Summary
- Jerry Seinfeld admits to fabricating jokes in his stand-up routines, believing the audience values laughter over honesty.
- While lies dominate his comedy, Seinfeld's family is aware and supportive, understanding the fictional nature of his material.
- Jerry finds the heart of comedy in shared aggravation, creating relatable humor by exaggerating real-life annoyances.
When dissecting a great comedian, most fans claim that the comedy they heard was really "authentic." That the comedian was being deeply truthful about themselves in order to make the audience laugh and maybe even relate to them. While this is true of some comedians, it's quite the opposite for Jerry Seinfeld.
In short, Jerry Seinfeld basically lies for a living.
At least, that's what he's once said to the equally hilarious Howard Stern.
Updated April 2024: Jerry Seinfeld may lie for a living, but that lying has paid off well. This is because Seinfeld was recently named a billionaire, having made tens of millions in 2023 to reach the $1 billion threshold. Despite "Seinfeld" being over, Jerry continues to earn royalties from syndication. He also commands $20 million per comedy show. Proving that there is still an audience for someone who claims his comedy is not truthful for a living.
Jerry Seinfeld Explained His Comedic Process
Jerry Seinfeld explained his comedic process to Howard Stern in 2020
In May 2020, Jerry Seinfeld appeared on The Howard Stern Show for another epic interview. Given that he and Howard are good friends, Jerry pops in from time to time. Howard and Jerry are so close that Jerry is one of the A-listers in Howard's inner circle.
Jerry also knows that he's not going to be pandered to with Howard. The self-proclaimed "King of All Media" is a colossal fan of Jerry's stand-up and is fascinated by the art of comedy. From how Jerry constructs his jokes, his dedication to the craft, and his interpretation of how comedy should work, Howard is enamored by it all. His outlandishly detailed love for the inner workings of comedy is one of the surprising things we've learned about Howard from his radio show.
Without a doubt, Jerry loves talking about all this, especially with someone who is authentically interested and is funny himself.
Though Howard Stern's sense of humor and style is different, he has to make people laugh during a mostly stream-of-consciousness 4-hour radio show, 3 times a week. As such, it should come as no surprise Howard is curious about how others do something similar.
Lies That Jerry Seinfeld Tells In His Stand-Up
Jerry Seinfeld rarely has any truth in his stand-up routines
Jerry went on The Stern Show in May 2020 to promote his Netflix special, 23 Hours To Kill. In it, he opens with a few jokes about being married.
Knowing both Jerry and his wife Jessica, Howard was surprised about Jerry's take on marriage in the special. Some of Jerry's jokes were 100% at his wife's expense. This included a joke about traveling with your partner. That going to a hotel is just "paying for another room to fight with your wife". Howard wondered if any of these jokes caused tension in the household.
"Howard, you don't really think that any of those things are things I really think?" Jerry asked. "It's not honest. They're all lies. It's all concocted. Invented".
Jerry continued, saying that, at the very least, "it's an exaggeration".
Jerry added that the audience doesn't care if something is truthful or not if it makes them laugh. Part of the fun of it is coming up with these stories to see what people relate to or find funny.
This is how comedy works for Jerry Seinfeld.
The Seinfeld Family Knows That Jerry Seinfeld Lies During His Routine
Jerry Seinfeld's family is aware that he tell lies during his stand-up routine
Still, Howard was curious if Jerry had to explain that to his wife and kids. Especially when Jerry continuously makes jokes about them. Do they need the occasional reminder that their daddy doesn't hate them?
The answer is, "no".
The Seinfeld family fully understands what Jerry does for a living. They know that the stories are made up. And even when there's some truth to them, they have a sense of humor about themselves. This is why Jerry is able to continue and be so successful in his comedy career.
Only "Aspects Of The Truth" Exist In Jerry Seinfeld's Comedy
From time to time, Jerry Seinfeld will sprinkle truths into his stand-up routine
"Aspects of the truth are just one of the many tools a comedian uses to hold an audience's attention", Jerry explained, as well as "to manipulate them into laughing."
Still, Howard was curious about whether some of the situational jokes in 23 Hours To Kill were directed at him. This is because Howard recognized he's done some of the things to Jerry that Jerry was making fun of in his bits.
Jerry pointed out that the things that Howard did within their friendship were things that everyone does. So, they're universally truthful, but not necessarily derived from the individual. In fact, a lot of the origins of Jerry's jokes come from him eavesdropping on other people. He then alters them so they sound like they're his own experiences.
When they sound personal, they become funny.
And clearly, people find Jerry Seinfeld hilarious. He's one of the highest-paid comedians around, according to Forbes, and has a truly outlandish net worth of $1 billion. This is how he's been able to amass a truly incredible collection of vehicles.
Comedy Driven By Aggravation Connects Jerry Seinfeld And Howard Stern
The best comedy that Jerry Seinfeld tells is based on things that aggravate him
During their conversation about the craft of comedy, both Jerry and Howard agreed that aggravation is one of the greatest origins of comedy. To be funny, you have to be aggravated about something.
Therein lies the truth of it.
Even if the stories and experiences that Jerry describes in his material aren't factual, they aggravate him.
One of the reasons why Jerry and Howard connect in real life is the fact that they are bothered by so many things in life.
In different ways, they both spin these perspectives into pieces that almost anyone can relate to. That is if they have a sense of humor.
