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An Interview with Jerry Seinfeld (2017)
- brw95 4y agoJerry: "Who’s McKinsey?" It’s a consulting firm. "Are they funny?" No. "Then I don’t need them" I like this.
- tomcam 4y agoTo me, he is one of the greatest writers in standup there ever was. Like Eudora Welty, his finished product is devoid of fat and gristle. You can’t really remove a word without losing the meaning of the text. Virtually no one understands these days that he was quite wealthy before he had the TV show. He called himself “the most popular unknown comedian in America“ because he was absolutely killing it with corporate gigs and selling out his shows while absolutely not being a household name.
- labrador 4y agoI've seen his act. It's just so much fluff
- tomcam 4y agoTry writing one that bad and report back with a YouTube link to your performance. EDIT: answers below prove I am an ignorant doofus
- Guest9081239812 4y agoIt's a Seinfeld reference. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3kTYCLSgsg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3kTYCLSgsg
- labrador 4y agoI suspect you aren't as much of a Seinfeld fan as you think you are when you didn't recognize that line from the show.
- ipaddr 4y agoAt what stage? An act isn't a single performance and developing a routine means a different set each night nevermind the different routine has used throughout his career. It's like someone saying to a programmer. I know your work I saw one commit.
- shafyy 4y ago(Not OP) It's a line from Seinfeld (the TV show). Yes, this is not Reddit, but it's funny!
- lqet 4y agoI think Sally Weaver's new show could be for you. Finally a show about something!
- unmole 4y agoAre you a cashier?
- manmal 4y agoHe called his show the “show about nothing”, and Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee would pretty much also qualify for that title. It’s all 100% fluff. (I love his stuff for exactly that quality)
- ClassyJacket 4y agoI'm pretty sure this is a misconception. He never called Seinfeld a show about nothing. That was the show that his character and George pitched to the TV execs in Seinfeld.
- hunterb123 4y agoYeah but the entire episode was meta and breaking the 4th wall. He even references scenes that they do in Seinfeld when pitching it. And I wouldn't call it fluff, its observational humor and his style is to do 95% detailed setup and a quick punchline connecting it altogether.
- latexr 4y ago> He called his show the “show about nothing” He most certainly did not, he specifically called it the opposite (see point 4): https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/10-facts-about-nothing-from-jerry-seinfelds-ama-chat-171274/ https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/10-facts-a... Calling it “about nothing” is a meme with no basis in reality. That misconception even came from an episode which is about pitching a show. Seinfeld episodes are so clearly about something; they hit you on the head with the theme right at the start of each episode.
- manmal 4y agoI admit I meant this slightly tongue in cheek. I think „nothing“ works well as a description in terms of „no agenda“ and maybe „no philosophy“ (not sure about the latter, maybe it just escaped me; cynicism?).
- lqet 4y agoJohnny Carson knew it the first time he walked up on the stage of the Tonight Show in 1983. Seinfeld got the O.K. sign [0]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_4ds9BtQEI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_4ds9BtQEI [0] https://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/30/arts/television/carsons-code.html https://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/30/arts/television/carsons-c...
- canadianfella 4y ago
- cookie_monsta 4y ago> You can’t really remove a word without losing the meaning of the text. Hmmm... Once you see his jokes in text form this seems a little hyperbolic. Removing words would definitely change the rhythm, but Seinfeld is not a name that springs to mind when talking about taut writing. https://bouncemojo.com/jerry-seinfeld-jokes/ https://bouncemojo.com/jerry-seinfeld-jokes/
- tomcam 4y agoInteresting. I believe the link proves my thesis.
