Podcast Summary: Jerry Seinfeld Gets Technical

Podcast: The New Yorker Radio Hour
Host: David Remnick
Guest: Jerry Seinfeld
Date: January 5, 2018
Note: Live interview from the New Yorker Festival

Episode Overview

This episode features an in-depth, lively conversation between David Remnick and iconic comedian Jerry Seinfeld. The discussion, recorded live at the New Yorker Festival, explores Seinfeld's origins in comedy, his meticulous approach to joke construction, reflections on the legacy of “Seinfeld,” and broader commentary on the art and status of comedy versus acting. Throughout, Seinfeld dissects technical aspects of humor with warmth and honed observational wit, offering rare insight for both fans and aspiring comedians.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Seinfeld’s Origins in Comedy

• Falling in Love with Comedy
  • Seinfeld explains he didn’t set out to become a comedian for fame or certainty of success, but out of sheer passion.
    • “I really didn't think that I could, and I didn't really care whether I could or I couldn't. I had. I just got to this point where I was so in love with it that I just decided, what's the difference? It seemed much more important to me to do the thing you want to do than success or failure.” – Jerry Seinfeld [01:41]
• Comedy Influences
  • Early obsessions: TV comedies like "Laugh-In," "Get Smart," and classic comedy albums from the 60s.
  • Most influential: George Carlin, particularly his shift from mainstream to countercultural comedy.
    • “George Carlin's famous seven dirty words you can't say on television. Not a funny bit, really. Just cursing, you know, which you don't like. Personally. It doesn't work for my style.” – Jerry Seinfeld [04:27]
  • Seinfeld emphasizes that his focus is always on what’s funny rather than the political or edgy angle.

The Craft of Joke Construction

• Analysis of His First Joke
  • Seinfeld deconstructs his first successful bit—about left-handed people and negative connotations of “left.”
    • “Left handed. People do not like that the word left is so often associated with negative things...” – Jerry Seinfeld [05:41]
  • Importance of rhythm and mapping out jokes in advance:
    • “The rhythm is 90% of that joke.” – Jerry Seinfeld [07:16]
  • Technical breakdown:
    • Using a universal setup (group of people who don’t like something) to prime the audience.
    • Delivering lines with crafted timing.

The Role of Comedy and Stand-Up

• Obsessive, Daily Craft
  • When asked how long it takes to construct an hour-and-fifteen-minute show:
    • “It's like asking God how much time goes into an oak tree...I do it every day. I do it all day.” – Jerry Seinfeld [09:05]
• Personal and Family Background
  • Seinfeld’s childhood: Lonely, highly independent, parents were orphans who provided "benign neglect," fostering freedom.
    • “I was like a raccoon to my parents. I mean, you kind of know it's around, but you don't really know where it is. You know, they had no interest in any of my activities...which was very fun and freeing.” – Jerry Seinfeld [09:55]
  • Never aimed to impress adults or his family with humor; comedy was a private pursuit.

Comedy vs. Acting

• View on Acting’s Cultural Status
  • Seinfeld feels that acting is overvalued compared to comedy, which demands original thought and technical skill.
    • “I feel the esteem to which actors are held is a bit high in our culture...Did you write that? Did you think of that?” – Jerry Seinfeld [12:29]
    • “Yeah, you're an actor. Stand over here. Here's the clothes you put on. Say what we're going to say. Ready?” – Jerry Seinfeld [13:31]
  • Comedians, in his view, are more deserving of cultural admiration due to the difficulty and originality of their craft.

Creating and Ending "Seinfeld"

• Origin Story
  • Seinfeld and Larry David were acquaintances, not close friends, united by their idiosyncratic conversations.
    • “I want the show to sound like when Larry and I talk, it's about a sound.” – Jerry Seinfeld [15:18]
  • Much of the show’s texture — e.g., debates about aliens, zoos, and circuses — originated from their real conversations.
• Seinfeld’s “Nothing” Myth
  • Denies pushing the idea that the show was “about nothing.”
    • “I never fed this. I never promoted this. It's so stupid. Everything's about nothing.” – Jerry Seinfeld [18:43]
    • Compares his observational comedy to John McPhee’s revered New Yorker essays:
      • “It's the same damn thing. It's an end up comedy.” – Jerry Seinfeld [19:12]
• Ending the Series
  • After nine intense years and immense creative effort, he had no desire to repeat the experience.
    • “There was no way you would want to revisit that.” – Jerry Seinfeld [16:40]
  • The show’s initial success wasn’t guaranteed due to its eccentricity.
    • “I never thought this was a mainstream thing that the general public would like. I thought it was too eccentric.” – Jerry Seinfeld [16:57]
• The Possibility of Another Phenomenon
  • Sees the rise of another universally embraced sitcom as possible, but acknowledges the near-impossible creative alchemy needed.
    • “You have to be just so goddamn funny that they love it. They can't get enough of it. But that's hard to do.” – Jerry Seinfeld [17:49]

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Early Ambition:
  • “I had no normal social experience at all. But I didn't think I was missing anything. And even now, to this day, most of regular life doesn't interest me at all.” – Jerry Seinfeld [09:25]
• On Parental Neglect as Freedom:
  • “You kind of know it's around, but you don't really know where it is...” (Describing himself as a raccoon to his parents) – Jerry Seinfeld [09:55]
• On Stand-Up’s Emotional Toll:
  • “To be a young comedian whose material is sketchy, [you need] a thick skin to the point of being almost a sociopath.” – David Remnick [11:40]
  • “Unless you just know you can't leave this world...you found your thing.” – Jerry Seinfeld [11:56]
• On Awards and Prestige:
  • “Why is he so important if you didn't think him anything, you know, that we have.” — Jerry Seinfeld, critiquing TV actors’ status [13:29]
• On the Core of Comedy:
  • “I like to invent a new way of looking at something that changes the way you look at it permanently.” – Jerry Seinfeld [04:43]
• Defending Observational Comedy:
  • “When he does it, it's an art because it's the goddamn New Yorker. When I do it, it's just an airline peanuts joke.” – Jerry Seinfeld [19:30]

Important Timestamps

• [01:41] – Seinfeld discusses his motivation to do comedy
• [03:22] – Influence of George Carlin
• [05:41] – Performs and analyzes his first joke
• [07:16] – Technical discussion on timing in jokes
• [09:05] – How long it takes to build a comedy set
• [09:55] – Describing his childhood and parental style
• [12:29] – Seinfeld critiques actors’ cultural status
• [15:18] – How “Seinfeld” the show emerged from Seinfeld and David’s conversations
• [16:40] – Why he didn’t want to repeat the sitcom experience
• [18:43] – Debunking the “show about nothing” myth, comparing himself to John McPhee

Tone and Energy

The tone is both reflective and characteristically sharp, combining Seinfeld’s technical, sometimes deadpan humor, with Remnick’s genuine curiosity and admiration. Seinfeld remains analytical, occasionally irreverent, and always driven by a commitment to the purity and difficulty of stand-up comedy.

For New Listeners

This episode is highly recommended if you're interested in the mechanics of comedy, the psychology of a highly successful comedian, or the creative history behind one of America’s most influential sitcoms. Seinfeld’s candid insights and Remnick’s relaxed, incisive questions make this a masterclass in comedic thought—offering depth, humor, and inspiration for creators and fans alike.