Don't mind me, just pasting timestamps for myself here: 00:00 Introduction 02:15 Sponsors 07:35 How did the book The Last Laugh: The World of Stand-Up Comics by Phil Berger enter Jerry’s life, and what made it so influential to him as a high-schooler who didn’t do much reading outside of comic books and magazines like Esquire? 11:41 How is Jerry’s writing technique similar to that of fiction writer and past guest Neil Gaiman, and how has it changed over time? What did Jerry learn very early on about the importance of writing in his chosen career as a stand-up comedian? 18:42 What’s the real wellspring of ideas that Jerry spins into comedy gold, what is typically the enemy of this wellspring, and what lifestyle choice did he make that almost ensures the well never runs dry? 21:05 To understand Jerry’s micromanagement approach to steering Seinfeld for nine seasons on network television (and why this turned out to be his limit), imagine it as a boat. 24:51 Did Jerry look toward any role models when deciding to step away from this massively successful creative endeavor on a high note? 26:01 Is the irritability Jerry credits as a wellspring of material actual dissatisfaction, or just more of a sensitivity to notice what others might overlook in the moment? 28:23 Jerry says there was a lack of discord among the cast of Seinfeld, which seems to be a rarity - especially for a comedy ensemble that lasts nine years together. To what does he attribute this lack of discord? 32:17 Why Jerry considers “systemize” a valuable part of his personal operating system, and how he’s trying to instill it in his own kids to apply it to their own projects. 36:23 What are the main lessons Jerry would try to convey if he taught a class on writing, and how does this tie in with the methods he used to get back in shape later in life? 38:43 On feedback and why Jerry never shares what he’s written for at least 24 hours. 41:23 Does Jerry solicit feedback from fellow comics when he’s finished a stand-up set? 42:29 If a reward is crucial for a writing session, does Jerry have a self-reward for completing a stand-up set? 43:17 As a beginning comedian, did Jerry have a long-term career plan? 44:23 What kind of audience feedback from a set would, for Jerry, beat the reward of an ice cream sundae? 47:49 Aside from writing sessions, what other routines does Jerry consider imperative to his well-being, and how often-and for what kind of duration-are they followed? 52:27 How learning to nurture your creative self is akin to parenting, and why Jerry believes that “pain is really knowledge rushing in to fill a void at great speed.” 53:56 Aside from his aforementioned daily routines, is there anything else that helps Jerry stave off or mitigate depressive episodes? Would he agree with other comics who fear seeking help for depression because it might rob them of the mechanism that gives them their best material? 56:24 Does Jerry have any favorite failures that set him up for later success? 1:01:14 What happened when Jerry went from writing three days a week to seven? 1:03:00 How many times did Jerry rehearse his set before appearing on The Tonight Show for the very first time? 1:03:13 Why does Jerry think Mitzi Shore, The Comedy Store owner, gave him such a hard time? 1:06:40 On self-sufficiency as a seemingly rare commodity in the world of comedy (except among those who are in it for the long haul), and how Jerry has maintained his constitution beyond his years through gamification. 1:11:14 Has Jerry applied this gamification to creative or professional projects? 1:14:22 Who comes to mind when Jerry hears the word “successful?” Maybe survival is the new success. 1:20:21 What would Jerry’s billboard say? 1:21:51 Parting thoughts. (Copied from tim.blog/2020/12/08/jerry-seinfeld/#more-53914, converted using an online tool)
Jerry just knew the vital life of Seinfeld. One more year dying very slowly but dying. But kept Seunfeld vital ~ Like the best hamburger you ever had ~ still tastes delicious ~ not like from a long time ago ~ Memory of its taste is instantly restored upon viewing Seinfeld ~ Just Very Very Good ~
I'd heard Jerry share a bit about his writing routine in his conversation at the 92nd St. Y, but this was a more complete and more contextualized version of it. Fantastic. BTW Jerry has said recently that he's probably on the autism spectrum (most likely at the level that used to be called Asperger's, very high functioning), which would explain a lot about his love for routines and systems, and his hypersensitive nervous system. So glad he's sharing freely about what has worked for him.
