Jerry Seinfeld is one of the most celebrated comedians of all time. Aside from his success in the stand-up scene, he gained immense popularity and cultural relevance through his evergreen sitcom Seinfeld. In the modern streaming era, Seinfeld once again won over viewers with his talk show Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.
However, at the same time, Seinfeld also made a controversial statement regarding the internet allowing user-generated comedy content and YouTube providing a platform for the same. Seinfeld referred to YouTube as a garbage can during a press event. Here is what Seinfeld said about YouTube and why his comments sounded tone-deaf.
Jerry Seinfeld Reveals His Controversial Stance on YouTube
Jerry Seinfeld saw unparalleled success by commercializing his personal brand of humor. Seinfeld has amassed a net worth of more than $900 million, thanks to his hit sitcom and other popular works. Along with gaining fame and money, Seinfeld also inspired an entire new generation of comedians.
However, while promoting his Crackle series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee in 2015, Seinfeld made some controversial comments regarding YouTube and its creators that even the most ardent fans of the comedian will find difficult to defend.
At the Crackle’s upfront event in New York City, Seinfeld bashed YouTube using the following words:
“I don’t want to see this c**p. We have a giant garbage can called YouTube for user-generated content. We’re trying to generate a little higher level. I think showbusiness is for talent, that’s who should be in it.”
Seinfeld’s comments (via The Hollywood Reporter) implied that YouTube creators weren’t talented and that user-generated content did not have a place in showbiz. Seinfeld also added that YouTube creators were at the bottom of the content-creation pyramid and he was on top of it.
Why Jerry Seinfeld’s YouTube Comments Come Off as Tone Deaf
Seinfeld likened YouTube to a garbage can and his comments seemed to suggest that YouTube creators aren’t talented. However, Seinfeld’s comments come off as tone-deaf in the internet era, where several YouTube creators have amassed immense popularity that can rival that of movie stars.
At the same time, YouTube creators such as Mr. Beast, Logan Paul, Lily Singh, and Liza Koshy have achieved mainstream success and continue to be relevant even today, drawing a huge number of eyeballs. Meanwhile, sketch comedy shows and traditional stand-up comedy have also greatly benefited from YouTube, with comedians such as Bo Burnham going viral on the platform in their early days.
On the other hand, it is also difficult to understand where Seinfeld’s comments are coming from. In 2014, a year before he bashed YouTube, Seinfeld supported internet-based comedy shows, which allowed for more freedom and experiments. He also praised comedian Colleen Ballinger, who made a name for herself through YouTube.
Ultimately, Seinfeld’s comments implying YouTube creators were not talented can be categorically proven untrue, especially due to the increase in popularity of YouTubers since 2015. At the same time, Seinfeld’s own stance on internet content creation remains blurry. Therefore, his bashing of YouTube as a platform sounded extremely tone-deaf, especially in the modern context of social media and the internet.
