Jerry Seinfeld (1954-), Stand-Up Comedian, Best Known for the Seinfeld Sit-Con (1989-1998)

[DonRocks]

Although I enjoyed the late episodes of Seinfeld, the TV series, and am having something of a renaissance with it on Crackle, as well as diving into Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee, I knew almost nothing about Jerry Seinfeld, the man, until recently - I certainly didn't know (and wouldn't have guessed) that he is the wealthiest actor in the world (I think I would have guessed Tom Cruise, but Seinfeld apparently has almost double his net worth). Both he and Larry David are closing in on a billion-dollar net worth - I guess they caught the crest of the television wave before it began to crash.

One thing about Seinfeld that I've observed, after some digging, is that he doesn't come across as a very "nice guy." Witness the somewhat overblown article, "Seinfeld-Schisms: Jerry's Tried-And-True Methods Of Ballbusting Divert Buzzfeed Interview" by Drew Grant on observer.com. I watched the entire video (embedded in that article), and indeed, Seinfeld controlled that entire interview, and had Buzzfeed's Business Editor, Peter Lauria, on the defensive the entire time, on egg shells, afraid to ask any question that would rile Seinfeld.

On the other hand, Seinfeld stood by his friend, Michael Richards, when Richards hit rock-bottom which reminds me of what James Carville did with Bill Clinton (recall the book, "Stickin'"). I understand this is a personal decision (whether or not these people are worth sticking by), but I have always thought that standing by your friends, and giving them a hand up, when they are that their lowest possible moments, is a character strength of the absolute highest order, and is a trait that I admire and look up to almost as much as any other. I didn't particularly like Carville (although I admired his penchant for Rhone Valley wines) until he stuck by Clinton, and that unwavering loyalty gave me a whole new outlook on his persona.

[The Hersch]

Is that "richest actors" list a "richest male actors" list? I'm pretty certain that Oprah Winfrey is richer than Jerry Seinfeld. You may object on the grounds that Oprah isn't primarily thought of as an actor, but then neither is Jerry Seinfeld.

[DonRocks]

Is that "richest actors" list a "richest male actors" list? I'm pretty certain that Oprah Winfrey is richer than Jerry Seinfeld. You may object on the grounds that Oprah isn't primarily thought of as an actor, but then neither is Jerry Seinfeld.

Oprah Winfrey might not be primarily an actress (is it still okay to say "actress?"), but she was in The Color Purple, so I'd say that qualifies. And indeed, $3 billion, so it all depends on which click-thru list you look at - I guess if you look at "where they got most of their wealth from," Winfrey would be as a talk-show host; Seinfeld would be as the lead actor on Seinfeld, so you could make a case for him (you could also make the case that Seinfeld is neither a great actor nor a great stand-up comic (has anyone *ever* actually laughed at one of his stand-up jokes?), and yet I don't think the show would have been nearly as successful had he not been on it - somehow, he created his own niche).

I wish Seinfeld didn't come across as so in-your-face arrogant - I want to like him more than I do: I keep telling myself, 'Maybe when he's in character (which is, after all, *every time I've ever seen him*, he's trying to be something akin to Don Rickles,' whom he implies he idolizes (*)). I guess when you have *that* much wealth and fame, and the whole world is pecking at you, your primary goal becomes wealth- and reputation-preservation; being a "nice guy" just doesn't seem to be on his agenda. He even asked Larry King (it starts at about the 3:00 mark in this interview), "Do you think I'll do another sit-com?" King thought about it, and answered, "No." Seinfeld confirmed, "No." You have give the man credit - he's done it, and there's no upside for him to do it again because he's now in his 60s. As an aside, he was also extremely obnoxious and insulting to Larry King in that interview, telling him his show "makes no sense," and comparing him to 'the annoying uncle who corners you at a party, peppering you with questions that you avoid, and you can't get away' (have you ever seen Seinfeld's reaction when people say Seinfeld (the show) is "a show about nothing?" It bristles him, and I can understand why - he fancies himself an artist (and, I suppose in his own way, he is)). Incidentally, Seinfeld happens to be right about Larry King - how has this man been so famous for so long? - but you don't say that to someone's face in their own house. I also think Seinfeld is *very* savvy, playing the masses like a fiddle, and "C In C Getting C" will be looked at in the future as a groundbreaking entity - the first of its type, whatever "its type" is, and in the video in the observer.com article, he even comes out and admits that it's profitable; it's not just a loss-leader or a vanity project. This is a microcosm of where the internet is going, and where it will be 100 years from now - even after a few decades, nobody really knows.