This is really, really good stuff. I suppose I wasn’t expecting this level of insight from Seinfeld. You forget that people get to the top of their field / profession / craft for a reason and that reason seems to be similar across many (all?) fields.
Right!?.... I love learning from these masters of their fields of education and life experience 🙌 😍 👏 ❤ 💙 😊.... im trying out different styles of internet interviews, to become a better listener and decision maker... once I settle down a smidge.. . I get Purdy ADD.... but we all cope with adversity, so I'm blessed to have my dog- brain.... that was funny comment he made hih?
Outstanding interview. I’ve seen a lot of Seinfeld interviews, but never have I heard him talk so much about the craft of writing comedy and performing standup. He was really relaxed and opened up, and seemed to enjoy the interview. Really well done.
This is the most insightful of all interviews I’ve heard I’m a big fan of Jerry as a comedian and now all I can say it’s that I’m also a big fan of his work ethic. Thanks Tim for sharing this with all of us! Really appreciate it
what a great interview, Jerry even says let's go on ask me more questions - we hear things here I have not ever heard from Seinfeld, and some really great advice to take seriously
7:35 it begins. Seinfeld is still the best sitcom ever; a testament to the power of unity - Jerry and Larry were a perfect creative team, much like Platoʼs soulmates
This further proves the point that success is not an accident. You hear Seinfeld being a comedian with the discipline, goal setting, tracking, habits of an athlete.
@Marcus Straya Perhaps he didn't enjoy the show Seinfeld (which was amazing btw) OR perhaps he meant that he was wrong about not being a fan and realized that Seinfeld has some good things to say despite not being a big fan of the man or show before.
@Marcus Straya I think saying he’s not a huge fan is a testament to how good the interview was and how good the insights were. You usually give people you are huge fans of more credit than they’re due. That’s what saying that added.
I really needed to hear this. It's been my hardest year. lost job and lost my mama but Seinfeld's wisdom on comedy and life is so solid and real. especially with his success. He lets you know it really is about excepting life as it is and putting in the work for yourself. 2020 has taken a lot out of all of us but like Tim said this was a gift.
I think we all needed this information as we end the year. Sure, 2020 has been a year of strife for many, and you seem to have taken a huge hit, yourself, Terrence. I hope you see improvement in your employment status very soon. I'm sorry you lost your mom this year too. I hope you're able to find some peace and joy.
@39:00 “Here's a fine point of writing technique that I'll pass along to you writers out there: Never talk to anyone about what you wrote that day, that day. You have to wait 24-hours to ever say anything to anyone about what you did, because you never want to take away that wonderful happy feeling that you did that very difficult thing that you tried to do that you accomplished it. You wrote. You sat down and wrote. So, if you say anything, it's like the same reason - you ever heard the thing like? - you never tell people the name you're gonna give the baby, 'til it's born. Because they're gonna react, and the reaction is gonna have a color, and if you've decided that that's gonna be the baby's name, then you don't wanna know what anybody else thinks. So I will always wait 24-hours before I say anything to anyone about what I wrote. So you wanna preserve that Good Feeling. 'Cuz if you - Let's say you write something and you love it. And then, later on that day your talking to someone and you thought, 'hey what d'you think about this idea blah-blah-blah' and they don't love it. Now that day feels like 'ugh, I guess that was wasted effort'. So you always want to reward yourself. The key to writing, to being a good writer, is to treat yourself like a baby, to be very nurturing and loving, and then switch over to Lou Gossett in, Officer And a Gentleman, and just be a harsh prick ball-busting son-of-a-bitch, about: That is just not good enough, that's gotta come out. Or it's gotta be re-done or thrown away. SO flipping back and forth between those two brain-quadrants is the key to writing. When you're writing, you want to treat your brain like a toddler, it's all nurturing and loving and supportiveness, and when you look at it the next day you want to be just a hard-ass. And you switch back and forth.”
