By Jerry Seinfeld seems to be enjoying the irony of finally becoming a movie director just as the film industry itself seems to be on the wane – at least, as he says, from a cultural importance perspective.
The former sitcom star’s feature film directorial debut is a Netflix comedy that serves as a fictional account of the creation of Pop-Tarts toaster pastries.
Speaking with GQ Magazine ahead of the film’s release, he spoke about how “dead serious” and hard working people in the film industry are and joked “they don’t have any idea that the movie business is over”.
Asked to elaborate on that point but with a more serious assessment of the industry overall, he says:
“Film doesn’t occupy the pinnacle in the social, cultural hierarchy that it did for most of our lives. When a movie came out, if it was good, we all went to see it. We all discussed it. We quoted lines and scenes we liked. Now we’re walking through a fire hose of water, just trying to see.”
So has anything replaced it? Uncertainty seems to be what’s on everyone’s mind which is why certain things, like stand-up comedy, have seen a resurgence he claims:
“Depression? Malaise? I would say confusion. Disorientation replaced the movie business. Everyone I know in show business, every day, is going, ‘What’s going on? How do you do this? What are we supposed to do now?’
I’ve done enough stuff that I have my own thing, which is more valuable than it’s ever been. Stand-up is like you’re a cabinetmaker, and everybody needs a guy who’s good with wood. There’s trees everywhere, but to make a nice table, it’s not so easy.
So, the metaphor is that if you have good craft and craftsmanship, you’re kind of impervious to the whims of the industry. Audiences are now flocking to stand-up because it’s something you can’t fake.
It’s like platform diving. You could say you’re a platform diver, but in two seconds we can see if you are or you aren’t. That’s what people like about stand-up. They can trust it. Everything else is fake.”
Seinfeld recently appeared in the series finale of Larry David’s HBO series “Curb Your Enthusiasm” with that show’s finale taking shots at the controversial ending of “Seinfeld” all those years ago.
“Unfrosted” will be available to stream on Netflix from May 3rd.
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