reading, watching & listening to

Jerry Seinfeld saying Jerry Seinfeld things is amazing

What do you think has replaced film?

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?

Do you feel the same way, or are you grandfathered in?

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.

Break down that metaphor for me.

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.

fascinating short read on status, sorting and prestige in sports (and everywhere else). The people you might expect to be the most competitive are often the most welcoming, and vice versa. 

if you want to predict the future, go to a history lecture or set your case study date filter to twenty years ago.