How the book The Last Laugh influenced Jerry 07:35 Jerry’s writing technique 11:41 How Jerry comes up with ideas for bits - 18:42 Jerry’s approach to steering Seinfeld for nine seasons 21:05 role models’ influence on ending Seinfeld when he did 24:51 How irritability/sensitivity influence Jerry’s comedy 26:01 lack of discord amongst Seinfeld cast - how and why 28:23 Importance of systemizing important tasks 32:17 What are the main lessons Jerry would try to convey if he taught a class on writing, and how does this tie in with the methods he used to get back in shape later in life? [36:23] why Jerry never shares what he’s written for at least 24 hours. [38:43] Does Jerry solicit feedback from fellow comics when he’s finished a stand-up set? [41:23] If a reward is crucial for a writing session, does Jerry have a self-reward for completing a stand-up set? [42:29] As a beginning comedian, did Jerry have a long-term career plan? [43:17] What kind of audience feedback from a set would, for Jerry, beat the reward of an ice cream sundae? [44:23] Aside from writing sessions, what other routines does Jerry consider imperative to his well-being, and how often-and for what kind of duration-are they followed? [47:49] How learning to nurture your creative self is akin to parenting, and why Jerry believes that “pain is really knowledge rushing in to fill a void at great speed.” [52:27] Aside from his aforementioned daily routines, is there anything else that helps Jerry stave off or mitigate depressive episodes? Would he agree with other comics who fear seeking help for depression because it might rob them of the mechanism that gives them their best material? [53:56] Does Jerry have any favorite failures that set him up for later success? [56:24] What happened when Jerry went from writing three days a week to seven? [1:01:14] How many times did Jerry rehearse his set before appearing on The Tonight Show for the very first time? [1:03:00] Why does Jerry think Mitzi Shore, The Comedy Store owner, gave him such a hard time? [1:03:13] On self-sufficiency as a seemingly rare commodity in the world of comedy (except among those who are in it for the long haul), and how Jerry has maintained his constitution beyond his years through gamification. [1:06:40] Has Jerry applied this gamification to creative or professional projects? [1:11:14] Who comes to mind when Jerry hears the word “successful?” Maybe survival is the new success. [1:14:22] What would Jerry’s billboard say? [1:20:21] Parting thoughts. [1:21:51]
WOW WOW WOW - BIG Thank You! To both Jerry and Tim. There is so much interesting content here for those of us struggling to give birth to that which does not yet exist in the world.....but we feel it trying to come to life. Such a great podcast! Thank you seems so insignificant compared to the gratitude in my heart. I've been struggling this week with my work and self-doubts and overly critical self-talk because my process isn't lining up to where others can understand it....but it's work none-the-less. Thank you guys for the validation and reassurances!!
Excellent interview, thank you. Tim asked great questions and Jerry was funny us usual and very insightful. Learned a few things that I can borrow for living in this crazy world. Still the best comedian ever.
I woke up at 4am and was delighted to hear Jerry Seinfield's voice on my computer. What a very cool podcast/ Thank you...I am two years older than Jerry and so we are both seasoned!
Great interview, nice guy. Personally, I never laughed once at Seinfeld but I understand it means a lot to a lot of people and I respect that. Thanks Tim!
I have to say, this was a FANTASTIC interview with Seinfeld, possibly the best I've ever heard or seen, which is saying something! I first saw Seinfeld in 1979, he came in second in a young comedians contest; I went to school the next day and did all his bits. I've been watching his career all these years so believe me: if I tell you this is one of the best that's out there, you can take that to the bank. BRAVO.
I knew this was going to be good but this interview was stellar in every way. I felt like a fly on the wall listening to two close friends talking about life. There were so many insightful takeaways. Thank you Tim & Jerry!
Saw him in Daytona do stand up for hour and 20 minutes straight. He was 60 at the time. He had more energy than every before. He came out and talked to the audience and took questions. He has done that for a long time.
I am one of the million of fans of Jerry Seinfeld. Up to now, I am still watching the reruns of his show 'Seinfeld'. Thanks for this and I really learned a lot about Seinfeld because of this.
Excellent conversation, Tim and Jerry. Jerry's transparency was surprising and am so glad he gave you the extra time for the interview. Thank you so much for the honest and insightful answers.
