# Fuck Jerry Seinfeld **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 23, 2021, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-jerry-seinfeld/931260 "2021-01-23T04:08:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2021, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-jerry-seinfeld/931260/81 "2021-01-23T23:44:33Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > > [@puzzlegal](#): > > > > But he played an asshole in his show, and I’d just assumed that he was also an asshole in real life. > > I have no idea what Jerry Seinfeld is like in real life, but in general, this is **not** a safe assumption. > > I suspect it’s more often the assholes who insist on playing heroic lovable wonderful human beings on stage/screen. Well, if they are playing a character in a story, no, I don’t assume the character’s character is that of the actor. But Seinfeld was basically playing himself. Sure, he might be making stuff up about himself. Cosby was a hell of a lot more wholesome on TV than in real life. (Although his stand-up act was closer to “him” than the fictional character that didn’t bear his name.) And yeah, I know I might be wrong about Seinfeld, and if I had to interact with him in person, I’d give him a shot. But it’s still my casual assumption about a person I am unlikely to ever meet. ---
**Author:** ![MrMrmrmr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrmrmrmr/32/5828_2.png) [@MrMrmrmr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrMrmrmr)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2021, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-jerry-seinfeld/931260/82 "2021-01-23T23:49:36Z")
So you believe in the Laffer curve then. Good to know. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2021, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-jerry-seinfeld/931260/83 "2021-01-23T23:53:33Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Well, if they are playing a character in a story, no, I don’t assume the character’s character is that of the actor. But Seinfeld was basically playing himself. Well, even with comedians who play “themselves,” their comedic persona is not necessarily who they are in real life. One great example is Jack Benny: on his radio and TV show he played a “Jack Benny” who was stingy and selfish, but in real life was quite generous. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2021, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-jerry-seinfeld/931260/84 "2021-01-24T00:02:35Z")
> [@Saintly\_Loser](#): > > I mean, Seinfeld seems to be a bit of an asshole. But that’s probably independent from his being a billionaire. I’m pretty sure that Seinfeld has Asberger’s Syndrome. He really seems to have trouble understanding emotions, or having much social awareness. This is probably why he comes across as an asshole to some. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2021, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-jerry-seinfeld/931260/85 "2021-01-24T03:33:32Z")
> [@MrMrmrmr](#): > > So you believe in the Laffer curve then. Good to know. Typical troll strategy, Mr. Troll. Nothing I said could even remotely be construed that way. But enjoy your trolling. What you said, OTOH, definitely was the epitome of the supply-side mythology: “don’t piss off the millionaires/billionaires, because we NEED them – we all benefit from their wonderfulness!” 🙄 > [@Chefguy](#): > > I’m pretty sure that Seinfeld has Asberger’s Syndrome. He really seems to have trouble understanding emotions, or having much social awareness. This is probably why he comes across as an asshole to some. Interesting comment. It might explain his “observational” humour, whereby he perceives as “odd” various social interactions that most of us accept as natural. (It’s “Asperger’s”, BTW.) ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2021, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-jerry-seinfeld/931260/86 "2021-01-24T04:17:54Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > (It’s “Asperger’s”, BTW.) At least I didn’t spell it “Ass Burgers”. ---
**Author:** ![Nayna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ebca7d/32.png) [@Nayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nayna)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2021, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-jerry-seinfeld/931260/87 "2021-01-24T04:57:45Z")
I know how money works. I didn’t say the money was “sitting there doing nothing;” I said it was sitting in accounts. And in accounts, it is helping the banks, it is not helping the people getting the loans from the banks. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2021, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-jerry-seinfeld/931260/88 "2021-01-24T05:11:55Z")
You said there were sitting in accounts “helping nobody and making more money.” It wouldn’t be making Seinfeld any money if it wasn’t helping anyone. You do know there wouldn’t be any loans without the money sitting in those accounts, right? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2021, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-jerry-seinfeld/931260/89 "2021-01-24T06:08:40Z")
You guys I think the Onion might be mining us for article ideas > **[Jerry Seinfeld Destitute After Purchasing $950 Million Car](https://www.theonion.com/jerry-seinfeld-destitute-after-purchasing-950-million-1846110965?_ga=2.167010297.611128478.1611468435-1321678892.1540245834)** > > NEW YORK—Acknowledging that he was now completely bankrupt, comedian Jerry Seinfeld confirmed Friday that he was destitute after pouring his entire fortune into the purchase of a $950 million car. “Yes, it was expensive, but on the other hand, it’s a... ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2021, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-jerry-seinfeld/931260/90 "2021-01-24T06:18:29Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > What does exist, on the contrary, is a system of extraordinarily low levels of effective taxation and massive loopholes for the super-rich in some countries, and nowhere more than in the US. The US has one of the largest gaps between the rich and poor of any industrialized nation in the world, as shown by a large and growing Gini coefficient. It should be impossible for a person, corporation, or other entity to make massive amounts of money and pay nothing in taxes. Yet in the US that is possible, with the proper strategies and being able to buy the best lawyers and money manipulators. That is absolutely, completely fucking wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2021, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-jerry-seinfeld/931260/91 "2021-01-24T06:43:09Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > You guys I think the Onion might be mining us for article ideas Or more likely the author of that article just heard about Seinfeld being worth a billion in the same place the OP did. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2021, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-jerry-seinfeld/931260/92 "2021-01-24T07:36:47Z")
