Jerry Seinfeld - Successful but not funny.

Tony EH · 03-02-2021 11:22pm

Treppen wrote: »

Ya but it was usually observations on mother-in-law stuff.

Nah.

Joan Rivers and George Carlin were doing observational comedy when Seinfeld was still in school.

Seinfeld gets credit because his routines became entirely about that type of comedy. But it was around before he even set foot on a stage.

Treppen · 03-02-2021 11:27pm

I'll probably get cancelled, but my favourite writer of all time was Louis CK, not so much his stand up as it's a little repetitive now. But 3 shows:
Louie (Lucky Louie)
Baskets
Horace and Pete (not a canned laughter typed of sitcom but very funny in parts, stick it on if you've an hour to spare, it's a slow burner)

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

Tony EH · 04-02-2021 12:28am

Louis CK's stand up was great. I think he was probably one of the best of his peers. It's just a pity he was...um..exposed as a bit of a wanker.

A sad come down to what was a great career.

I always believe in separating the art from the artist and to be honest I don't think he was the worst example to be highlighted by #metoo, but all I can think of now when I look at Louis is him in the corner of a room furiously knocking one out while a bemused and/or shocked woman is there not knowing what the hell to do, which kills anything funny that he's trying to say.

riclad · 04-02-2021 12:59am

Jerry is old fashioned in that he writes every joke, ever gag is timed to perfection
I think he stopped Comedians in cars
at the right time Theres a limited amount of Comedians who can talk without a script and be entertaining and have something interesting to say while going
to a coffee shop
Now in 2021 there's many female stand-up Comedians who are as funny or even funnier as the old style Comedians like seinfeld
I can't think of any Standup since the 90s
who has gone on to make a sitcom
even half as good as seinfeld
except maybe Larry David with the curb sitcom
and Larry David created the seinfeld show

JeffreyEpspeen · 04-02-2021 11:32pm

sabat wrote: »

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

I think it's the opposite. The show continued to go from strength to strength until the finale, which was atrocious.

Curb Your Enthusiasm on the other hand has gone downhill since the 5th season. It's incredibly self-aware and smug now. Tries way too hard with the "social assassin" stuff and Larry basically acts like an asshole for the sake of it, going out of his way to initiate these forced confrontations. He can barely get through a scene without a huge smirk glued to his face.

It's really ruined the immersion of the show for me. I preferred the early days when it had more of a documentary feel and he was more of a misanthrope.

Now it's like a run-of-the-mill sitcom.

JeffreyEpspeen · 04-02-2021 11:33pm

Niner leprauchan wrote: »

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

Dax Shepard has been pretty funny in anything I've seen him in.

alan partridge aha · 04-02-2021 11:43pm

Outstanding comedy, all characters are excellent.

eric hoone · 05-02-2021 12:16am

Watching the series through atm. Noticed a joke in very bad taste in 'the implant' episode- season 4-about Jayne Mansfield, and then Mansfield's daughter appears in a cameo in a later episode 'the pilot', same series. Made me wonder if the actress took offence at all if she saw it later

completedit · 05-02-2021 12:34am

Sometimes you want that type of humour. Got pretty bored with always sunny recently, switched back over to How I met your mother. Its so weird HIMYM seems like a fairly family orientated safe show but so many of the gags and jokes would come under scrutiny today.

murpho999 · 05-02-2021 1:56am

Fake Scores wrote: »

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.

It was then funny in Curb that people said to Larry that they found George a really stupid character not realising it was based on him.

As for Seiinfeld, it was great and I loved Curb.

I don't see why people have to compare them. Both are different concepts and great.

gormdubhgorm · 30-05-2021 1:52pm

I never found Seinfeld very funny I was trying to figure out why. I think his comedy is very 'comedy by numbers' it always seems predictable. It always seemed very 'forced' not very natural. I always think the best comedians are the ones who can ad lib or at least appear natural. That is not Seinfeld in my opinion. I definitely never found curb your enthusiasm funny either. It just seemed like deadpan boring stuff. Deadpan on its own is not funny in my opinion.

riclad · 03-06-2021 1:50am

When it was broadcast it was different its characters were rude selfish self obsessed .
I still think it's funny . It's not mentioned much but it was also a story of Jewish comedian with eccentric relatives
Many comedys from 20 years ago are forgotten
People still watch seinfeld
It still holds up
It does not look outdated
Many comedys are simply forgotten after a few years

riclad · 03-06-2021 1:57am

riclad wrote: »

When it was broadcast it was different its characters were rude selfish self obsessed .
I still think it's funny . It's not mentioned much but it was also a story of Jewish comedian with eccentric relatives
Many comedys from 20 years ago are forgotten
People still watch seinfeld
It still holds up
It does not look outdated
Many comedys are simply forgotten after a few years
I think friends is still funny it's very well written
but it's strange in its early seasons
It shows a new York with very few black people living there
which makes no sense and is not realistic at all
Seinfeld is witty there's so many good jokes about
dating as he has a new girlfriend every few episodes

03-06-2021 9:12am

KaneToad wrote: »

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

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

What you referring to?

