Jerry Seinfeld - Successful but not funny.

magic_murph

Is Jerry Seinfeld the most successful but least funny comedian of all time?

IamMetaldave

The Seinfeld show is brilliant, admittedly because of Larry David’s writing and not Seinfeld’s acting or his standup bits in it.

Smee_Again

The show was brilliant but never really liked his stand-up routines.

As for his acting he's either a terrible actor or brilliant at playing a terrible actor, I could never tell.

seamus

Never really liked him or the show, but that's not to say I can't appreciate that people found it funny. I think the Seinfeld show itself had a very specific appeal; if you were between 18 and 40 and middle class at the time, you probably found it (and Seinfeld himself) quite funny. It reminds me a lot of peep show; ordinary people in everyday situations made ridiculous by their own ineptitude.

Friends probably had a slightly wider appeal, but even then I imagine anyone born after 1999 probably can't understand why old people are so obsessed with it.

superflyninja

I LOVE the show (rewatching on Prime atm). But I always thought the standup bits at the start were deliberately **** as a joke. But after seeing some Seinfeld standup I dont think so. He is really unfunny. Love Curb also. Amazing show.

Id add Kevin Hart to the list. Admittedly I just tried his new Netflix standup show and it was painfully unfunny, I couldn't sit through it all. Didn't even crack a grin. He seems like a likeable guy though. Maybe he has a better back catalogue.

KaneToad

I find Larry David very funny.
Jerry Seinfeld, not so much...

His penchant for young girls was a bit off too...

ShagNastii

Seinfeld the show is genuinely one of the best comedies ever. His comedy which is spattered throughout the show is quite hammy and of its time.

“What’s with the peanuts you get on airplanes? etc. etc.”.

As an actor I think it would be unfair to say he isn’t funny or talented.

Trigger Happy

That show would have been better called 'Kramer' as Cosmo Kramer was the real star - not Jerry Seinfeld.

loyatemu

he pretty much invented the whole observational schtick; either you like that style of standup or you don't but if you do like it, he's the king.

On the sitcom (which is possibly my favourite ever TV show) his standup is treated as a running joke by the other characters, and he's generally shown as only moderately successful at it.

thebronze14

seamus wrote: »

Never really liked him or the show, but that's not to say I can't appreciate that people found it funny. I think the Seinfeld show itself had a very specific appeal; if you were between 18 and 40 and middle class at the time, you probably found it (and Seinfeld himself) quite funny. It reminds me a lot of peep show; ordinary people in everyday situations made ridiculous by their own ineptitude.

Friends probably had a slightly wider appeal, but even then I imagine anyone born after 1999 probably can't understand why old people are so obsessed with it.

I would have been the perfect age to enjoy Friends but I always found it dull and tedious. I think it was a mix of the annoying canned laughter, annoying characters and the fact very little genuinely funny happened! To be fair I far prefer British comedy.
Started watching the American office recently, thought it would be a cheap, annoying version of the British version but I have been pleasantly surprised. They keep enough of what made the English Office so enjoyable but make it their own.
Haven't given Seinfeld much of a look but when I have it just seems dated and not overly funny

fonecrusher1

Never found the guy funny. Not once.

Not my cup a tea at all. I prefer someone like Roy Chubby Brown. He's come craic.

silverharp

is Seinfeld worth watching now?, I have never seen an episode of it

Thelonious Monk

loyatemu wrote: »

he pretty much invented the whole observational schtick; either you like that style of standup or you don't but if you do like it, he's the king.

I wouldn't say he invented it, I remember Dave Allen stand up that was completely observational, about being in supermarket queues etc.
From what I've seen of Seinfeld's stand up, it's terrible, but the show was very funny at times. I love the episode were George goes back to work as if he never quit.

FHFM50

silverharp wrote: »

is Seinfeld worth watching now?, I have never seen an episode of it

Yes, they're all on RTE player.

Watch an episode called The Contest. It's a good test to see if the show is for you.

IamMetaldave

silverharp wrote: »

is Seinfeld worth watching now?, I have never seen an episode of it

100% it goes to a different level from season 5 through 7, George is just magnificent throughout this period, Kramer too. It’s actually just a great show. It’s funny to see a few themes lifted from it directly into Curb.

partyguinness

magic_murph wrote: »

Is Jerry Seinfeld the most successful but least funny comedian of all time?

I take it you have never heard of Ellen Degeneris.

Hyperbollix

Don't know this guy, but I'm a huge fan of Gerry Seinfield.

Did you smash it

Famous American comedians are almost universally successful not funny. Joe segura, Jesalink, Pete Davidson, Aziz Azari, Marc Maron. Just absolutely unwatchably awful.

Chappelle is over praised but I can get through an hour of his show.

Louis CK’s shows and his sitcom was the only one I actually valued.