Tim is such a great listener. He weaves into his question about the cell phone and coffee observations that Seinfeld talked about and turned into another question . So impressive. Both Ferris and Seinfeld are really really insightful . Great men 👍
I love Seinfeld, and this is one of the best interviews I've ever heard. He brings so much clarity and practical wisdom into the room. Extra spectacular for anyone who writes or is any flavor of creative. Great questions from Ferriss.
"Just Work" - that's really it in a nutshell. Great interview - never heard of Tim Ferris, but he asks intelligent questions. Perhaps a few nervous laughs when Jerry was being completely serious, but he was talking to a legend.
This is a fantastic interview. Jerry Seinfeld has always been the standard of excellence for me (and not just in comedy.) I teach professional development and use him as an 'A-Excellence' example often. While I applaud his words that 'anyone who gets up there and does it, wins' ('it' being standing up in front of strangers to make them laugh), I think we can all agree that some comedians appear to be lazy about it and some, like Seinfeld, clearly deliver their A-game to every audience knowing ultimately it's their own brand on the line whether they are playing Madison Square Garden in front of thousands or small cities and theaters in front of a few hundred. Seinfeld brings his best always and it is appreciated, inspiring and so influential. No wonder he's still killin' it at 66...and now 68!! Mitzi Shore was wrong about him....or maybe spot on right? Perhaps she too saw excellence in him long ago and knew her treatment would fuel his discipline for making it big with excellence and longevity. Thank you Jerry Seinfeld - your commitment to your craft teaches all of us, in every kind of profession, to do the same.
Writing is very difficult, learn to write and you will be very competent 30:00 Confront Search for philosophy of life 38:00 the brain is a little stupid dog that can be trained 48:00 Weight lifting Trascendental meditation 51:00 Motivation 53:15 Pain is knowledge rushing in to fill void with great speed
"Pain is knowledge rushing in to fill a void with great speed. You don't know that that post of your bed was were you thought it was but when your foot hits it that knoledge is gonna come rushing in really fast and it's gonna really hurt" "Survival is the new success" "I'm not gonna ask you to leave but I don't have anything for you" Transcendental meditation and weight training seem to be a consistent. "Just work" the cornerstone of craft. As a personal note I've been a huge fan of Jerry and his show since I was a little kid, kind of hard for me to believe that this is still him, he has not lost his pacing even as a casual human being.
Reading "Is This Anything?" is what got me interested in Seinfeld. Finally watched it and you can all the little details that make it shine: The physical expressions, tight scripts, chemistry between the four leads, etc.
The last couple of weeks I watched all of the "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee" and was completely blown away by the intelligence, observations and alertness of Jerry Seinfeld. I thought - wow, this guy is someone who knows but is to modest to brag about it. These interview confirms for me the genius that is Jerry Seinfeld! (And of course, Tim is great interviewer too!) The series he did with Comedians in Cars are priceless - no school, workshop or anything will teach you things about comedy and more, better than these conversations!
I started watching it way back thinking that I was not going to be able to stand him for 10 minutes. And I was so happy to be wrong. He seems so grounded so generous and so present. He’s a very interesting person.
Every video of JS has some nobody in the comments calling him a talentless hack who rode on Larry David's coat-tails. Imagine how much they would learn if they listened to this, and actually took it in.
I stumbled upon this because I'm a stand up comedian and I like Jerry's work of course. I knew he was wise, but you allowed him to take it to another level by asking him some great questions. He is inspirational to get me to keep doing comedy the way I want without caring what other people think. If I get laughs, my comedy is working. If I go up on stage, I've won by being there and doing the work.
Incredible your questions were so insightful the answers from Jerry were absolutely what I'd expect of him. Jerry is so poised so on point about his craft I was blown away and in the best way possible.
I really enjoyed this interview ! Jerry’s “work hard play hard” approach isn’t surprising to me, looking at his success Tim’s questions and responses to Jerry’s takes were refreshing as well ! I’ll be adding this podcast to my car routine (:
Absolutely love how he makes working out a game, that’s a game changer for me. And it reminded me of how when I was a new parent I ran into a book called Playful Parenting by Larry Cohen, which made parenting a lot more fun.