- cookie_monsta 4y agoI would encourage you to experiment a little. You can remove entire sentences while keeping the meaning, like this (the first joke on that page): Original: According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy. Could be: According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy. I just removed 20% of the words and the meaning is intact. The rhythm and emphasis for spoken delivery maybe not, but one of the things that bored me about Seinfeld eventually was the way he spoon fed everything to you, like he didn't quite trust you to be smart enough to get it the first time around. Compare that to Steven Wright's work - there really isn't a word out of place there. You either get it or you miss it, he just keeps moving
- tomcam 4y agoI love your experiment, I concede instantly, and provisionally agree about Steven Wright[1]. Thank you for calling me out. [1] Provisionally b/c maybe someone will bust in like you did and disprove you… I’m gunshy now
- minimaxir 4y agoRelated tweet about the interview that went semiviral a couple days ago: https://twitter.com/david_perell/status/1581096950631256064 https://twitter.com/david_perell/status/1581096950631256064
- robertlagrant 4y agoI love that anyone would think McKinsey would have made it funnier or more efficient.
- tra3 4y agoThat’s the whole interview? seems kinda short. It does remind me how much I miss “comedians getting coffee”. Seinfeld has such quick wit. Really admire him.
- supermatt 4y ago> People were picking up words we had made up, like “regifting” and “shrinkage.” They really believe made up the word "shrinkage"? Or is this some in-joke?
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- lqet 4y agohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85MZ4c1EWkM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85MZ4c1EWkM
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- manholio 4y agoIt's a specific meaning relating to the size of male genitalia after immersion in low temperature water. "There's significant shrinkage, my friend".
- shafyy 4y agoExactly. Pretty certain he doesn't mean that he invented the word per se, but the usage of the word for a certain situation.
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- wodenokoto 4y agoI was about to defend Jerry and say "Well, maybe someone added the suffix to shrink before him, but he made it a thing", but after looking at Google Ngram Viewer, then yes, he is way off. Usage of the word shrinkage topped in the 1930's and has been in steady decline during the Seinfeld years. https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=shrinkage&year_start=1800&year_end=2019&corpus=26&smoothing=3&case_insensitive=true https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=shrinkage&year... Screenshot: https://imgur.com/a/6Esimrk https://imgur.com/a/6Esimrk
- throwaway892238 4y agoIt's always kind of amazing to me how much of an asshole Jerry Seinfeld comes off as. It's sort of his stock in trade at this point. He's very funny and smart, and an egomaniacal asshole. And he doesn't care, because he has a gazillion dollars and all he cares about is what's funny. I just realized that Jerry Seinfeld is the Elon Musk of comedy.
- danielmarkbruce 4y agoI don't remember him claiming to be good at anything but comedy. And he is good at it. It's not like he thinks just just awesome in general.
- nimchimpsky 4y ago
- m_mueller 4y agoGet where you're coming from, but IMO here he just lacks false humility. All I heard about how the show Seinfeld was made, I think he's probably pretty accurate there. They were able to keep it up for a little while even after Larry David left.
- e40 4y agoI think it’s actually a schtick.
- randycupertino 4y agoThe clip where he refuses to hug Kesha is kind of awkward, although totally more her fault for just bombarding him and randomly demanding a hug: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX3_L8z2uw4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX3_L8z2uw4
- Accacin 4y agoI hate that I'm doing this, but if a man went up to a famous woman and demanded a hug, would that have been awkward? I don't like hugs, and I feel perfectly entitled to tell someone I don't want a hug.
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- ggm 4y agoIt's hard to believe that people once paid money to see comedy acts, that a comedian could make bank, because people paid. I think I've gone too far down the path to even think about paying to see standup now. I did, and I enjoyed it, but I would seriously question the value proposition compared to staying in and grazing the archive. It may be age. Probably is. That said, I am very unsure I would have paid to see Seinfeld at any stage in his career, but I can acknowledge he has gifts to delivery and tone, assuming he writes the material we hear/see. The central premise being he does, but my understand is that comedy is more nuanced: A number of people may be behind a gag.
- sammalloy 4y agoI’m going to go with a hard disagree with you on this one. Live comedy is awesome and amazing and you pay willingly to support the comedians and the hosting establishment. Used to go to Punch Line comedy club many years ago and support my friends. The best times we had were never when they were doing their act or practicing their lines. It was when they would riff and go total improv on the audience. Shit would happen and it was wild. TikTok and Instagram videos of small time comedians in packed clubs doing brief bits are a thing, and if you’re not watching them you’re missing out. Paying for comedy is very much still a real event, but sure, it’s probably a niche audience of fans and supporters, always has been, just like the opera or the symphony.
