Some of the funniest comedians of all time have either come out of New York, work there presently, or owe their careers to the city. This includes the romantically complex writer Fran Lebowitz, The King Of All Media Howard Stern, David Letterman, Mel Brooks, Jackie Gleason, Whoopi Goldberg, Eddie Murphy, the late Joan Rivers, Amy Schumer, Tracy Morgan, Bill Maher, Jay Leno, and, of course, Seinfeld co-creators Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld.
But while Jerry Seinfeld has a very clear love for the city and people of New York, he's also been open about how he finds it downright aggravating. Unlike most hometowns, New York inspires both fierce loyalty and pride as well as an often even more dominant disdain. This is something Jerry embraces. Here's why...
Why Jerry Seinfeld Finds New York City Incredible Aggravating
Way back in 2007, before the late-night war between Conan O'Brien and Jay Leno, Conan hosted Jerry Seinfeld on his show. It was here where Jerry explained why New York City is absolutely annoying to him and basically anyone else who lives there. But that doesn't mean it's not good for his act...
"You have said, famously, it's been quoted a lot, that New York City, Manhattan, is good for comedians. It's good for comedy. What's the theory behind that?" Conan asked Jerry on his show.
"Mhm. Mhm. Irritation is good for comedy," Jerry responded. "And everything in New York is irritating."
Before Jerry could explain why the audience erupted in cheers and applause. Of course, at this point in Conan's career, his show was based in New York and his audience was made up of predominantly New Yorkers. So, of course, they knew what Jerry was trying to get at before he even did.
"I used to love this thing about how when you're in New York and you're in the back of the cab and you look through the glass, it seems like it's happening on TV. And whatever the guy does you think, 'Oh, well, he's a cab driver I'm sure he knows what he's doing.' You don't think to yourself, 'He's going to kill me'. It doesn't seem real. And you trust. You see the license and you trust it. Even though a lot of the letters are like elements from another planet or something. But you just trust in New York that cab drivers know what they're doing. But it is very annoying that you put your life in this person's hands that you don't know. You don't know them. They've never been here before. And you go, 'I'm sure he knows what he's doing'."
Of course, you can find dangerous cab drivers in any city, but Manhattan is known for it. This is because traffic is downright terrible on a good day. You have pedestrians jaywalking all over the place. Tourists, who have absolutely no clue as to where they are going. There are dangerous bicyclists weaving and darting through traffic. The one-way streets and dead ends are copious. And the general atmosphere of the place is just so chaotic.
But cabs aren't the only thing that Jerry finds irritating about New York and that's something he's explored thoroughly in his comedy.
Most Of Jerry's Career Has Been About New York
Jerry was born in New York and the origins of his stand-up career take place there. So, it makes complete sense that so much of his comedy is based around the city. Given that Jerry is known as an observational comedian, it's even clearer why he pays so much attention to all the aggravating elements of the city and its people. While so much of his early act was about that, his most famous and beloved contribution to the entertainment industry is as well...
At its core, NBC's Seinfeld was an ode to New York. Now, not a pleasant ode but a realistic one. At least, seen through the eyes of a comedian like Jerry Seinfeld. Sure, the day-to-day neurosis and narcissistic personality traits explored by the characters on the show weren't entirely unique to New York, but the city definitely dictated much of what it was. Not only was New York the setting of Seinfeld but it gave Jerry a canvas to paint all of his irritations on. Every single episode of Seinfeld, in one way or another, described Jerry's true feelings about the city by how his fictional character, George, Eliane, Kramer, or any of the supporting characters reacted to it or moved throughout it.
Even with Jerry's frustrations and comedic observations about the city, he remains a staunch supporter of it. Not only does he have one of his houses there but he frequently does New York-based charity and even wrote an acclaimed article in the New York Times reminding those leaving the city during the pandemic that New York always bounces back from tragedy. The city and its people are relentless, especially in the face of adversity. And that's both admirable and utterly irritating.