Meeting Jerry Seinfeld

After the first of Jerry Seinfeld’s two sold-out shows Saturday night, a small gaggle of GW reporters were allowed into the downstairs meet-and-greet. Unlike Jon Stewart last year, there was no mini-press conference or time for GW TV to do an ambush for its station promos. No press cameras allowed, except the University’s. (I couldn’t even bring the Daily Colonial’s camera in while still tucked in its camera case.)

We were led in to a small, converted room in the belly of the Smith Center where President Trachtenberg and his family, some of the show’s underwriters and other people affiliated with the university, etc., were also waiting.

Most of these important people met him and got their pictures taken (by the University photographer) before we did. The gaggle just lingered and crept closer and closer towards him.

At some point down in the Smith Center, two other student print reporters and the WRGW reporter excitedly told me they’d “pooled” some question ideas during the wait from the seating area to here. As we approached Seinfeld, their giddiness became less and less contained. (Understandably, I guess.) As we were about to move in, I jokingly suggested they chill out. This did not go over well.

Adela de la Torre of University Relations shuffled us in for a photo and brief questions. Others were already trying to shoo us out, so time was of the essence.

The first girl, I think the Hatchet reporter, asked something along the lines of ‘What questions do you get asked a lot and what are bad questions reporters ask and what should reporters ask you more?’

In an honest way he said to her ‘That’s a really long, convuluted question. I don’t think I can answer that.’

The next reporter asked ‘What’s your favorite car?’ (Seinfeld is known for his car collection, to be fair, but probably for his comedy first.)

‘That’s too ephemeral. I’m not going to answer that.’

The next reporter said ‘Would you ever go on “Curb Your Enthusiasm”?’

‘Yeah, if Larry [David] wrote a part for me.’
Finally, it was my turn.

“How do you channel what people are thinking into your routine? How do you know what people are thinking?”

He looked at me. “Yeah, that’s a good question,” he said. “I’m not able to do it…I think that’s just what people are noticing or not noticing.” For example, the bit he told about going into a public bathroom and seeing everyone’s crumpled pants’ legs and sad little shoe fronts. Everyone has seen that before.

I said to him that his mom and my grandmother must be the same person from all their typical, elderly grandmother habits. He said that’s the thing - they are, but they aren’t really. Certain behaviors are so common that it’s just a matter of picking up on them.

Jerry Seinfeld just says what we’re all thinking.