(*) At 3:45 in that Larry King video, he even tells Larry King he was joking when (in a previous interview) he got very angry when asked if his show was canceled. I saw that interview, and Seinfeld indeed appeared to be genuinely angry at the question. So, if he was indeed joking - and I'm not sure he was - then he *does* have a Don Rickles-like component to his public persona because he came across as a complete A-hole, and if he was kidding - and I'm not sure he was - then he did it very well. And if that's the case - and I'm not sure it was - then the public does not know him at all because he's most likely in character 100% of the time. Who knows? Maybe in private, among his friends and family, he's a nice, polite person (can't you just picture his 99-year-old mom (whom he appears to adore) calling him "Jerome?" and reminding him to wear his warm coat so he doesn't catch cold? ) It's probably best not to try and "know" someone like this; just enjoy their product if it's your kind of thing. I admit, I do like his work even though I generally don't find it funny (sometimes it's uproariously hilarious) - I guess I value dialog and examination of life's simple things which is where Seinfeld excels. His material resonates with so many people because it's always about everyday occurrences - so in an obnoxious, New York way, he's kind of like Garrison Keillor (did I actually just make that comparison?)

[The Hersch]

Oprah Winfrey might not be primarily an actress (is it still okay to say "actress?"), but she was in The Color Purple, so I'd say that qualifies. And indeed, $3 billion, so it all depends on which click-thru list you look at - I guess if you look at "where they got most of their wealth from," Winfrey would be as a talk-show host; Seinfeld would be as the lead actor on Seinfeld

I'm not sure it's true that Seinfeld got most of his wealth from his acting role on "Seinfeld" -- he was also creator, writer, producer, executive producer, and seems to hold some kind of ownership rights to the show that brought him $400 million in a syndication deal.

Actually, the richest actor appears to be Dina Merrill, who is even richer than Oprah. In Merrill's case, though, it involves being the daughter of E. F. Hutton and Marjorie Merriwether Post.

Most people involved in the acting trade nowadays use the term "actor" for both females and males. It's probably still okay to use "actress".

[DonRocks]

I'm not sure it's true that Seinfeld got most of his wealth from his acting role on "Seinfeld" -- he was also creator, writer, producer, executive producer, and seems to hold some kind of ownership rights to the show that brought him $400 million in a syndication deal.

Yes, I think you're probably right (why else would Larry David be worth the same amount?)

I wish Seinfeld didn't come across as so in-your-face arrogant - I want to like him more than I do

The more I think about Seinfeld standing by Michael Richards when the rest of the world has discarded him, the more I like Seinfeld.

[DonRocks]

"Jerry Seinfeld: 'Politically Correct College Students Don't Know What The Fuck They're Talking About" by Dana Rose Falcone on ew.com

He's so right. God, Seinfeld speaks the truth here. And it's not just college campuses, either.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP769IdU_YE

[brian]

So proud of this brave 61 year old rich white man for telling people they don't know the real meaning of racism and sexism like he does.

[DonRocks]

So proud of this brave 61 year old rich white man for telling people they don't know the real meaning of racism and sexism like he does.

I am too. Well, I wouldn't call it "proud of"; more like "pleased by."

More importantly, Seinfeld sounds *exactly* like Michael Landrum on this recording.

[Josh]

So proud of this brave 61 year old rich white man for telling people they don't know the real meaning of racism and sexism like he does.

Well, he did grow up Jewish in the 50s and 60s, so he might have some clue about what it means to be discriminated against...

Seinfeld is just the latest comedian to voice this criticism ... Chris Rock and the late, great George Carlin felt the same way about performing on college campuses.

[DaveO]

Well, he did grow up Jewish in the 50s and 60s, so he might have some clue about what it means to be discriminated against...

1.  Your avatar describes the "greatest sitcom" IMHO, although Seinfeld is up there among others.

2.  I grew up in the context described above.  In that vein my nose "punched out" a fair number of fists during that era.

Still that level of discrimination was far less significant than in earlier periods or discrimination toward others.   On the other hand, I don't care much about Seinfeld's comments or the retorts to his comments.  Its just not significant.

[Josh]

1.  Your avatar describes the "greatest sitcom" IMHO, although Seinfeld is up there among others.

2.  I grew up in the context described above.  In that vein my nose "punched out" a fair number of fists during that era.

Still that level of discrimination was far less significant than in earlier periods or discrimination toward others.   On the other hand, I don't care much about Seinfeld's comments or the retorts to his comments.  Its just not significant.

Agreed on both points.

[The Hersch]

Seinfeld's 14-year-old daughter is an example of college campus behavior? Oh, really?

Here's my favorite political blogger Charlie Pierce's take on Seinfeld's pronunciamento. If you follow the link to Charlie, please go ahead and follow his link to Molly Ivins's incineration of Camille Paglia, or, in case you can't be bothered going two links deep, I furnish it here for your convenience.

[DonRocks]

Seinfeld's 14-year-old daughter is an example of college campus behavior? Oh, really?

Here's my favorite political blogger Charlie Pierce's take on Seinfeld's pronunciamento. If you follow the link to Charlie, please go ahead and follow his link to Molly Ivins's incineration of Camille Paglia, or, in case you can't be bothered going two links deep, I furnish it here for your convenience.

For me, the conundrum about Seinfeld is that, quite honestly, I've never thought that he was all that funny. I found his show very entertaining, in a lighthearted way, and it occasionally made me chuckle, but with rare exceptions, I merely found it a pleasant way to spend thirty minutes. All this said, I don't quite understand what Charlie Pierce is saying in his article (although it's late, and I've had a long day).

