Jerry Seinfeld - Successful but not funny.

lertsnim · 03-02-2021 01:17PM

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 · 03-02-2021 01:18PM

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 · 03-02-2021 01:35PM

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 · 03-02-2021 01:54PM

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.

03-02-2021 01:57PM

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 · 03-02-2021 02:04PM

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 · 03-02-2021 02:45PM

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_ · 03-02-2021 03:37PM

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 · 03-02-2021 03:44PM

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_ · 03-02-2021 03:57PM

Hangdogroad wrote: »

Are you the guy from the Examiner?

Nope. Not sure who you mean?

GreeBo · 03-02-2021 04:04PM

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 · 03-02-2021 04:26PM

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 · 03-02-2021 04:42PM

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

Fr Tod Umptious · 03-02-2021 05:18PM

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 · 03-02-2021 05:19PM

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 · 03-02-2021 05:20PM

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 · 03-02-2021 05:24PM

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 · 03-02-2021 05:25PM

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

Ovaltine, why do they call it ovaltine?

Treppen · 03-02-2021 05:36PM

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 · 03-02-2021 05:48PM

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.

silliussoddius · 03-02-2021 05:48PM

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.

I preferred the later seasons, most of the first season isn't that great.

xckjoo · 03-02-2021 05:55PM

I like him and the show but I feel like he's had the same stand-up for 30 years. Don't watch a huge amount of stand-up but every one of his I've seen seems to be the same jokes with a bit more polish. Maybe I've just missed the newer stuff

He's undoubtedly a legend in the field and changed the sitcom game though. There's probably funnier people out there but he brought it all together like they couldn't

03-02-2021 06:23PM

I'm almost afraid to say it, but I don't think Curb your Enthusiasm is that funny either. A grumpy guy with no inner monologue gets annoyed at some event in his world, does some shouting, and says something cringey. Repeat for every episode.

riclad · 03-02-2021 06:57PM

Seinfeld is a very funny show, comedians in cars is funny and entertaining .
eh may be slightly old fashioned now, i think he writes all his material,
telling a joke in a concise way is an art.Seinfeld the sitcom is like the office,
you can rewatch it and its still funny .And the point is the main characters
are rude ,selfish and self obsessed but they are still funny.
in 10 or 20 years people will still watch seinfeld .
Most sitcoms are forgotten after a few years as they seem old fashioned or irrelevant .
i don,t think he is the best stand up comedian but he is still funny.
I don,t think hart is funny but he must be doing something right as he keeps
being cast in films .
seinfeld had a big impact in raising the standard of sitcoms and
it was not just about standard situations or cliche,s or stereotyped characters .
Seinfeld is like a college course in how to make a good sitcom with
a wide range of characters and situations .
I think every episode is good apart from the last episode ,
which i will not spoil , but makes no sense to me.
I think seinfeld the standup comic is still funny ,
of course he is nearly 60 so he is not as relevant as he was in the 90,s
and of course he,s very rich.

bogmanfan · 03-02-2021 07:09PM

Seinfeld is my favourite tv show of all time. Nothing else comes close. Every single episode from S3 on is a classic.

Comedians in Cars getting Coffee is hit and miss, mainly depending on the standard of guest. You can really tell the guys he is genuinely friends with, and those episodes are fantastic.

I've seen lots of stand-up comedy shows, probably every big name from the last two decades that's performed in Ireland. Saw Jerry live in Chicago in 2019 and it's the best stand up show I've ever seen. Every joke perfectly crafted and delivered. A master.

Mr Meanor · 03-02-2021 07:19PM

The infamous Larry king interview
"you think I got cancelled!!"

search youtube

Tony EH · 03-02-2021 10:56PM

magic_murph wrote: »

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

I never really liked the 'Seinfeld' TV program. I found it too smug over all. It had its moments though.

However, I caught him live in the New York Comedy Club around about the time that he quit the show. He wasn't on the bill, but turned up as a surprise guest and he did a very funny set.

Surprised the crap out of me.

Tony EH · 03-02-2021 10:58PM

loyatemu wrote: »

he pretty much invented the whole observational schtick;

That was around LONG before Jerry Seinfeld.

Tony EH · 03-02-2021 11:08PM

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm almost afraid to say it, but I don't think Curb your Enthusiasm is that funny either. A grumpy guy with no inner monologue gets annoyed at some event in his world, does some shouting, and says something cringey. Repeat for every episode.

It suffers from everything that Larry David wrote. It's too smug. It loves itself.

David's comedy can be good, from a situational point of view. It can be funny in an "oh no!" kind of way. For example, he hugs a little girl in one episode and has a bottle of water in his trouser's pocket, which the kid feels and becomes very uncomfortable with. Immediately Larry's mind and the audience is "Oh christ...".

That's funny.

But too much of the show was knowing set up's and then feeling delighted about itself as they played out and just get the feeling that everyone is patting themselves on the back about how great they are.

Treppen · 03-02-2021 11:16PM

Tony EH wrote: »

That was around LONG before Jerry Seinfeld.

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

Jerry Seinfeld - Successful but not funny.

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