The Word: Seinfeld decides it’s time to get online
Most working comedians know the importance of having a Web presence to list upcoming events, promote material and hopefully develop a much-needed fan base. But when you’re a comic on the level of Jerry Seinfeld, do you really need a way to promote yourself? Well, yes — just in a different way.
“I wanted a very restricted concept; I didn’t want to have a site with, like, mugs, T-shirts and concert dates. I find that annoying,” he says about how his new site, JerrySeinfeld.com, will be different. “I just couldn’t wait any longer and I finally came up with an idea that I liked.”
Instead, the site, which launches Friday, will be a repository of nearly every recorded comedy appearance from Seinfeld — a career that spans 36 years. One of Friday’s introductory clips will be from his first time on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” in 1981 — posted 30 years to the day.
A comedian through and through — he shrugged off questions about acting in any new movies or TV shows (“acting is for people who don’t have anything to say”) — he admitted to us that he sneaks into New York comedy clubs every few weeks to keep honing his act before he tours. In fact, one reason for launching JerrySeinfeld.com is to attract a younger fan base.
“This site is really about my attempt to cultivate the world of stand-up comedy with young people,” he says with a slight Seinfeld-smirk. “The same way the skinheads and Klu Klux Klan do — you gotta get them indoctrinated young. So really, I’m taking a page from their book.”
Picking the clips
Seinfeld, who is very hands-on with the site, felt it was important not to post all clips at once (there are more than 1,000). Rather, he will pick three a day to profile. “I’m almost more proud of the fashion than I am of the comedy,” he quips about digging deep into his archives. “My fashion choices were so good, you are not even going to notice the clothes. In the ’70s and ’80s I look good — it’s the ’90s where my choices start to get questionable.”
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