Letters to the Editor
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Brits have a long history of smarts and silliness combined.
Ever heard of Monty Python? Peter Sellers? The Goons and all the rest of those surreal, hyperliterate tv comedies the UK was pumping out since the 50s? Heck, what about Lewis Carroll? The Office?
I haven't seen Hot Fuzz yet, but I did quite like Shaun of the Dead. I know Pegg and the other guy's stuff is different than the stuff I mention above, but I bet they have been influenced by some of it. The point is, I never thought smarts and silliness were mutually exclusive. It's not exclusively British, either. Although off the top of my head I can't think of much American smart/silly stuff besides Firesign Theater, and to me they were always more amusing than laugh out loud funny. The Brits do seem to have a knack for this type of comedy, though. Must have something to do with the bad teeth and penchant for cross-dressing. That's a joke people.