- ggm 4y agoI used to feel this excited about live, and now I just don't. I'm pretty sure it's me. And, I'm really glad people can still make a living at it.
- sammalloy 4y agoThe comedians I follow on social media aren’t all making a living from it. They are using it to market themselves for more gigs and appearances and engagements and roles as actors in theatre, movies, and television. It’s not just about comedy, but it’s a way for them to hone their skills overall, because comedy is about much more than just comedy—it’s writing, acting, and being able to improv with the audience in real time, which is a tremendous skill that can come in handy for almost any job. The best comedians are also actors, since they are playing a role on stage.
- canadianfella 4y ago
- chatterhead 4y ago
- mellosouls 4y agoYou might want to re-read them. As a ground-breaking, important tv show, discussions about Seinfeld (and its creators) are not off-topic per se as they potentially count as "anything that gratifies one's intellectual curiosity".
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- chatterhead 4y ago[flagged]
- Fervicus 4y agoWas my first knee jerk reaction too, but I enjoyed reading the interview. I appreciated the bit about innovation. > “What am I really sick of?” is where innovation begins.
- Zircom 4y agoThe guidelines also say to not post a comment about how a submission is off-topic or inappropriate, so since they're so important to you maybe you should try reading and following them yourself.
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- exhaze 4y ago"Every line, every casting decision" restated by Jerry back in early 90s, literally from the get-go - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0TE_xXjp-0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0TE_xXjp-0 As someone else said here, he did also give credit to rest of team - "every single one of the [main] cast could hold down their own show"
- bradlys 4y agoThe part where he says comedy is genetic and not taught seems so… ironic? I don’t get how he can’t see that because his father was funny he was able to learn from him just like his daughter learns from him. So weird. I guess admitting that you can learn how to be funny would take away some of the mystique and cheapen his abilities. Learning to be funny is definitely learnable. I’ve seen folks - especially autists/aspies - learn how to be funny over the course of a relatively short period of time. They learn various formulas and start applying them - boom… they went from bland and boring to they’re suddenly pretty funny.
- nickm12 4y agoDo you happen to have children? I don't know that it's "genetic" but I think Jerry is trying to say that it is innate. I have three children and one of them is extremely funny and has almost always been that way. I think it is both a talent he was born with but also developed once he saw the reactions he could get from it.
- kikokikokiko 4y agoSo ain't the ability to "learn how to be funny" encoded genetically in them? And some people, no matter how they tried, would never be able to become funny, since they simply do not have "the genes" that would allow it? Do you think everyone comes from the womb as a tabula rasa? Everyone has the same inherent ability to "learn to be funny"? And on a related note, an autistic guy "being funny" around his family or friends is a lot different than a professional comedian being funny on national television. Just as a national champion track and field competitor must have a baseline genetic ability to achieve this level of success, it's pretty much obvious that a highly successful comedian must be "born" with something special. By definition, he at least must "not be born" with something that impedes him to achieve it.
- telesilla 4y ago>autistic guy "being funny" around his family or friends is a lot different than a professional comedian being funny on national television Hannah Gadsby would agree (as an autistic comedian) https://youtu.be/XxETTrbh-WM https://youtu.be/XxETTrbh-WM
- datavirtue 4y agoSomeone once said: "Jerry Seinfeld isn't funny" (I forget who it was). It was an eppifany for me. I realized that his show was extremely backward and annoying after that. The overall popularity of it amazes me now.
- opium_tea 4y agoHow strange that it took someone saying that for you to realise you didn't like the show! It might warrant further introspection.
- kif 4y agoI tried watching Seinfeld with my partner like a year ago; we couldn't make it past the first few episodes. We never laughed, maybe a slight smile a few times but that's about it. The standup bits were my least favourite part. What I found to be remarkable was that Jerry couldn't act, especially after learning he is the richest comedian in the world. Maybe it's a generational thing, though there's stuff I find funny from the 90s. They say Seinfeld's quality went downhill after Larry David left, and that I understand. Curb Your Enthusiasm is a much better show IMO.
