Anybody think Jerry Seinfeld is overrated? - Page 2

KOTLP · #11 08-02-2006, 10:23 AM

Jerry's not overated IMO, but you are certainly right that Larry David is the brain behind much of Seinfeld the sitcom.

George's character was loosely based on Larry. He also played Steinbrenner. Jerry said something like 90% of the show should be credited to Larry. The show was never as good after he left.

doc_1982 · #12 08-02-2006, 10:24 AM

The thing that never made sense to me about Seinfeld was that the segments of standup at the start and end of every episode were just not funny. His stand up act is hilariously funny, so why were the intro and outros so horrible?

Shajen · #13 08-02-2006, 10:25 AM

Actually, I hated Seinfeld.

It got too redundant, and they whined too damned much.

So do I think Seinfeld is overrated? Absofuckinglutely.

-Skeme- · #14 08-02-2006, 10:25 AM

[ QUOTE ]
The thing that never made sense to me about Seinfeld was that the segments of standup at the start and end of every episode were just not funny. His stand up act is hilariously funny, so why were the intro and outros so horrible?

[/ QUOTE ]

I didn't think they were horrible, but they were usually having to do with the episode's plot. Perhaps they weren't always his real routines?

Gobias Ind. · #15 08-02-2006, 10:27 AM

I agree.

Look at the Seinfeld episodes in which Larry David wrote vs. the one's in which he wasn't involved. The last few years were funny, but not nearly as funny as the Larry David years.

doc_1982 · #16 08-02-2006, 10:29 AM

Well i mean "horrible" as in i don't think i ever laughed out loud once at them, and generally i don't think they really added anything to the episodes.

James Boston · #17 08-02-2006, 10:41 AM

I think Seinfeld's standup is very good. That being said, yes, I think Larry David was the driving force behind the success of the show, and I'm pretty sure Seinfeld has said this himself. As others have mentioned, George is more or less based on David. Also, Kenny Kramer (the person Kramer is based on) was actually David's neighbor, not Seinfeld's.

Jerry__Seinfeld · #18 08-02-2006, 10:42 AM

The problem with the mall garage is that everything looks the same. They try to differentiate between levels. They put up different colors, different numbers, different letters. What they need to do is name the levels like, "Your mother's a whore." You would remember that. Your would go, "No, we're not. We're in 'My father's an abusive alcoholic'."

On my block, a lot of people walk their dogs and I always see them walking along with their little poop bags. This, to me, is the lowest activity in human life. Following a dog with a little pooper scooper. Waiting for him to go so you can walk down the street with it in your bag. If aliens are watching this through telescopes, they're going to think the dogs are the leaders of the planet. If you see two life forms, one of them is making a poop, the other one's carrying it for him, who would you assume is in charge?

PayTheSnucka · #19 08-02-2006, 10:54 AM

Larry David floundered for his entire career until he met up with Jerry and the show just worked. Larry says that the luckiest day of his life is the day he met Jerry.

Obviously, Larry D. is brilliant enough to continue making fresh, original and hilarious broad based comedy with the same formula, but I wouldn't be selling Jerry short.

mosta · #20 08-02-2006, 11:05 AM

I'm not sure about "overrated," because I think most people recognize that Seinfeld the show was made from a lot more than the mind of JS. I think his stand up is good, but not consistently bowl-you-over good.

One thing that hasn't been discussed a lot is the cast. JS was not an actor, and no one ever claimed otherwise, least of all himself. Michael Richards was really special. Yeah, some of his gags tried a little too hard, but still he was a great actor. He was able to use facial expression and just his eyes to make his part. Contrast Alexander and Dreyfus, who whenever having to keep still in front of the camera for more than 2 seconds would degenerate into _miming_ their lines! (though they did a lot fairly well). And a lot of really excellent small parts: Knight, Warburton, and esp Stiller.

At what point did LD leave anyway? Did he work through the entire Susan plot line? No doubt that was great. But while some people have knocked the later episodes, I really liked the over-the-top surreal plots in the last season, like the Kramer home talk show.