So, what’s the deal with Jerry Seinfeld’s stand-up comedy show in Victoria on Saturday?
It’s sold out, for starters. So if you’re not one of the 6,000-plus folk who scored a ticket, you’re out of luck.
Some might wonder why Seinfeld would bother with a North American tour at all. All those planes and hotel rooms.
This is a comic who, according to a 2010 Forbes estimate, is worth a cool $800 million. So Jerry needs the cash like Billy Ray Cyrus needs a new mullet.
Apparently, Seinfeld is a fellow with an overwhelming need to keep performing. He told the New York Times: “If I don’t do a [comedy] set in two weeks, I feel it.” He went on to explain his fear — if he stops doing stand-up, he might lose the gift altogether.
The television sitcom Seinfeld ran from 1989 to 1998. Chronicling the misadventures of four 30-somethings living in New York City, the series was a critical and commercial blockbuster. The characters — Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer — were selfish, blundering and funny. A few sourpuss critics dismissed it as self-absorbed and narcissistic, yet they were in the minority. Seinfeld scooped up Emmys and Golden Globes and was named the greatest show of all time by TV Guide.
The show’s ratings (and advertising rates) were colossal. Jerry Seinfeld became one of the highest-paid performers in the history of television. More significantly, the TV show carved out a Grand Canyon-sized niche in pop culture. Among Seinfeld’s enduring catchphrases: “Not that there’s anything wrong with that,” “No soup for you!” “Master of your domain” and “Yada yada yada.”
Seinfeld was a successful stand-up comedian before hitting it huge on television. He was a regular performer on Johnny Carson and David Letterman’s TV shows — appearances that made him a household name.
He is a pioneer of observational comedy, which is all about riffing on the minutiae of everyday life. Many of Seinfeld’s bits started with, “So what’s the deal with …” followed by observations about peanut packages dispensed on airline flights. Or faulty vending machines, lint, Pez dispensers, no-fat yogurt and so on.
A variant of this is: “Did you ever notice …” Here’s a joke credited to Seinfeld: “Did you ever notice when you blow in a dog’s face he gets mad at you? But when you take him in a car he sticks his head out the window?” The payoff, for the audience member, is in thinking “You know, I never did notice that before. Boy, that’s funny.”
The lucky 6,000-plus fans at Save-on-Foods Memorial Arena can expect a family show devoid of profanity, which Seinfeld (just like his comedy influence Bill Cosby) shuns. He avoids political and topical humour. Seinfeld is said to be a perfectionist who hones and tinkers with each joke, sometimes for years.
Finally, a little trivia. For those attending the show, it may get you in the mood. For those who aren’t, well, it’s about as close as you’ll get to Jerry this week. Unless you watch Seinfeld, which, 15 years later, is still in syndication. And is still as fresh, eccentric and amusing as ever.
Jerry loves Porsches: When he arrives at SOFMC, will Seinfeld cast a fond eye at the Porsche dealership across the street? Seinfeld is a car enthusiast who owns more than 45 Porches. These include the “James Dean model,” a.k.a. the 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder. These vehicles are housed in a custom garage in Manhattan, where he lives in a luxurious flat overlooking Central Park.
The rapper: Seinfeld is working on an album with a hip-hop artist called Wale. The upcoming recording will be called The Album About Nothing. In February, Seinfeld told Rolling Stone magazine: “There’s no difference between rapping and standup. You’re trying to catch people’s attention with a catchy thought or something that’s deeper than it seems.”
Family stuff: His wife is Jessica Sklar. The couple have three children, Sascha, Julian and Shepherd. Seinfeld, who’s 59 and of Jewish descent, was born in Brooklyn. His grandfather, from Austria, immigrated to America in 1903 by himself as a penniless 15-year-old. He later sold fish for a living. Seinfeld’s father, who died in 1985, was a sign-maker.
Seinfeld is still popular: Immediately after he starred in a 2012 Super Bowl commercial for the Honda Acura, the automaker’s website crashed for 10 minutes.
Post-Seinfeld years: He’s never matched the success of his popular television show. But then, that’d be like asking Leonardo da Vinci to top the Mona Lisa. After the series ended, Seinfeld co-wrote the animated Bee Movie, also voicing the lead character of Barry the bee. The flick met with mixed reviews.
In 2012, he embarked on a more successful venture, the web-based comedy series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. The show is just that: Seinfeld picks up a comedian, they have coffee and chat. Guests include Ricky Gervais, Larry David and Alec Baldwin. The cars include a 1960 Rolls Royce, a 1962 Volkswagen camper and a 1970 Dodge Challenger. A second season is scheduled.
Philosophical underpinnings: Seinfeld once told interviewers he took a couple of Scientology classes in the mid-’70s and has dipped a toe in both Zen Buddhism and transcendental meditation.
Victoria’s Seinfeld connection: We don’t really have one. But in 2006, the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld did visit this city. Larry Thomas was enlisted to ladle soup at a University of Victoria fundraiser. He told the Times Colonist his character (a fascistic soup server who regularly kicked people out of his eatery) was beloved because everyone secretly harbours the urge to reprimand rule-bending ne’er-do-wells.
He plans to go on forever: Last year, the comedian told the New York Times he’ll do stand-up comedy “into my 80s and beyond.”
Primary sources: New York Times, Rolling Stone magazine.
Where: Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre
When: Saturday, doors 6:30 p.m., show 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: Sold out