"Pain is Knowledge Rushing In to Fill a Void with Great Speed." HAH! Love Seinfeld's world view! Pure genius - well worth the focused listen! Terrific interview Tim and Jerry!
Terrific, uplifting interview. Big fan of Jerry’s and learned a lot I hadn’t known and heard a lot of what I needed to hear. (I especially appreciate your openness and Jerry’s insight regarding depression coming with the Creative Kit) What a great intro to your podcast. Looking forward to an archive dive and everything upcoming.
This was a great interview - well worth one and a half hours of my time. it was full of surprising insights and truth about work and about life in general. I’m now a fan of both men !
13:00 stand-up comedy is really writing 45:00 - 50:00 ish Routines help fight off depression 54:20 a tendency towards depression always comes with a creative brain, but crankiness and irritability is probably more closely tied to creativity and productivity. Depression probably isn't. 59:00 ish Anger motivates him. 1:05:15 Stand up comedy is the perfect way to break a human being. Taking somebody who's dysfunctional and giving them everything without structures and feed their vices. It's like being a fish in the Hudson river. It's a toxic environment.
I wanted to do standup and there was a night school class on your first 5 minutes at an Improv (this was in Seattle) and the teacher was a local comic (Stu Stewart) who literally used the Seinfeld single setup-multiple payoff system of bit construction and it was very liberating and smart. I never did standup past that five minutes we all did eventually live at a local club (Comedy Underground, Seattle) but really got to see just how serious and difficult it is to seem not serious and not difficult. In a way it is the ultimate form of acting because everyone in the crowd would be absolutely terrified to do this and you are terrified doing it and you have to make yourself so comfortable that they forget that THEY would be terrified and get onboard with you in your comfort zone you bring up there. It is a supreme level of confidence that for some reason Jewish comedians have that special Larry David "I don't care but fuck you" thing that is both supremely selfish and insanely funny.
I appreciate the convo especially on depression. For me I tried everything for years before I went on medication. I truly believe medication saved my life. It’s unfortunate that there is such a smear on anti depressants among ‘spiritual ‘ types. For the record, many times, I tried psychedelics and ayahuasca taking into account set and setting including well trained guides. Unfortunately, this was not my path- instead I was filled with tremendous anxiety during the sessions followed by a long depressive episodes. Psychedelics are not a panacea. May there be balance and respect for ALL methods. Would I rather say psychedelics gave me a mystical experience and I’m much better instead of saying medication helped. Absolutely. It’s not very ‘cool’ to have gotten traction thru meds instead of psychedelics. Good on Jerry for finding that writing and exercise are his methods.
Jerry Sienfeld is my hero and idol, always has been. Damn, thanks for getting him on! So hard to find any new Jerry interviews on RU-vid. I've gone through them all. He's a genius and I love how dedicated he is to his craft. This is a fantastically valuable interview. God Jerry is the fucking man. So brilliant. Thanks Tim.
Though I respect Jerry as a comedian, and his journey, telling his daughter not to write is awful parenting. Totally understand what he's trying to do,. and if she wanted and needed to make millions, than that's probably the best way to do it. But maybe her style will lead to greatness, and Jerry might stifle it by trying to out it down. If kids are doing something well, and it benefits them, just let them do it. Jerry sounds like a parent insisting his daughter be a lawyer or doctor just like him.
Don't know if John Cleese of Fawlty Towers took a cue from The Beatles, but he called time on Fawlty Towers after two seasons. After re-watching the DVD box set, for both seasons that I never want to see again, I can see why he did :-)
if someone hasn't named this sensation, they should. Ferriss is a compelling guy, Seinfeld is too. But as Ferriss oversets up each question (often by a factor of 5) and it loses that feeling of interviewer and interviewee. Rich Roll does it too. We love the host but we're here to listen to the guest's answers, at least this time. I listen to Ferriss all the time and buy all of his books the day they come out but I can't help but think that this would have been a better interview if Ferriss had edited out his essay questions to Seinfeld.
