9 ms·

It'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,

It'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 ago
I 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 ago
Get 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 ago
I think it’s actually a schtick.
- randycupertino 4y ago
  The 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 ago
    I 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.
    - Broken_Hippo 4y ago
      Men do that to non-famous women more than you might expect. If it would have happened the other way around, Seinfeld might have just gotten that hug and it wouldn't have been all that surprising. (FWIW, I'm fully in the camp of 'don't assault folks with hugs' and I personally don't like them under most circumstances).
  - Fervicus 4y ago
    Seems like a perfectly normal reaction to me. It's reasonable for not wanting to hug a stranger.
    - astura 4y ago
      Especially since he's known as somewhat of a germaphobe.
manholio 4y ago
He's quite full of himself (the show was called "Seinfeld" after all, before hardly anyone recognized that name), but I think that's part of the comedic persona, that's his routine, a snob successful man. A thing I really find off-putting is the overt misogyny of the Seinfeld character in the series - he's a ladies man and has very little regard or respect for his romantic conquests, over 70 throughout the series, iirc. Jerry's love interests are a source of gags, but the fact that he's essentially a sexual addict if never addressed or mocked. I realize the character is not the same as the comedian, but it's hard to disentangle the two, especially if he owns up to such a large influence on the final text. It's as if a woman was never involved in the writing so she could object to the disposable nature of Jerry's female companions. Is it a personal fantasy that's being projected, is it a comedic version of his real life? I don't know.
- seehafer 4y ago
  Carol Leifer was a writer on the show for many years and the inspiration for Elaine, as she was an ex-girlfriend of Jerry’s and they remained friends after the breakup.
- Panoramix 4y ago
  >it's hard to disentangle the two It's not hard at all. It's a TV show.
- conradfr 4y ago
  Well the show motto was "no hugging, no learning". But don't you think Elaine was a "strong independent woman"?
  - jjgreen 4y ago
    Shadduppp! [pushes <some guy> in the chest with two hands, <some guy> falls over backward, looking alarmed]
    - akkad33 4y ago
      I think she said "Get out"
kleiba 4y ago
Where do you see that in this interview though? I might be culturally biased but I don't get this vibe in this interview at all.
- jedberg 4y ago
  "The show was successful because I micromanaged it—every word, every line, every take, every edit, every casting. That’s my way of life."
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
  - lqet 4y ago
    I think you are reading too much into this sentence. I took it as a sarcastic comment on the (tongue-in-cheek) suggestion that he could've asked McKinsey for advice to streamline the production. Also note that he did not say that his micromanaging was the only reason for the show's success - only that it couldn't have been a success without it. In interviews he has repeatedly stated that 1) they were extremely lucky that they got this talented cast, 2) they were extremely lucky because NBC basically gave them carte blanche, 3) they were extremely lucky because they had such talented writers, and 4) without Larry David, he simply couldn't have done the show. That being said - he chose Larry David as a partner, he and Larry had the last word on every casting decision, he and Larry only hired writers they thought were funny, re-worked every single script, and wrote most of the early episodes, and he was able to smoothly handle NBC. So yes, he did micromanage the entire show (together with Larry David). I have heard cast members say in interviews that Seinfeld basically worked nonstop for 9 years. He had no weekends and no family, the show was everything. When other other cast members came in fresh in the morning for filming, he often had an all-nighter of rewriting behind him. Is that a healthy way to produce such a show? Certainly not, and Seinfeld has sometimes remarked that he was close to suicide at some points (Larry David quit because he physically couldn't do it anymore). But I tend to agree with him that this micromanaging kept the show together, and without it, it wouldn't have been a success. Also consider this: most of the great laughs on the show were not his lines - but lines he and Larry gave other characters (mostly George, Kramer and Elaine). In the show, his character is really just a kind of distant observer. Other actors get the laughs and the screen time. Is this the behavior of an egomaniac?
jslaD 4y ago
People are so used to the same standard, cheap brand of self deprecating humor that anything else comes off as “egomania”
- danielbarla 4y ago
  > The show was successful because I micromanaged it—every word, every line, every take, every edit, every casting. That’s my way of life. In which he takes sole credit for the success of something a fair few people had a hand in. Not to mention luck, etc. I'm fairly sure this qualifies as egomania.
  - danielmarkbruce 4y ago
    What if he's just right? As an example - there are a lot of smart people at Tesla, and there have been for years. If you'd have put me in charge of it 10 years ago it would be dead. Dead dead dead. Elon makes a big difference. He's done it several times. Some people actually are the differentiator.
  - kortilla 4y ago
    Claiming that you are crucial to a project is not the same as taking sole credit for it. This is one of the biggest things I see software engineers struggle with in both hiring and annual reviews. They are so afraid to point out why they were critical for a project that they end up marketing themselves as a ride-along, which does not look good.
