We know he co-created and starred in one of the most successful, critically acclaimed and culturally impactful sitcoms of all time. We also know he made enough money off that sitcom for roughly 18 lifetimes. Here’s what we don’t know: Why does Jerry Seinfeld—the master of both his domain and observational comedy—still have the itch to do stand-up?
Shouldn’t someone of Seinfeld’s stature be relaxing on a faraway island rather than alerting his more than 4 million Twitter followers about last-minute drop-in sets at small comedy clubs in New York and Los Angeles so he can “work out some stuff,” as he did twice this spring?
Actually, merely asking such questions explains why we’re not in the laugh business. Because just as financial geniuses like Warren Buffett are motivated by the mindset that their best business deal is the next one, comedy legends such as Jerry Seinfeld are forever confident that the best joke they’ve ever written will eventually be relegated to second-best.
That never-ending quest to top oneself is why Seinfeld wasn’t content to let this astute observation about man’s best friend be his last: “Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog’s face, he gets mad at you, but when you take him on a car ride, he sticks his head out the window?” Nope, he followed it with this: “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?”
It’s a perfectly crafted joke, yet if you could’ve read the thought bubble above Seinfeld’s head the first time he delivered it, odds are you would’ve seen the following words: “Ah, I can do better.” And he usually does, much to the delight of those who love to laugh.
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