/firefighters-and-rescue-workers-are-american-superheroes/) [Kerry Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-kennedy/) > [France has not only built a bureaucratic barrier against American culture, it has constructed a notorious intellectual case against it as well. The French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/france-has-not-only-built-a-bureaucratic-barrier-against-american/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [New York and San Francisco are distinctly different. San Francisco is driving the American media, not New York. You have young, microwaved millionaires and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-whitlock/new-york-and-san-francisco-are-distinctly-different-san-francisco-is/) [Jason Whitlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-whitlock/) > [Well look, CIA is an agency that has to collect intelligence, do operations. 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But it's just as important for the U.S. never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/it-s-important-for-american-soldiers-to-be-culturally-sensitive-when/) [Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/) Browse all 7,717 American quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In the best traditions of American comedy, from its beginnings through the crash-bang comedies of the 1990s and 2000s, Leslie Nielsen skewered the otherwise proper, did it with mischievous delight and convulsed audiences mercilessly.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tom Shales" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shales/in-the-best-traditions-of-american-comedy-from-its-beginnings-through/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "American" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shales/in-the-best-traditions-of-american-comedy-from-its-beginnings-through/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/037/tom-shales-12468_american_in-the-best-traditions-of-american-comed_1629170.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/037/tom-shales-12468_american_in-the-best-traditions-of-american-comed_1629170.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/037/tom-shales-12468_american_in-the-best-traditions-of-american-comed_1629170.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In the best traditions of American comedy, from its beginnings through the crash-bang comedies of the 1990s…” — Tom Shales", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Tom Shales", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shales/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In the best traditions of American...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shales/in-the-best-traditions-of-american-comedy-from-its-beginnings-through/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shales/in-the-best-traditions-of-american-comedy-from-its-beginnings-through/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```