    - Broken_Hippo 4y ago
      Note that no one would expect Seinfeld to not be a crucial part in a series that is named after him. He could have said things like, "I always think my micromanaging was what made it successful, but lots of folks worked really hard on the show" He didn't, though.
      - slothtrop 4y ago
        In that particular sentence, no.
sammalloy 4y ago
> It's always kind of amazing to me how much of an asshole Jerry Seinfeld comes off as. Came here to say this, only to see it’s the top comment. Bravo. Love me some Seinfeld, but goddamn it man, show some kindness and humility.
- lotsofpulp 4y ago
  I would not expect humility from a guy that unabashedly dated a 17 year old when he was 38 years old.
  - throwaway290 4y ago
    That one's choice of partner is indicative of humility is an interesting sentiment. I guess if you see it as "the younger the better" and consider another person picking a better partner as reducing your pool of acceptable partners then it sort of makes sense.
karaokeyoga 4y ago
… which works well when he's having a conversation with Mark Zuckerberg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mkR3BkuKCI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mkR3BkuKCI
m1nes 4y ago
In these times when nobody says what they think just to be liked, people confuse assertiveness with being an egomaniacal jerk
- MisterTea 4y ago
  Most people think acting like an egomaniacal jerk is what being assertive means.
- astura 4y ago
  In kindergarten, 35 years ago, I was taught "if you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all." That saying comes from a movie that came out 45 years before that. So people not saying what they think just to be liked is certainly not "in these times" thing. It's something children have been taught for at least the last century.
Gatsky 4y ago
I don't know the man, but what I see is that he is, ultimately, dissatisfied with his work. There is an effortfulness to what he does that belies an underlying cynicism about comedy. He is a tragic figure in that sense, all that success and yet not quite content. I can believe that he micromanages everything. Maybe part of it is that he really wants to do standup, but the show was much better than any of his standup. The standup pieces he does for the show are undoubtedly the weakest part of Seinfeld. It is notable that in the Seinfeld reunion episodes in Curb Your Enthusiasm, all the old cast gets skewered but not Jerry [1]. I suspect Larry knows that deep down, Jerry can't take that kind of joke. Still can't. [1] I just want to say that the scene where Larry impersonates George is one of the funniest things I've ever seen.
- hackeraccount 4y ago
  Total non-sequitur but that - "standup pieces he does for the show are undoubtedly the weakest part" is just what I thought about The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Not that I'm saying the rest of it was that good - it had an oddness that the supporting cast was always better or at least written better then the principals. Honestly the wardrobe was better then the principals...
  - drc500free 4y ago
    At first, then it felt like every character - lead or supporting - got Flanderized into pap.
- ethbr0 4y ago
  > I suspect Larry knows that deep down, Jerry can't take that kind of joke. Still can't. What's the meanest thing you can say to someone really dedicated to their work? Your work is worthless.
  - lqet 4y ago
    I guess many, if not most, great artists would immediately agree.
  - 4y ago
astura 4y ago
Are you referring to the character of Jerry Seinfeld on Seinfeld, or are you referring to this interview?
sixstringtheory 4y ago
I’m pretty sure most people are egomaniacal assholes, they just can’t afford to publicly be so. I’m reminded of a quote from Art School Confidential: > Bardo: Why are you such an asshole? > Marvin Bushmiller: Now that's a great question. No, really. It really is. I am an asshole because... that is my true nature. Maybe it's everybody's true nature. Every single one of you looks like a fuckin' asshole to me, but... who knows? The difference between you and me is that I have gained the freedom to express my true nature. And what could be more beautiful than truth and freedom? … > Marvin Bushmiller: Shut up. Look. There's really only one question any of you want to ask: you want to know what it would take to turn you into me. Well, listen closely, 'cause I'm gonna give you the answer. In order to be a great artist, you simply have to *be* a great artist. There's nothing to learn. So... you're all wasting your time. Go home. —- Seinfeld is different from Musk because Musk is a lying, envious person, quite publicly. Not a good look. I’d be interested to see anything Seinfeld had said that is comparable to Musk’s pedophile fiasco or constant scammy claims. One is a self-actualized asshole, the other is a groveling asshole. —- Served on a platter of fakes It's inevitable: We're proud to be pricks, yeah We're proud to be assholes –At the Drive-in, Porfirio Diaz, 1997
- lazyeye 4y ago
  What about people that are only marginally more successful than you? Are they stil assholes too?
dboreham 4y ago
A good way to gain insight into Jerry these days is to listen to the Spike's Car Radio podcast (mainly the episodes where Jerry appears, but some others are useful too).
agumonkey 4y ago
he's a bit, he likes to say how different he is from people and that he needs people like him, aka comedians he also likes to remind people he had the biggest show but he's pretty soft for a potential egomaniac

danielmarkbruce 4y ago

I 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 ago

Get 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 ago

I think it’s actually a schtick.