GreeBo

His proper stand up such as "Im telling you for the last time" is hilarious imo, I don't count any of the routines included in the show.

Hangdogroad

I liked the show but that's as much down to Larry David's writing and the supporting cast. Something about the man himself that I could never warm to, the air of smarminess, the self satisfied grin, the mullet.

McGinniesta

Did you smash it wrote: »

Famous American comedians are almost universally successful not funny. Joe segura, Jesalink, Pete Davidson, Aziz Azari, Marc Maron. Just absolutely unwatchably awful.

Chappelle is over praised but I can get through an hour of his show.

Louis CK’s shows and his sitcom was the only one I actually valued.

There's probably another few you could add to that list. I saw Brendan Schwab and Chris D'Elia do chronically bad sets.

I saw Tom Segura do a mildly funny bit when he caught his mother on video letting a big fart

HansKroenke

silverharp wrote: »

is Seinfeld worth watching now?, I have never seen an episode of it

I had never watched it before until a few months ago, maybe during the Christmas lazing around period. I didn't unfortunately find it funny, I felt maybe it was something more for its time. This is in the context of what I have enjoyed; Curb Your Enthusiasm, the Office (UK and US), Alan Partridge, It's Always Sunny etc.

chopperbyrne

I never watched Seinfeld, but Facebook are aggressively showing me clips of it, and it does seem funny. It's all on Netflix, so might give it a watch.

Loved the show, saw him live a few years back. He's ok but nothing special.

A fair bit of the show was adlib so he definitely has comedy in him

Earthhorse

Love his stand up. The show itself is seminal but was always on at awkward times and I feel it has dated a bit.

People credit Larry David with the success of the show entirely when there was a team of writers at work on it.

Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee is a bit hit and miss but I like that too.

Mad_maxx

JS himself was the least jewish character in it , Larry Davids character in Curb Your Enthusiasm is inherently jewish

prefer Curb myself but Seinfeld was good in spite of Jerry

Mad_maxx

Hyperbollix wrote: »

Don't know this guy, but I'm a huge fan of Gerry Seinfield.

Hi PK

Strumms

Always seemed like an affable and nice fella but his comedy always seemed to verge little on the safe side.. humorous as opposed to hilarious..

Mad_maxx

Did you smash it wrote: »

Famous American comedians are almost universally successful not funny. Joe segura, Jesalink, Pete Davidson, Aziz Azari, Marc Maron. Just absolutely unwatchably awful.

Chappelle is over praised but I can get through an hour of his show.

Louis CK’s shows and his sitcom was the only one I actually valued.

you forgot the Godfather of unfunny but hugely successful comedians

Bob Hope

sabat

Earthhorse wrote: »

Love his stand up. The show itself is seminal but was always on at awkward times and I feel it has dated a bit.

People credit Larry David with the success of the show entirely when there was a team of writers at work on it.

Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee is a bit hit and miss but I like that too.

The standard visibly went down when LD left for the last couple of seasons-it just turned into the wacky adventures of Kramer.

tdf7187

I have never found him remotely funny either. He is the least funny character in his own series. His former comedy partner, Larry David, on the other hand is deservedly successful.

lertsnim

I love the Seinfeld television show but that standup bit on each show was rarely funny.

I think it was Larry David that made it what it was as I can see some of it in the also brilliant Curb Your Enthusiasm.

tdf7187

Did you smash it wrote: »

Famous American comedians are almost universally successful not funny. Joe segura, Jesalink, Pete Davidson, Aziz Azari, Marc Maron. Just absolutely unwatchably awful.

Chappelle is over praised but I can get through an hour of his show.

Louis CK’s shows and his sitcom was the only one I actually valued.

Some of the older generation of famous American comics were funny, e.g. Jackie Mason.

Did you smash it

Anyone aware of the work of Dax Shepard?

I saw about 45 mins of his movie C.H.i.P.S. recently. It plumbs new depths. It’s breathtakingly terrible.

ancapailldorcha

I watched the series all the way through for the first time recently. Have to say that I enjoyed it immensely. It's fairly unique in its setup and humour. Seinfeld himself seems to be only really able to either be himself or act like some tweaked version of himself.

Found the episode where a reporter thinks that he's gay fascinating. It's a snapshot of that cultural window where homosexuality isn't demonised so much but not accepted either.

Did you smash it

Did you smash it wrote: »

Anyone aware of the work of Dax Shepard?

I saw about 45 mins of his movie C.H.i.P.S. recently. It plumbs new depths. It’s breathtakingly terrible.

Ah hes been around years. His movies are dumb but OK. will never be classics to be revisited

ThePentagon

I loved the show and Seinfeld's stand up routine back in the day (I'm Telling You For The Last Time is hilarious) but they were both very '90s in their style and they're quite dated now.

