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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 ad

by 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?

SideburnsOfDoom 4y ago
> In the show, his character is really just a kind of distant observer. Other actors get the laughs and the screen time. Yes, the gag goes to the appropriate character who most often is not Jerry. Everyone has favourites, but to my opinion, part of the show's success is the different comedy styles used at the same time. Kramer does physical comedy - the way he moves and holds his body is funny - if there's a gag about e.g. a high-pressure shower it's with him. George does emotional comedy - there's embarrassment, spite, stubbornness, vanity, deception, etc. Elaine speaks to people who have office jobs, and Jerry has an observational, intellectual turn of phrase. Often he's commenting on the antics, which heightens it.

by lqet 4y ago

SideburnsOfDoom 4y ago

> In the show, his character is really just a kind of distant observer. Other actors get the laughs and the screen time. Yes, the gag goes to the appropriate character who most often is not Jerry. Everyone has favourites, but to my opinion, part of the show's success is the different comedy styles used at the same time. Kramer does physical comedy - the way he moves and holds his body is funny - if there's a gag about e.g. a high-pressure shower it's with him. George does emotional comedy - there's embarrassment, spite, stubbornness, vanity, deception, etc. Elaine speaks to people who have office jobs, and Jerry has an observational, intellectual turn of phrase. Often he's commenting on the antics, which heightens it.