Jerry Seinfeld’s web series, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, is now in its fifth season. After four hit-or-miss seasons, the show really is getting better, and Seinfeld had one his most interesting guests recently: Bill Burr. One thing I love about the episode is the chemistry between Burr and Seinfeld. By the end of the episode they literally didn’t want to end it, and neither did I. Plus Burr had some gem riffs/monologues and one-liners. Seinfeld had his share, too.
Something I love about really great comics is that they “get it,” at least implicitly. They’re perceptive about life and human nature, and they are able to articulate it in ways that we can hear and understand. Ministers and cultural critics should really sit at their feet, and Seinfeld’s show, which displays comedians talking shop, allow us to eaves drop. I had a lot of fun listening in on the Burr-Seinfeld convo, so I’m just going to give you the highlights and let them speak for themselves. I commend the entire episode to you though.
On Audience
Bill Burr: There’s this new level of selfishness when you go to a comedy club where they’ll watch you for forty minutes and take everything that’s a joke and all of a sudden you hit a topic that’s sensitive to them and all of a sudden you’re making statements. I’m just giving into the fact that once I say something now, it’s not mine any more. It literally goes into somebody else’s brain, and it comes with their childhood, their experience, whatever happened that day.
On Moods while Performing
BB: I’ve been wrong on stage. I’ve gone up there in a bad mood.
Jerry Seinfeld: If I only went on stage when I wasn’t in a bad mood, I’d have done four sets so far.
On Filming vs. Performing Live (& Boat Owndership)
BB: I’m at the point that I don’t want my own show. I want to come on other people’s shows just long enough that people still see my dumb face and they’ll come out to my standup gigs. It’s perfect. My brother is really good with money, and he told me one time (and it’s really a philosophy of life), he said, Bill you don’t want to be the guy that owns the boat. You want to be the guy that has the friend that owns the boat. Let him deal with the docking fees and scraping the barnacles off… You just show up with a twelve pack and you’re a hero… And I have been able to paratroop into some great shows… I don’t want to sit in a trailer waiting 12 hours to pretend to be a cop. Somebody asked me one time what’s it like to do a move, and I said it’s like going to the DMV with famous people. You’re just sitting there, just waiting. When are thy gonna call you? … There’s never gonna be anything better than standing in front of a live audience that’s going nuts laughing. Or if you’re in a band singing a song. Or if you dunk a ball. Let’s go get some coffee!
On Jerry Seinfeld, Brian Regan, & the Comedic Underside
BB: [To Seinfeld] You’ve got this ability to make me laugh and to ruin $#!t all at the same time. And people for years have said, he has an act about nothing. No it isn’t. You’re not listening to him. You’re not seeing the anger underneath these bits. This guy has contempt for humanity, and for 90% of activities. One of my favorite things to see is a comic, especially someone who works clean, to still be able to see that same sort of rage. Like Brian Regan, you watch Brian Regan, people thinks it’s goofy. It’s like no, this is an angry dude. The way he’s telling this story is not the way he reacted when this $#!t happened to him.
On Boston
BB: Massachusetts is a great place, but everybody has kind of a I-got-f’d story.
JS: I wanna know why. Massachusetts is a beautiful state. Boston is a great city. What is the problem with these people? Where is this dark cloud from?
BB: I don’t know. And what’s funny is I didn’t notice it when I lived there. I don’t know why.
JS: C’mon. You’re too smart to have no theories on this.
BB: It’s also why everyone there is f’ing hilarious. I don’t know what the problem is. People always ask me what is Boston like, and I always go, it’s like a racist San Francisco.
Bonus
If you’re uninitiated with the show, here are the episodes I liked best in case you want to skip possible snoozers: Ricky Gervais, Brian Regan, Michael Richards, Sarah Silverman, Gad Elmaleh, Louis C.K., Aziz Ansari, and Kevin Hart. The new “Single Shots” are funny, too. Start with this one: What is CCC? There’s also some new Michael Richards grace and redemption material here.
http://youtu.be/-WxwExdx9g4
COMMENTS
2 responses to “Bill Burr, the Boss of Comedians in Cars”
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Great post! I’m glad to see this very enjoyable show getting some attention. You recommend some excellent episodes at the end of the piece. Another that I found particularly funny was with Alec Baldwin.
Yeah, Spencer. I think the Alec Baldwin episode is def. an honorable mention to say the least. Surprisingly more watchable than some of the more official “comedians” who’ve been on the show.