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When people who are the best in their field talk about the nuts and bolts of their creative process, it always interests me.
Jerry Seinfeld is generally considered one of the masters of his craft. It’s like Stephen Sondheim and songwriting—there’s no denying his originality and influence, even if you don’t particularly care for his songs. About four years ago, Seinfeld sat down with a reporter from The New York Times, and talked about the crafting of one five-minute routine, “The Pop Tart,” a routine that took over two years to hone. I found it very enjoyable to hear Seinfeld talk about the meticulousness of his search for the perfect way to frame a joke.
Click on the video above to watch.
Hi, I never found Seinfeld or the show funny. BUT I, like you, am fascinated at how long it took him to write a joke/skit. I wonder how in the world Colbert and Stewart–and their teams of writers–managed to come up with their lines and ironic takes on things that I DID think were often stunningly clever–and “funny.” You would think that after you worked on it so long, you would not know if it is really funny at all. Strange concept.
Thanks, mar