I don't know if Seinfeld was in on the Entertainment Weekly interview, but if he wasn't, he was merely answering questions and not pontificating.

On a related topic, I listened to the Louis CK Saturday Night Life monologue for the first time, and the first comment he made about it being "that good" literally made my jaw drop and my eyes as wide as saucers (and I was watching it home alone). He was really skirting some boundaries with that routine. Wow, that was a risky piece of stand-up.

[The Hersch]

For me, the conundrum about Seinfeld is that, quite honestly, I've never thought that he was all that funny. I found his show very entertaining, in a lighthearted way, and it occasionally made me chuckle, but with rare exceptions, I merely found it a pleasant way to spend thirty minutes. All this said, I don't quite understand what Charlie Pierce is saying in his article (although it's late, and I've had a long day).

I've never thought that Jerry Seinfeld was funny; in fact, I think his enormous success while being so incredibly lame is a sad comment on the state of modern American culture. That aside, what Charlie Pierce was saying (inter alia) was that Seinfeld has a fucking nerve complaining about how the supposed "PC" college environment scares him away when he never had an edgy or challenging or boundary-pushing thing to say in all of his career (in standup, anyway), offering instead nothing but anodyne pap unlikely to offend anyone, and making a big deal about how that's what he does.

[DonRocks]

I've never thought that Jerry Seinfeld was funny; in fact, I think his enormous success while being so incredibly lame is a sad comment on the state of modern American culture. That aside, what Charlie Pierce was saying (inter alia) was that Seinfeld has a fucking nerve complaining about how the supposed "PC" college environment scares him away when he never had an edgy or challenging or boundary-pushing thing to say in all of his career (in standup, anyway), offering instead nothing but anodyne pap unlikely to offend anyone, and making a big deal about how that's what he does.

I'll have to watch that video again, but I have to say - reading your post, I find nothing to disagree with. Seinfeld *says* he's funny, but with a couple of obvious exceptions (probably due to Larry David - "The Contest" being one laugh-out-loud example), I have rarely laughed at Seinfeld, the show; and I don't think I've *ever* so much as chuckled at his stand-up. I applaud him (I suppose) for not going blue, but I'd rather that he was dirty and funny, than clean and not funny. Chris Rock has made me double over with laughter on many occasions, and I find Louis CK a much more effective stand-up performer than Jerry Seinfeld.

[Josh]

I've never thought that Jerry Seinfeld was funny; in fact, I think his enormous success while being so incredibly lame is a sad comment on the state of modern American culture. That aside, what Charlie Pierce was saying (inter alia) was that Seinfeld has a fucking nerve complaining about how the supposed "PC" college environment scares him away when he never had an edgy or challenging or boundary-pushing thing to say in all of his career (in standup, anyway), offering instead nothing but anodyne pap unlikely to offend anyone, and making a big deal about how that's what he does.

Isn't that kind of the point, though? That even Seinfeld's anodyne pap unlikely to offend anyone is now (sometimes) found offensive?

[The Hersch]

Isn't that kind of the point, though? That even Seinfeld's anodyne pap unlikely to offend anyone is now (sometimes) found offensive?

I'd be willing to be persuaded that this is an actual problem on college campuses, but you (or someone) would have to provide some persuasion. This glib assertion by Seinfeld is not persuasive, especially when his example is his 14-year-old daughter.

[DonRocks]

I'd be willing to be persuaded that this is an actual problem on college campuses, but you (or someone) would have to provide some persuasion. This glib assertion by Seinfeld is not persuasive, especially when his example is his 14-year-old daughter.

What about the examples of Chris Rock and Louis CK?

[The Hersch]

What about the examples of Chris Rock and Louis CK?

Mounds bars "don't taste as good as a young boy does...and shouldn't...to a child molester!" Thanks for directing me to that monologue, which I had never seen or heard. That's great stand-up.

Chris Rock complains in general terms that college campuses are "too conservative" by which he seems to mean "PC", but in the link above he doesn't really say anything at all. (I agree that he can be wildly funny.) Looking for Louis CK's take on the issue led me to the child-molester monologue, but not to anything about college-campus ickiness, but perhaps I didn't look hard enough.

The most over-the-top instance of political correctness in the academy in recent years is the case of Steven Salaita, and if you're not familiar with it I suggest you should look it up. Not uptight liberal students, but right-wing rich supporters of Israeli government policy drove this particular caravan. These days, it is with some trepidation that I link to the New Republic, but they published a good article on the subject the other day. The apparently tender feelings of stand-up comedians pale in comparison to this.

[brian]

As Joe Mande said a few days ago, "no comedian LIKES performing at colleges". They've always been more restrictive for performers than commercial venues, and the audiences have always been worse. And I say that as someone who booked music and comedy at my college for several years.

[Josh]

As Joe Mande said a few days ago, "no comedian LIKES performing at colleges". They've always been more restrictive for performers than commercial venues, and the audiences have always been worse. And I say that as someone who booked music and comedy at my college for several years.

Yeah, I was thinking that if this has been a complaint since Carlin, it can't be a particularly new phenomenon. (Though maybe the "taboo" topics change over time.)