I prefer Curb Your Enthusiasm over Seinfeld.

loyatemu

ThePentagon wrote: »

I loved the show and Seinfeld's stand up routine back in the day (I'm Telling You For The Last Time is hilarious) but they were both very '90s in their style and they're quite dated now.

I prefer Curb Your Enthusiasm over Seinfeld.

I still prefer Seinfeld. Curb is very funny, but it doesn't have the cast of crazy characters that Seinfeld has (not just the main 4 but all the supporting characters like Newman, George's parents, J Peterman etc). The performances are consistently great as well, like this from Kramer...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkpvON6IpNs

Sorcha Dhuisigh _She_Her_

I've done some stand up myself and stuff like Seinfeld is really not funny at all when you look back at it. I know people will say it was of its time etc. but it's still idolised which is worrying.

Same goes for friends which is extremely problematic in how they treated vulnerable groups like queer and gender non-conforming folks.

Comedy of today that is not just about cheap laughs and has a message is more my cup of tea.

Hangdogroad

Sorcha Dhuisigh _She_Her_ wrote: »

I've done some stand up myself and stuff like Seinfeld is really not funny at all when you look back at it. I know people will say it was of its time etc. but it's still idolised which is worrying.

Same goes for friends which is extremely problematic in how they treated vulnerable groups like queer and gender non-conforming folks.

Comedy of today that is not just about cheap laughs and has a message is more my cup of tea.

Are you the guy from the Examiner?

Sorcha Dhuisigh _She_Her_

Hangdogroad wrote: »

Are you the guy from the Examiner?

Nope. Not sure who you mean?

GreeBo

Sorcha Dhuisigh _She_Her_ wrote: »

I've done some stand up myself and stuff like Seinfeld is really not funny at all when you look back at it. I know people will say it was of its time etc. but it's still idolised which is worrying.

Same goes for friends which is extremely problematic in how they treated vulnerable groups like queer and gender non-conforming folks.

Comedy of today that is not just about cheap laughs and has a message is more my cup of tea.

What is comedy with a message? Sounds pretentious to me.

I think anyone who can listen to the halloween sketch in "I'm telling you" and not laugh is broken.

Earthhorse

GreeBo wrote: »

I think anyone who can listen to the halloween sketch in "I'm telling you" and not laugh is broken.

One of my favourite bits from that show.

The bit about the milk going sour too!

Real Life

Personally I would say Kevin Hart is the most successful unfunny comedian

Fr Tod Umptious

Trigger Happy wrote: »

That show would have been better called 'Kramer' as Cosmo Kramer was the real star - not Jerry Seinfeld.

Kramer was slapstick, George was the real star of the show, and his father the late Gerry Stiller when he was in it.

FHFM50

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

Kramer was slapstick, George was the real star of the show, and his father the late Gerry Stiller when he was in it.

Every year I become a bit more like George Costanza.

Fr Tod Umptious

ShagNastii wrote: »

Seinfeld the show is genuinely one of the best comedies ever. His comedy which is spattered throughout the show is quite hammy and of its time.

“What’s with the peanuts you get on airplanes? etc. etc.”.

As an actor I think it would be unfair to say he isn’t funny or talented.

Fake Scores

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

Kramer was slapstick, George was the real star of the show, and his father the late Gerry Stiller when he was in it.

They made no secret of the fact that George was basically Larry David. Or an accentuated version of him.

Larry David and Seinfeld co wrote the early seasons. Then Larry David left. And
Seinfeld wrote most of the later seasons. There was someone else involved as well but I can't remember their name.

silliussoddius

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

Ovaltine, why do they call it ovaltine?

Treppen

Sorcha Dhuisigh _She_Her_ wrote: »

I've done some stand up myself and stuff like Seinfeld is really not funny at all when you look back at it. I know people will say it was of its time etc. but it's still idolised which is worrying.

Same goes for friends which is extremely problematic in how they treated vulnerable groups like queer and gender non-conforming folks.

Comedy of today that is not just about cheap laughs and has a message is more my cup of tea.

Comedy with a message gets tiring and preechy.

I still like Seinfeld because he goes for universal observations rather than political statements. You can still look back on it because of the focus on happenings rather than being a Jewish, Black, Working Class, Gay, Asexual, Obese situation comedy.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

seamus wrote: »

Never really liked him or the show, but that's not to say I can't appreciate that people found it funny. I think the Seinfeld show itself had a very specific appeal; if you were between 18 and 40 and middle class at the time, you probably found it (and Seinfeld himself) quite funny. It reminds me a lot of peep show; ordinary people in everyday situations made ridiculous by their own ineptitude.

Friends probably had a slightly wider appeal, but even then I imagine anyone born after 1999 probably can't understand why old people are so obsessed with it.

Friends is very popular with younger generations. There’s a reason why it’s still on UK Netflix despite being very expensive.