randycupertino 4y ago
The 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 ago
  I 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.
  - Broken_Hippo 4y ago
    Men do that to non-famous women more than you might expect. If it would have happened the other way around, Seinfeld might have just gotten that hug and it wouldn't have been all that surprising. (FWIW, I'm fully in the camp of 'don't assault folks with hugs' and I personally don't like them under most circumstances).
- Fervicus 4y ago
  Seems like a perfectly normal reaction to me. It's reasonable for not wanting to hug a stranger.
  - astura 4y ago
    Especially since he's known as somewhat of a germaphobe.

manholio 4y ago

He's quite full of himself (the show was called "Seinfeld" after all, before hardly anyone recognized that name), but I think that's part of the comedic persona, that's his routine, a snob successful man. A thing I really find off-putting is the overt misogyny of the Seinfeld character in the series - he's a ladies man and has very little regard or respect for his romantic conquests, over 70 throughout the series, iirc. Jerry's love interests are a source of gags, but the fact that he's essentially a sexual addict if never addressed or mocked. I realize the character is not the same as the comedian, but it's hard to disentangle the two, especially if he owns up to such a large influence on the final text. It's as if a woman was never involved in the writing so she could object to the disposable nature of Jerry's female companions. Is it a personal fantasy that's being projected, is it a comedic version of his real life? I don't know.

seehafer 4y ago
Carol Leifer was a writer on the show for many years and the inspiration for Elaine, as she was an ex-girlfriend of Jerry’s and they remained friends after the breakup.
Panoramix 4y ago
>it's hard to disentangle the two It's not hard at all. It's a TV show.
conradfr 4y ago
Well the show motto was "no hugging, no learning". But don't you think Elaine was a "strong independent woman"?
- jjgreen 4y ago
  Shadduppp! [pushes <some guy> in the chest with two hands, <some guy> falls over backward, looking alarmed]
  - akkad33 4y ago
    I think she said "Get out"

kleiba 4y ago

Where do you see that in this interview though? I might be culturally biased but I don't get this vibe in this interview at all.

jedberg 4y ago
"The show was successful because I micromanaged it—every word, every line, every take, every edit, every casting. That’s my way of life."
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- lqet 4y ago
  I think you are reading too much into this sentence. I took it as a sarcastic comment on the (tongue-in-cheek) suggestion that he could've asked McKinsey for advice to streamline the production. Also note that he did not say that his micromanaging was the only reason for the show's success - only that it couldn't have been a success without it. In interviews he has repeatedly stated that 1) they were extremely lucky that they got this talented cast, 2) they were extremely lucky because NBC basically gave them carte blanche, 3) they were extremely lucky because they had such talented writers, and 4) without Larry David, he simply couldn't have done the show. That being said - he chose Larry David as a partner, he and Larry had the last word on every casting decision, he and Larry only hired writers they thought were funny, re-worked every single script, and wrote most of the early episodes, and he was able to smoothly handle NBC. So yes, he did micromanage the entire show (together with Larry David). I have heard cast members say in interviews that Seinfeld basically worked nonstop for 9 years. He had no weekends and no family, the show was everything. When other other cast members came in fresh in the morning for filming, he often had an all-nighter of rewriting behind him. Is that a healthy way to produce such a show? Certainly not, and Seinfeld has sometimes remarked that he was close to suicide at some points (Larry David quit because he physically couldn't do it anymore). But I tend to agree with him that this micromanaging kept the show together, and without it, it wouldn't have been a success. Also consider this: most of the great laughs on the show were not his lines - but lines he and Larry gave other characters (mostly George, Kramer and Elaine). In the show, his character is really just a kind of distant observer. Other actors get the laughs and the screen time. Is this the behavior of an egomaniac?

jslaD 4y ago

People are so used to the same standard, cheap brand of self deprecating humor that anything else comes off as “egomania”

danielbarla 4y ago
> The show was successful because I micromanaged it—every word, every line, every take, every edit, every casting. That’s my way of life. In which he takes sole credit for the success of something a fair few people had a hand in. Not to mention luck, etc. I'm fairly sure this qualifies as egomania.
- danielmarkbruce 4y ago
  What if he's just right? As an example - there are a lot of smart people at Tesla, and there have been for years. If you'd have put me in charge of it 10 years ago it would be dead. Dead dead dead. Elon makes a big difference. He's done it several times. Some people actually are the differentiator.
- kortilla 4y ago
  Claiming that you are crucial to a project is not the same as taking sole credit for it. This is one of the biggest things I see software engineers struggle with in both hiring and annual reviews. They are so afraid to point out why they were critical for a project that they end up marketing themselves as a ride-along, which does not look good.
  - Broken_Hippo 4y ago
    Note that no one would expect Seinfeld to not be a crucial part in a series that is named after him. He could have said things like, "I always think my micromanaging was what made it successful, but lots of folks worked really hard on the show" He didn't, though.
    - slothtrop 4y ago
      In that particular sentence, no.