The OP & OP are asinine. Why does it perturb the OP that Seinfeld, or anyone else for that matter, is not turning over every penny he’s earned to a variety of charities? First off, it’s none of the OP’s business. Second, whatever amount Seinfeld does donate to charity is doing something for a charity. Next, as mentioned by another poster, money in banks does not just lie there prostrate; it’s what the bank uses for its investments and thus generating a return for its customers in the form of loans or other increases. Finally, and just out of my idle curiosity, how much of your money, OP, have you donated to charities? If you’re not living in the cheapest place possible, eating the cheapest food available, and donating every red cent beyond what you need for a bare minimum to sustain life, then you’re not only an idiot, you’re a hypocrite. ---
**Author:** ![Nayna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ebca7d/32.png) [@Nayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nayna)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2021, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-jerry-seinfeld/931260/93 "2021-01-24T12:53:24Z")
I guess we’re using different definitions of “help.” ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2021, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-jerry-seinfeld/931260/94 "2021-01-24T15:14:24Z")
I have a simple, if lengthy, response to the “what business is it of yours” question: > [@Do the rich pay their fair share?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-rich-pay-their-fair-share/921817): > > I did a quick search and found very little specifically about this. In association with the latest story about DJT’s tax returns, I heard a statistic that the wealthiest Americans pay an average of 24% in Federal Income Tax. I presume they’re talking about [Effective Tax Rate](https://www.thestreet.com/personal-finance/taxes/what-is-the-effective-tax-rate-15102865). But Effective Tax Rate reminds me of an old joke in medicine: The surgery was a complete success, but the patient died. Sometimes, our definitions differ from the definitions used by others. According to [Pew Research](https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/10/06/a-closer-look-at-who-does-and-doesnt-pay-u-s-income-tax/): … Even if you’re The Most Libertarian Person In The World, and you believe that we should strip from the Federal government _every single thing_ that isn’t directly national defense … The question of whether the wealthiest Americans actually come anywhere close to ‘paying their fair share’ remains. And because there’s every reason to believe that the middle class is picking up the slack for the uber-wealthy … I say … we _do_ have a say in the matter. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![MrMrmrmr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrmrmrmr/32/5828_2.png) [@MrMrmrmr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrMrmrmr)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2021, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-jerry-seinfeld/931260/95 "2021-01-24T17:13:46Z")
Could someone explain to me why buying an asset for $950,000,000 would make a person bankrupt? I know it is a joke, but even jokes need to be grounded in reality. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2021, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-jerry-seinfeld/931260/96 "2021-01-24T17:31:49Z")
No, but I can explain to you why you shouldn’t go into comedy as a sideline. Or if you do, you should definitely keep your day job. You must be a riot at parties! (That last sentence is what we call “sarcasm”, BTW. You wouldn’t know it.) ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2021, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-jerry-seinfeld/931260/97 "2021-01-24T18:18:42Z")
> [@MrMrmrmr](#): > > Could someone explain to me why buying an asset for $950,000,000 would make a person bankrupt? > I know it is a joke, but even jokes need to be grounded in reality. It’s using “bankrupt” in the colloquial sense, to mean “broke” or “destitute”. It’s not a reference to the actual legal process of bankruptcy. ---
**Author:** ![MrMrmrmr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrmrmrmr/32/5828_2.png) [@MrMrmrmr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrMrmrmr)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2021, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-jerry-seinfeld/931260/98 "2021-01-24T18:27:03Z")
Someone on the Straight Dope was pedantic! Inconceivable! I’m sure your great big brain will recognize what that was. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2021, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-jerry-seinfeld/931260/99 "2021-01-24T18:36:46Z")
How much of that billion comes from the show and how much comes from having invested that initial money into other ventures? NBC apparently believed that what he offered was worth a lot of money. If he’d gotten paid less, he would effectively have been generously undercharging to the benefit of NBC or its advertisers. I’m not sure why they deserve his generosity. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2021, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-jerry-seinfeld/931260/100 "2021-01-24T19:09:55Z")
> [@MrMrmrmr](#): > > Someone on the Straight Dope was pedantic! Inconceivable! Someone on the Straight Dope got all butt-hurt when their stupid pedantic comment was called out. Incroyable! Fantastique! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-jerry-seinfeld/931260.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-jerry-seinfeld/931260.md?page=6)