Jerry Seinfeld proves himself master of the observational domain

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      At the Orpheum on Friday, September 7. Continues September 8

      Did you ever notice how observational comics get short shrift from die-hard comedy fans? Absurdism is fine, sociopolitical tirades are cool, and storytelling is all the rage. But the cognoscenti turn up their noses at performers who dare talk about the minute details of life, as if they’re any less relevant.

      But to paraphrase Duke Ellington, there are only two types of comedy: good and bad. Jerry Seinfeld’s act gets denigrated by some, but the guy is just plain good. And if he wasn’t now out of the younger set’s price range, the hipsters would give him full credit for being master of the observational domain, rather than just another practitioner.

      There’s a case to be made that Seinfeld and his ilk are actually consequential comics, despite not tackling serious subjects. And Norm Macdonald will make that case. In talking about Seinfeld and Brian Regan, the SNL vet told me earlier this year: “I certainly think these guys are important comedians because, in a way, the tiny, everyday things that we do in life, that’s what life actually is. So they may be the deepest of all….Because a man is what he does, rather than what he thinks or says.”

      Seinfeld’s genius is his ability to deconstruct a given topic down to the molecule, approach it from every conceivable angle, and tie it all together in a neat bow. His opening bit on chairs and the human propensity to sit, while not new, is still impressive. He goes from our theatre seats back to the descent of man and winds up in bed, the only option that beats sitting.

      The show is a performance from the moment the 58-year-old runs on-stage. Seinfeld doesn’t go off-script. But he doesn’t need to. His hour is full of ideas and language and act-outs; there’s no time for filler. For those who feel the need to get to know the real Jerry a little bit, you can watch his excellent web series, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. This, however, is a show and here the act is king.

      Because his topics are trivial on the surface, it’s sometimes easy to forget his way with words. Not only are his ideas unique, he’s a gifted writer. He applies the perfectly crafted analogy to the mundane in a way that gets us to come around to his way of thinking. He describes the Cream of Wheat his mother used to make as “so thick it was like rowing in the hull of a slave ship". The endless serve-and-volley of a typical email exchange is “like eating a hero sandwich on a toilet". Facebook is a “trash receptacle of human time".

      The only complaint, as I wrote the last time he was in town, is that he doesn’t turn over material that often, so any repeat guests have heard most of the bits before. But it’s like re-reading a good book: you get something new each time you go back to it.

      Comments

      2 Comments

      M.

      Sep 8, 2012 at 9:54pm

      We just saw him tonight (8 Sep, first show) and he was brillant. Ok, 25% of the stuff he did is 'old' (but not more than a year/two) and sure, you might have seen it on You Tube before. But the other 75% (plus the 25% which he craftily rearranged a bit) was absolutely top notch and everybody had a great time. He did about 80 minutes without stopping, handled a hackler in a great way and most of the time (here remember that most in the audience, we can assume, are probably demanding and came in with high expectations) people were laughing out loud, there was a round of applause every few minutes (this may be nothing in the US, but here in Vancouver people can be quite frigid at times and are less likely to go 'nuts' at a show like this) and it was worth every penny of it. Anyone who says otherwise is other overanalysing things or has some issues. This show is great and if you can - go and see it!

      Amer Alkhatib

      Sep 9, 2012 at 9:04am

      Jerry was more animated than I was expecting him to be; the energy with which he performed was electrifying! My cheeks were sore by the end of the night because I didn't stop laughing for the entirety of the show.