ShatterAlan · 03-06-2021 12:42pm

thebronze14 wrote: »

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

Never like Seinfeld OR Friends. A pair of prudish girls with their bad hair days and that bellend Ross always whimpering about his "feelings".

Seinfeld and Kramer = ****

03-06-2021 12:47pm

riclad wrote: »

When it was broadcast it was different its characters were rude selfish self obsessed .
I still think it's funny . It's not mentioned much but it was also a story of Jewish comedian with eccentric relatives
Many comedys from 20 years ago are forgotten
People still watch seinfeld
It still holds up
It does not look outdated
Many comedys are simply forgotten after a few years

It’s fairly dated because of the 4:3 format. Friends was shot on 35mm film. Friends looks great remastered.

03-06-2021 12:48pm

ShatterAlan wrote: »

Never like Seinfeld OR Friends. A pair of prudish girls with their bad hair days and that bellend Ross always whimpering about his "feelings".

Seinfeld and Kramer = ****

They do a lot of shagging for prudes.

gormdubhgorm · 03-06-2021 9:44pm

fvp4 wrote: »

It’s fairly dated because of the 4:3 format. Friends was shot on 35mm film. Friends looks great remastered.

Best thing about Freinds was the theme tune. It got very repetitive very fast. If I remember when it used to be on back in the 90's. I would only watch it if there was nothing else on. Then it went through a stage of inviting celeb guest appearances - I think I gave up on it by that stage.

Friends was harmless and very safe there was never anything really controversial in it from what I can remember. Unless you are looking at it with today's goggles on and have an agenda.

Funniest thing about Seinfeld was not Seinfeld himself and the jokes. But the time Pat Kenny seemed at a loss as to who he was. I believe Seinfeld was promoting 'Bee movie' at the time.

jprboy · 04-06-2021 12:12am

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

........
Funniest thing about Seinfeld was not Seinfeld himself and the jokes. But the time Pat Kenny seemed at a loss as to who he was. I believe Seinfeld was promoting 'Bee movie' at the time.

I remember that interview. Kenny introduced him as "Jerry Seinfield" :pac:

riclad · 04-06-2021 12:49am

It depends on your taste , do you like new York Jewish humour, not everyone likes seinfeld , I think the scripts were very well written.
Every episode was worth watching apart from the last one
where they go to jail
And there were some black people on seinfeld and various minority characters, Latino, Spanish,
I like friends but it could not be made now unless they added in some black characters in some episodes
I know Ross had a black girlfriend at some point
Most comedys are forgotten after a few years
People still remember seinfeld
Even the minor characters on it are funny and well written it was well casted
Many women appeared on it for one episode as Jerry's
girlfriend
It had many catchphrases which people still remember
Master of my domain
Not that there's anything wrong with that etc

ltd440 · 04-06-2021 1:17am

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

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.

George pretending not to have been fired is something that happened to Larry David in real life, he basically got thrown off Saturday night live and his real life Kramer buddy gave him the advice to " just go back into work, everyone will be too embarrassed to tell you that you've been fired"

04-06-2021 1:25am

85603 wrote: »

What you referring to?

At 38 he dated a 17 year old. She was very good looking though, still is.

riclad · 06-06-2021 1:15am

I think he's a funny stand-up and he writes very precise jokes about trivial subjects, like should you tip in a restaurant if the service is slow
The timing and exact wording of his jokes is very precise
Writing a good joke is almost like writing a song
The words and timing has to be perfect
Seinfeld was ahead of its time in that it's characters were rude and selfish it was not always cheerful or optimistic
I think in 20 years people will still be watching the office
Friends and seinfeld because each episode has a story
and a few good jokes
I think the seasons after Michael left the office are hardly worth watching

M.T. Cranium · 06-06-2021 1:51am

and you wanted to be my latex salesman ... shrinkage ... Newman!!! ... they're real, and they're spectacular ... Uncle Leo, you would make anybody anti-Semitic ... was that wrong? ... yes I'm an architect, for Vandelay Industries.

the show sort of got into the subconscious of a generation, I have no idea how it looks to younger people, probably like Abbott and Costello or the Three Stooges look to me.

I think the main appeal at the time was the constant message that ugly and stupid people could get laid. It seemed unlikely but it held out hope.

The sea was angry that day ... that's one ugly baby.