The Jerry Seinfeld And Howard Stern Controversy, Explained
Jerry Seinfeld has been making a lot of waves lately. First, he declared that political correctness is killing the spontaneity and freedom of comedy. And now, he and Howard Stern, the "King of All Media," have had a bit of a verbal dust-up.
It all started when Seinfeld guested on Dana Carvey and actor and multi-time sitcom star David Spade's "Fly On The Wall" podcast. During his time on the show, Seinfeld claimed, "Howard is interesting. Howard is a great interviewer, but comedy chops, I mean, can we speak candidly?" after remarking that Stern invented the podcast genre with his radio show. Carvey then gave credit to Stern's sidekick, Robin Quivers, for making him funnier. Seinfeld replied, "Let's face it, he's been outflanked by some very, and yourselves, I mean absolutely, this show, comedy podcast?" He then called Carvey and Spade's podcast the best one out there.
Seinfeld later apologized for his harsh words to TMZ. "I really feel bad for what I said about my friend Howard Stern in a conversation with David Spade and Dana Carvey," he said, talking about the glut of comedy podcasts. "I meant to say he must feel surrounded but I said 'outflanked' which sounded terrible and insulting. And of course, none of these little shows are any threat to his giant show. Anyway, it was bad and I'm sorry, Howie. I still love you. Please forgive me."
Stern has yet to fire back at Seinfeld, but knowing how free-spoken he tends to be, one can imagine he'll speak up soon. But those weren't the only opinions Seinfeld came forth with during his appearance on "Fly on the Wall."
Jerry Seinfeld thinks comedy podcasts ought to be funnier
During his time on "Fly on the Wall," Jerry Seinfeld also marveled at how comedy podcasts have become such a go-to listen for fans of the genre. "Who knew there was a market? Who knew people wanted to get to know us? Who gets the credit for figuring it out?" he asked. The questions were delivered in a rhetorical tone, so naturally, the comic was kidding.
On the other hand, Seinfeld's disdainful comments about how podcasts from comics have begun to lean heavily on frank self-reflection and more serious tones felt more honest. "Jesus Christ, make us laugh, how interesting do you think you are? You're not that interesting, okay?" he said. "You're not. When you're funny, you're worth it. This is my line, which you know me, you know me, no but you know that I draw that line. If you're not that funny, we're not that interested in you."
While Seinfeld's opinion is belied by the many comedians who have branched out to do drama, as well as the published memoirs that have revealed their inner workings, one cannot deny that he's made his point. Time will tell if Seinfeld's comments will — or won't — age well.