sammalloy 4y ago

> It's always kind of amazing to me how much of an asshole Jerry Seinfeld comes off as. Came here to say this, only to see it’s the top comment. Bravo. Love me some Seinfeld, but goddamn it man, show some kindness and humility.

lotsofpulp 4y ago
I would not expect humility from a guy that unabashedly dated a 17 year old when he was 38 years old.
- throwaway290 4y ago
  That one's choice of partner is indicative of humility is an interesting sentiment. I guess if you see it as "the younger the better" and consider another person picking a better partner as reducing your pool of acceptable partners then it sort of makes sense.

karaokeyoga 4y ago

… which works well when he's having a conversation with Mark Zuckerberg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mkR3BkuKCI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mkR3BkuKCI

m1nes 4y ago

In these times when nobody says what they think just to be liked, people confuse assertiveness with being an egomaniacal jerk

MisterTea 4y ago
Most people think acting like an egomaniacal jerk is what being assertive means.
astura 4y ago
In kindergarten, 35 years ago, I was taught "if you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all." That saying comes from a movie that came out 45 years before that. So people not saying what they think just to be liked is certainly not "in these times" thing. It's something children have been taught for at least the last century.

Gatsky 4y ago

I don't know the man, but what I see is that he is, ultimately, dissatisfied with his work. There is an effortfulness to what he does that belies an underlying cynicism about comedy. He is a tragic figure in that sense, all that success and yet not quite content. I can believe that he micromanages everything. Maybe part of it is that he really wants to do standup, but the show was much better than any of his standup. The standup pieces he does for the show are undoubtedly the weakest part of Seinfeld. It is notable that in the Seinfeld reunion episodes in Curb Your Enthusiasm, all the old cast gets skewered but not Jerry [1]. I suspect Larry knows that deep down, Jerry can't take that kind of joke. Still can't. [1] I just want to say that the scene where Larry impersonates George is one of the funniest things I've ever seen.

hackeraccount 4y ago
Total non-sequitur but that - "standup pieces he does for the show are undoubtedly the weakest part" is just what I thought about The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Not that I'm saying the rest of it was that good - it had an oddness that the supporting cast was always better or at least written better then the principals. Honestly the wardrobe was better then the principals...
- drc500free 4y ago
  At first, then it felt like every character - lead or supporting - got Flanderized into pap.
ethbr0 4y ago
> I suspect Larry knows that deep down, Jerry can't take that kind of joke. Still can't. What's the meanest thing you can say to someone really dedicated to their work? Your work is worthless.
- lqet 4y ago
  I guess many, if not most, great artists would immediately agree.
- 4y ago

astura 4y ago

Are you referring to the character of Jerry Seinfeld on Seinfeld, or are you referring to this interview?

sixstringtheory 4y ago

I’m pretty sure most people are egomaniacal assholes, they just can’t afford to publicly be so. I’m reminded of a quote from Art School Confidential: > Bardo: Why are you such an asshole? > Marvin Bushmiller: Now that's a great question. No, really. It really is. I am an asshole because... that is my true nature. Maybe it's everybody's true nature. Every single one of you looks like a fuckin' asshole to me, but... who knows? The difference between you and me is that I have gained the freedom to express my true nature. And what could be more beautiful than truth and freedom? … > Marvin Bushmiller: Shut up. Look. There's really only one question any of you want to ask: you want to know what it would take to turn you into me. Well, listen closely, 'cause I'm gonna give you the answer. In order to be a great artist, you simply have to *be* a great artist. There's nothing to learn. So... you're all wasting your time. Go home. —- Seinfeld is different from Musk because Musk is a lying, envious person, quite publicly. Not a good look. I’d be interested to see anything Seinfeld had said that is comparable to Musk’s pedophile fiasco or constant scammy claims. One is a self-actualized asshole, the other is a groveling asshole. —- Served on a platter of fakes It's inevitable: We're proud to be pricks, yeah We're proud to be assholes –At the Drive-in, Porfirio Diaz, 1997

lazyeye 4y ago
What about people that are only marginally more successful than you? Are they stil assholes too?

dboreham 4y ago

A good way to gain insight into Jerry these days is to listen to the Spike's Car Radio podcast (mainly the episodes where Jerry appears, but some others are useful too).

agumonkey 4y ago

he's a bit, he likes to say how different he is from people and that he needs people like him, aka comedians he also likes to remind people he had the biggest show but he's pretty soft for a potential egomaniac