- NikolaNovak 4y agoI tried watching Seinfeld in the 90s and did not care for it. Some think it's because my English or cultural awareness weren't there yet and it's possible - as observational humour it does live within the gestalt of its time and culture. However, other possibility for Seinfeld show specifically is the characters - there's not a single likeable, redeemable person that I remember. In principle there's humour that can be made based on trials and tribulations of unlikeable folks but it's not for me. There was never progress, awareness, nicety. I'm not saying I need to watch Brady Bunch, but I personally found 22 minutes of concentrated selfish pettiness tiring. (I do "emotionally empathize" with tv characters more than perhaps average viewer regardless of genre so that may be to blame)
- sixstringtheory 4y agoHuh, I always figured the flawed or sometimes even detestable nature of the characters was part of the shtick. Like It’s Always Sunny…
- inkcapmushroom 4y agoI'm with the other commenter, I understand it's part of setting up the jokes and sort of an excuse for why they never grow as a character but it still makes it really unenjoyable to watch for me. I couldn't do Arrested Development or Archer for the same reason, after watching one or two episodes I just feel mad.
- lqet 4y agoThere are extremely few comedy shows I really enjoy: Arrested Development, Curb you Enthusiasm, Fawlty Towers, Only Fools and Horses, Malcolm in the Middle - and Seinfeld. I think they all have something in common: while they all offer plenty of easy-to-digest but clever short-term jokes, they regularly feature completely unexpected long-term jokes, to great effect. Seinfeld stands out because they typically achieve this across storylines. A great example (spoiler alert) is Kramer's golfing vs. George's lying in "The Marine Biologist", where the literal act of revealing that the joke was actually a storyline collision got the biggest laugh in the show's history. They sometimes even did it across episodes, for example George's job as a hand model. I think this is one of the main reasons Seinfeld nearly topped the 2013 WGA ranking of the best written TV shows [0]. Larry David became the master of this technique during the 3rd year of Seinfeld, and he further perfected it in "Curb". [0] https://www.wga.org/writers-room/101-best-lists/101-best-written-tv-series/list https://www.wga.org/writers-room/101-best-lists/101-best-wri...
- 6stringmerc 4y agoSeinfeld is lowest common denominator humor just above duck and fart jokes, and it sells because it’s clean humor. A step up from knock knock jokes. Seinfeld uses a well worn template well. What I dislike about what you like is the cringe comedy element. I can’t stand it. I far prefer surreal or absurdist comedy, like Aqua Teen Hunger Force or Futurama. Pound for pound 30 Rock is way better written and funnier than Seinfeld. Seinfeld makes Friends seem edgy by comparison imho.
- kcplate 4y ago> just above duck and fart jokes This comment quacked me up.
- le-mark 4y ago30 Rock is lowest common denominator humor just above duck and fart jokes, and it sells because it’s clean humor. A step up from knock knock jokes. 30 Rock uses a well worn template well. What I dislike about what you like is the cringe comedy element. I can’t stand it. Pound for pound Seinfeld is way better written and funnier than 30 Rock. 30 Rock makes Friends seem edgy by comparison imho.
- spywaregorilla 4y agoThere's a great scene in Always Sunny where the gang is doing a clip episode, and begins to incorrectly remember a Seinfeld scene as their own past, with two of them being Jerry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NflfnsU11CQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NflfnsU11CQ That's really funny with context. I didn't get it the first time around though. I feel like now that there's some more cultural awareness of laugh tracks anything that employs them seems bad. I think Seinfeld's writing and plot arcs, that is, the sitcom elements, were pretty good. But the dialogue and jokes and banter feel very forced and have not aged well.
- rizoma_dev 4y agoDid you know that Jerry Seinfeld trained for 17 years to prepare for his role in the omonimous sitcom? Google "Jerry Seinfeld 17 years" to learn more
- JoeAltmaier 4y agoHe mentions folks who were regulars on talk-shows, naming Charles Nelson Reilly. That's not a name familiar to most folks today I think. I would name Betty White and Zoey Deschanel. As he once said about them, "One is a perky funny beautiful woman who all the frat boys want to get into bed. And the other one is Zoey Deschanel."