What’s the deal with Jerry Seinfeld saying comedy doesn’t need more diversity? On a CBS interview Tuesday, Jerry said, “It really pisses me off. People think [comedy] is the census or something, it’s gotta represent the actual pie chart of America. Who cares?”
Fans grew irate that one of the forefathers of stand up said something so dismissive of the issue. What’s the deal with all this outrage over Jerry’s ignorance? Why is it that when you respect someone it’s worse when they say something crappy? Have you ever noticed that people who are wildly successful and influential in their careers don’t necessarily keep in touch with the issues that affect amateurs?
What’s the deal with Jerry saying that comedy doesn’t need to be representative of the population? That sounds like he doesn’t want to reach out to a wider demographic of audiences. Who wouldn’t want their audience to be wider? Unless they’re taking their audience on airplanes; and then, what’s the deal with airplane food? Is it food for people or food for the airplanes?
I do love Jerry Seinfeld, and I respect him and his contribution to art quite a bit. However, it always sucks to hear someone I look up to say that the lack of diversity in comedy is no big deal. I think a lot of baby boomers hold the belief that affirmative action isn’t that important, because they pulled themselves up by their bootstraps, so why can’t everyone? But not everybody is born with bootstraps, or sneakerlaces, or sandal flippity flops.
Art should be more diverse so as to appeal to a more diverse audience. Art, in particular stand up comedy, can be really helpful, beautiful, cathartic, and inspirational for audiences, so why wouldn’t we want to be able to share our art with more people?
maybe he saw your act. Stand up is completely equal, people pay to see people they think are funny, if you aren’t selling out auditoriums it probably isn’t because of discrimination barb.
Previous commenter is a dipshit.
I’m all for the meritocracy of funny, but when the whole system is run by white (or at least white-ish) folks who control the strings of finance and stage access, it’s absolute fucking idiocy to say it’s “equal.” How many successful black or female comedians did, say, Budd Friedman nurture from before they were known?
You know nothing, and your fake libertarian pure meritocratic society exists only in your imagination, econoline.
don’t be a dick econoline.
it’s a total fallacy anyway to say that if you aren’t selling out auditoriums you’re not funny. i don’t think that needs to be said; but i’ve had this same conversation about music and somehow this idea persists that financial success is proof of quality art–despite the fact that the most financially successful art with the broadest appeal is usually dumbed down.
i would say, though, that i think jerry seinfeld should retain that attitude–and shuffle off to be the dinosaur it’ll soon make him. if you’re queer, a person of color, a woman, do you need jerry seinfeld’s seal of approval, or need him telling your stories? let the old dinosaurs and their fans creep off into the darkness, and build a brave new world of comedy for everyone.
When people become extremely successful it is not uncommon for them to be out of touch. Especially in that industry. I disagree with Seinfeld, there is room for others
Plenty of talented women and minorities sell out auditoriums, but Barb isn’t one of them and it is pretty clear the 3 commenters above haven’t seen what passes for her comedy act. Jerry simply said that we shouldn’t artificially force people to watch awful acts in the name of “diversity”, which of course really upset no talent Barb because the only way she will ever advance in the industry is through affirmative action type pressure.
“What’s the deal with Jerry Seinfeld saying comedy doesn’t need more diversity?”
Did he say that?
“Funny is the world I live in,” he said unapologetically. “You’re funny, I’m interested. You’re not funny, I’m not interested. I have no interest in gender or race or anything like that.”
Oh, THAT’S what he said.
Why do so many comedians completely lack a sense of humor?
here’s my take on this, in response to someone else, a friend, a comic also, who sided with seinfeld — just seinfeld’s word alone are a bit disturbing in 2014. it’s sounding a little like the stephen colbert/faux news parody of claiming, “i don’t see race.” the trouble is, comedy _is_ diverse, moreso now than ever before. even in very whitewhitewhite portland, we have an amazingly talented cross-section of american diversity in our comedy community. to think you solve the problem by reducing it down to an alleged meritocracy, when the majority of the “comedians” in his “comedians in cars having coffee” are older white males is not even a fair random sampling. to be the reigning stand-up as far as box office pull and pretend you don’t see this and you’re going solely by talent comes off, at best, as disingenuous.
oh, and yes – i have seen barb’s act. she’s very funny and i love what she does. so did my girlfriend whom i’m sipping wine with right now when she saw her in the “All Jane, No Dick” comedy festival here in portland. barb’s also been in Bridgetown comedy fest here, and in San Francisco and other big city comedy fests, so i’d say her career is well on the way to being in sold-out auditoriums, unlike the usual comment detractors in her blog.
You guys should listen to Jerry. He’s an expert on underrepresented minorities.
The New York City Jew is the most maligned and underrepresented minority in all of studio Hollywood.
What the fuck is this all about Babs? Trying to turn Jerry Seinfeld into Jerry Lewis to pick up some more readers?
Don’t be a cunt Babs.
Jesus, I’m glad I left Portland.
A comedian who shits on other comedians. Sounds like jealously.
I have seen her act. I think she is pretty funny actually. I just don’t feel the need to shit on people to make myself feel better. Personally I don’t think Seinfeld is all that funny. There are far better comedians now. Stanhope, Burr etc.
The interview in question was referencing his web series “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee,” and why there wasn’t more diversity in the guests that he’d had on. Barbara is dishonest in her critique, as Jerry is not talking about comedy in general, but HIS show.
Barbara, why is there more racial diversity on Jerry’s web series than the Portland Mercury staff? Why do you personally choose to write about white men more than anyone else in your columns?
Tom does have a point….
“saw her in the “All Jane, No Dick” comedy festival here in portland. “
An all female comedy show.
Diversity.
This is a column about nothing.
@Tom: “why is there more racial diversity on Jerry’s web series than the Portland Mercury staff?”
Because only middle class white kids can write about diversity with the requisite combination of college-seminar earnestness and PBR-drinking wiseassedness.
I’m a Portland based comic. In my opinion Barbara is talented, so people trying to say she’s not, please find a more valid argument. Although unlike Barbara, I agree with what Seinfeld said. Love is blind, and humor is blind. It doesn’t matter if you’re a blue, trans gender drag queen from Mars, talent is talent. Another argument that can be made (as to why there is such an overwhelming percentage of white males in comedy) is that because of economics and class disparity, it is increasingly difficult for underprivileged minorities to pursue a career in the arts. That is a valid argument worth discussion.